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5 Grammar Mistakes You Should Never Make Again
I make a living writing and editing words—so naturally, I care about grammar. Why does it matter? You want your writing to look professional, whether you’re turning in an academic paper, a resume, a legal report or an email to your boss. Grammar mistakes reflect poorly on you. So here are five common mistakes that make…
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5 Patriotic Reads for July
Happy 4th of July! In honor of our country’s birth, I’ve put together a list of my five favorite American literature works. I’m not typically an American lit. person—I like European literature better—but there are definitely some American books I’ve read and loved. If you’re looking for ways to think about our country this July, here…
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Is Character Development Necessary?
When we talk about a good story—whether book, movie or TV show—one of the quality criteria we often put forward is character development. What we mean by this is that the characters should grow to become better people over the course of the story arc. This makes sense. We want our heroes to learn something,…
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Odysseus Goes to Mordor
I recently read a blog post over at Fantasy Faction in which Max Freeman argues that the classic literature students have to read in school is boring and often has no character development. He suggests that schools might be better off reading newer, more interesting books such as fantasy and scifi. I like Max’s idea of introducing “new blood” into…
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10 Tips I Wish I Heard Before My Wedding
It’s wedding season! Daniel and I are in 3 weddings this summer, on top of the others we’re attending, the bachelor and bachelorette parties, bridal showers, etc. I’ve been thinking about what advice I might give to friends who are in the wedding planning season. When I was planning my own wedding, I read through hundreds…
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Eat Through Narnia: Earl Gray Turkish Delight
Turkish Delight is the quintessential food for The Chronicles of Narnia. Learn how to make this classic treat with a British flavor twist.
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Why Can’t Adults Enter Narnia?
Why is the magical world in The Chronicles of Narnia only accessible to children?
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Whatever Happened to that New Year’s Resolution?
Remember that week between Christmas and New Year’s? Loaded down with gifts, parties and sweets, you were looking forward to getting back into the normal swing of things. Thus, you made a New Year’s resolution (or maybe two or three). The question is, did you keep it? The statistics for New Year’s resolutions are pretty…
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Bon Appetit, Part 2
How does one combine a love for literature and a love for cooking? In my last post, I shared part one of my attempt to cook an authentic 18th-century French meal for my family. I had to fiddle with the entree and bread recipes to “translate” the instructions into modern English, even though an editor had already translated…
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Bon Appetit! Part 1
Having consumed two lengthy 19th-century French novels recently, I thought it would be interesting to not only read about the French in the 1800s, but eat like them too. I decided to find a French recipe from the time period and cook it. Easier said than done. I don’t read French, so I needed a recipe that was already…
Victoria Van Vlear 