Writing Character Relationships

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3 Study Methods You Should Use More Often

This was originally for an article writing assignment, but I thought “why not write something I can also post on my blog?” so here are three study methods that I haven’t seen a lot of in the studyblr community but are definitely worth mentioning.

The Leitner System

          Flash cards have remained one of the most popular ways to study. Some people use them to memorize vocabulary, remember answers to specific questions, or even associate dates with events. Although the use of flash cards is convenient, their effectiveness has been reduced due to most people’s habits of prioritizing each card equally and therefore spending too much time memorizing the information on them.

          The Leitner System, created by a German popularizer of science named Sebastian Leitner, is a more efficient method of studying that implements the concept of spaced repetition. All the cards start off in one pile. You would first scan through these cards, then test yourself. Each card you answer correctly goes to a second pile, while those you answer incorrectly should be revised then placed at the bottom of the pile. When you review the cards in the second pile and get them correct, they will be promoted to a third pile. An incorrect card will always get demoted to the first pile, even if they had previously been promoted to the last pile.

          The reason why this method is so effective is that you end up reviewing the first pile of cards more frequently—the cards you don’t know very well. Some people choose to review their Stack 1 cards every day, Stack 2 cards every other day, Stack 3 cards once every three days, and so on.

          Once all your cards have been promoted to the highest box, study them thoroughly and then start over. The continuous revision trains your speed so that you may reach fluency, which allows you to recall the information faster.

Timed Memorization

          The name tells it all: you memorize a certain text within a time limit, normally around five to ten minutes depending on your fluency and memorization abilities. When the timer starts, you begin memorizing. When time is up, you flip to the next page, even if you haven’t finished the previous page yet. Continue until you’ve gone through all your material.

          Timed memorization helps you to discipline yourself because your brain thinks that there’s no time for messing around; you have to do this here and now. Make sure to repeat the things you missed and revise everything frequently. This method is actually one of the most effective for cramming as it gives a better coverage than if you spend a whole half hour memorizing one subtopic.

The Memory Palace or Mind Palace

           Sound familiar? In BBC’s Sherlock, the ‘highly functioning sociopath’ uses this method to remember vital information and facts. A mind palace is a systematic arrangement of information, each detail corresponding to a specific object in a familiar place. To ensure that you really remember everything, the objects have to appear shocking and conspicuous.

           Here’s an example: if I wanted to memorize “crimson, 11, delight, petrichor (the smell after rain)”, aside from imagining Amy Pond or the Doctor saying it, I would first choose a place, let’s say my school. I’d imagine myself walking up to the front gate and seeing that the entire building has been painted the color of blood—crimson. The building would then rise as though it were lifted from the earth and crumble into rubble, controlled by Eleven, the character from Stranger Things. Now, since I can’t really picture delight specifically, I’d probably end up visualizing a colossal sign that simply reads “delight” posted in front of my school. As for petrichor, I’d imagine curves rising out of the puddles on the asphalt after a rainy night, a visual representation of the smell of the rain. Of course, these visualizations have been created to suit my memory. (I wouldn’t know if you watched Stranger Things.)

           I used this method when memorizing case studies for geography, although I chose to visualize fictional places from television series and cartoons. Some people do opt to create artificial places, but these often become blurry and are easily forgotten.

           As with any study method, repetition is vital to storing the information in your long-term memory. Visit your “palace” as often as you can. Soon enough, you’ll remember the data as well as you remember the place associated with the data.

So there you have it, three lesser known methods of studying that have proven to be immensely efficient. Now, there is no “correct” way to study, but there are methods that can ease your learning process.

Headcanon that the reason the Phantom is so excited when Raoul shows up is that there is no way he had a good comeback to “It’s in your soul that the true distortion lies.”

Japanese learning mistakes… There are TONS. Should you be worried and give up? NO! Because making mistakes and SCREWING UP is a NECESSARY part of learning. Only after you make a mistake and get corrected is when you get better!

So here’s a big list of Japanese Mistakes lesson for you. So that you get better at Japanese. Hope you enjoy!

Source – Taken from

For Learners: Top 52 Japanese Mistakes That Beginners Make

http://www.linguajunkie.com/japanese/japanese-mistakes-by-learners

1. Mistaking Particles Wa & Ga

は・が

This is one of the most common Japanese mistakes that learners make.

It is really hard to suggest a solution for this  since even Japanese have moments where they doubt which one of these should be used. You really need to get used to it with time. But, let’s try anyway:

Solution: To put it simply:

は identifies the topic of the sentence

が identifies the subject of the sentence

2. Mistaking Particles Ni & De

に・で

Another common one. Both of these are connected with actions, but to make it a bit simpler let’s say that.

Solution…

に identifies and indicates “existence”, the location of the object.

で on the other hand indicates the location where the action is taking place.

3. Adjectives ending with い in the past tense

Yet another common mistake which pops up even if you’re not a beginner. Let’s take the word 寒い (cold). You see many learners who use 「寒いでした。」It’s wrong.

Solution:

The correct and polite way of saying  “It was cold” is 「寒かったです。」.

It is important to pay attention to what type of an adjective you are using な or い.

4. Saying “You” in Japanese

あなた・君

Unlike English, one doesn’t really use the word you while talking to Japanese people.

Solution:

Instead we use the name of the certain person instead of saying you.「今日太郎に会えて良かった。」 is one example. Or, don’t say “you” at all. It’s kind of confrontational.

5. Saying “I” in Japanese

俺 – Ore (masculine)

僕 – Boku (masculine)

私 – Watashi (m/f)

あたし – Atashi (feminine)

There is a large number of personal pronouns in Japanese and the usage also depends on the gender, age, context, and of course your relation and the position of the person you are talking to.

Just be careful to use the gender appropriate pronoun, otherwise you might be frowned at.

Solution:

Say watashi for now. It’s safe and polite. Later, once you understand the full nuances, use them as you wish.

6.The Little Tsu

っ・ッ

Stop! Another one of the common Japanese mistakes here!

Okay this tiny little thing changes the pronunciation of your word and along with it most likely even the meaning. It basically is used to double the sound of the consonant. If you pay attention to your pronunciation, this shouldn’t be a huge problem.

7. Long vowels

Yet another pronunciation mistake pretty similar to the one above. More often than not the meaning of the word will change depending on the length of the vowel, for example:

おばさん (aunt)

おばあさん (grandmother)

8. Iru & Aru in Japanese

いる・ある

Mixing these up is a very common Japanese mistake.

These are words indicating existence of living beings and things respectively. It is common to see learners use ある when talking about animals, but you should keep in your mind that with animals and birds, and everything else that can breathe you use いる.

Solution:

Living Beings: Use いる

Inanimate Objects: Use ある

9. Katakana – カタカナ

For some reason many learners find it harder to remember katakana compared to hiragana and kanji. A

And yet another issue is we never seem to understand what the katakana words mean since they often do not match their English pronunciations. Hence, we too pronounce English words wrongly when we try to change them into katakana.

This would go on the “understandable” Japanese mistakes list. If you make it, I can sympathize.

10. The excessive usage of と

と is pretty much the equivalent of “and” in English. However it cannot be used in every situation. For example when you are connecting adjectives you can’t use と.

Solution:

Instead you will have something like this: 「可愛くて、美しくて、素敵だった」. In other words the form of the word itself changes.

11. Apologizing in Japanese

There are a lot of words in Japanese that can be used for apologizing, and they vary from situation to situation. However let’s concentrate on 「ごめんなさい」 and 「すみません」. They are quite interchangeable but to make it easier for you:

Solution

Let’s say that:

ごめんなさい is equivalent to “sorry”

すみません is “excuse me”.

Keep it simple and use them like that.

12. Japanese Greeting Mistakes

The most common greeting in Japan is 「こんにちは」. However when meeting close friends it is better to avoid this phrase, since it is formal.

Solution

You’d have better chances of bonding with your friends if you use おっす/hello for bye orおつかれ/otsukare for bye.

13. Dakara and Kara

だから・から

And again, learners tend to use だから even when から is supposed to be used. A simple example of this will be 「美味しいだから」.

Solution

だから is usually used with nouns and な type of adjectives, not with verbs or い adjectives.

14. Misusing Desu kara

～ですから

We often use this when we are explaining something, or pointing reasons for this or that. However to most Japanese this will sound like you are trying to find an excuse for your actions.

15. Calling someone “san”

～さん

Now 「さん」 is a suffix that we add when we are talking to somebody, but a lot of Japanese learners seem to add this even to their own names when talking about themselves. Just DO NOT ever do this.

16. Thanking someone in Japanese

ありがとう・ありがとうございます

Well the main difference here is informal/formal.

However you should be careful when using the informal version. If you are talking to somebody who is clearly above you, be it age-wise or position-wise, no matter how close you are there are situations when it’s better to use the formal version. For example, when you have asked them for a favor.

17. Keigo – 敬語 (formal speech)

Now, this is the opposite of the above above. Do not talk to your close friends in 敬語 (unless you have to ask them to do a big favor to you), because this will make them think you are trying to distance yourself from them and all of this can get in the way of your friendship.

18. Sorea, Are, Soko, Asoko

それ – Sore – That

あれ – Are – That (over there – further than sore)

そこ – Soko – Over there

あそこ – Asoko – Way Over there (further than asoko)

These mean that and there if you look for the English equivalents. However as in everything else with Japanese, the nuances matter. To put it simply それ indicates closeness to the person you are talking to, while あれ suggests that the thing is not close to either of you.

19. Gender appropriate

Japanese is a very gender specific language, like it or not. It’s not like you will become a social outcast but people will point out that you sound girly, or that you have a very dirty and boyish vocabulary for a young girl.

20. The Overall Mess of Kanji

We can turn this article into 1,000 Japanese mistakes if we expanded on this.

So!

If you have been learning Japanese for any period of time and do not have Chinese or Korean background, kanji has probably been a pain in the neck for you. You miss one tiny part and the meaning of the word changes. Not to mention there are hundreds and hundreds of them to memories.

21. Confusing words that have the exact same pronunciation

Okay, this might be a bit tricky, but you have to figure out the meaning out of the context or depending on the kanji and intonation. Not much else can be done.

Here are some examples:

地震・自身 – both are “jishin”

橋・箸・端 – all are “hashi”

22. ～してもいいですか・～してもよろしいでしょうか

They both basically mean “can i do this”, however the main difference is in the level of politeness. If you are talking to a senpai, teacher, professor, boss, somebody who is older than you, or somebody who is above you in any way, it is highly recommended to use the latter rather than the former.

23. Kawaiisou vs Kawaisou

可愛いそう – Kawaiisou

可哀そう – Kawaisou

When you try to describe something, you usually add ~そう at the end of your い adjective. To do this you cut the い and replace it with the ～そう. However, even though the difference is clear in written form thanks to kanji, a mistake in pronunciation will change the meaning from “cute” to “pitiful”.

24. Misusing Morau, Ageru, Kureru

もらう・あげる・くれる

I don’t know about you but learning the difference between these was a burning hell to me. もらう means to receive, while the other two mean to give.

However, depending on how you use these, the meaning can get pretty confusing, i.e. 「手伝ってくれてもいいですか。」 is offering your help to someone, so be sure to use もらう instead if you are looking for help!

This is one of those Japanese mistakes even the pros make at times.

25. The Particle No

の

A lot of people seem to misuse 「の」. For example, using a の in between an adjective and noun –「厳しいの先生」– Kibishii no sensei – strict teacher.

The 「の」here is redundant and there is no need to use it at all. Why? Because the adjective already modifies AND belongs to the noun.  That’s the job of an adjective, to modify a noun. There’s no need to use の.

http://www.linguajunkie.com/japanese/japanese-mistakes-by-learners

(I feel like there’s no way this hasn’t been done before, but I couldn’t find anything, so here)

As requested! A tutorial on faces will be coming soon as well.

Hello, writerly friends~ ♥︎

You asked for a Writing Advice Masterpost, so here it is! Below you will find a collection of the best questions and answers from the last two years. Not only that, but they are also organized so you can find the answers to your questions quickly and get on with writing.

But wait, there is more!

This post is more than just a collection of advice, it’s a nexus for writing advice, resources, and information! That’s right, this post is going to grow over time. I will be updating this masterpost WEEKLY with new answers, writing advice videos, playlists, and more! So, make sure to bookmark this page and follow my blog (maxkirin.tumblr.com) so you don’t miss a thing~ ♥︎

Writing Advice Compilations

WRITERS UNITE! A book of writing advice, inspiration, and tips! Written with the help of 248 Tumblr authors. FREE DOWNLOAD!

Prompts

Daily Story Seed

Daily Weird Prompt

Daily Character Question

Your Writing Horoscope (Retired)

“Can I publish a story based on one of your prompts?”

Youtube Videos!

Virtual Writing Academy, a weekly writing class where we explore strange writing exercises. This is NOT a lecture. You are not going to learn by listening— but by WRITING. So, take out your notebooks because we are going to write! New episodes go up every Wednesday.

Writing Advice Blitz, a segment where I answer YOUR writing questions. New episodes go up every Monday.

Writing Challenges— prompts too easy for you? Looking for a challenge? YOU GOT IT. These challenges will push your writing skills to the limit! New episodes go up every Friday.

Motivation & Inspiration

Daily Writer Positivity

How to Finish Your First Novel (M. Kirin’s Origin Story)

What Confidence Is and Is NOT

How to Regain the Motivation to Finish That Book

“I’m afraid writing is a waste of time”

“I’m half-way through this book and I’m stuck”

Stop Trying to Impress People

Stop Trying to Make Your Parents Proud of your Writing

Your Parents Disapprove of Your Writing?

You’re Not The Worst Writer In The World

English Not Your First Language? Neither is Mine

A Tip for All Young Writers Worrying That Nobody Will Take Them Seriously

Dealing with Hate and Harsh Criticism

You Need to Develop a Thick Skin

Neil Gaiman’s “Make Good Art” Speech

Feeling Down About Your Writing? :c

Elizabeth Gilbert’s Inspirational Speech on the ‘Genius’

Neil Gaiman’s 8 Rules of Writing

“I am not as good as other writers” (and other lies)

The 7 Cardinal Rules of Writing Life

Be A Little Delusional

Planning, Outlining, and Getting Started

M. Kirin’s (Strange) Guide to Planning Your Novel

M. Kirin’s Click-n-Drag Story Generator

Which outlining method is the best? (Video)

“I want to write a book but I have no idea where to start”

The Story-Idea Test

M. Kirin’s Secret for Starting books, and Finishing Them

M. Kirin’s Top 3 Tips to Start Writing and Never Stopping

The 10-Minute Writing Trick

Tips for writing Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Paranormal

How Much Worldbuilding is Enough?

M. Kirin’s #1 Tip For Improving Your Writing

Let’s Talk About: Show VS Tell

The Difference Between Character & Plot (The Marcy Rule)

Dialogue

M. Kirin talks about authentic dialogue

The grammatical side of dialogue

How do I write numbers in dialogue?

Editing & Revision

M. Kirin’s Top 5 Revision Tips

How to Love and Care for Your Beta Readers

M. Kirin’s (subjective) secret recipe for the second draft

When is the best time to edit a story?

M. Kirin Talks About Editing, and Speeding Up Your Story

M. Kirin Uses Evernote to Revise Books

“Kill Your Darlings” VS “Cut What You Love”

Writing Killer Plot-Twists and Mystery Novels

“How long is a Rough Draft compared to the Finished Draft?”

Hot Button Issues

Realism is a dirty word

Racist & homophobic language in fiction

Inaccuracy in Fiction (Video)

M. Kirin drops a few bombs on ‘creative vocabulary’

“I want to write but I don’t have the time”

Is it bad to have too many LGBTQIA or POC characters?

“My antagonist is POC/LGBTQIA, is this bad?”

“All my characters are LGBTQIA, is this bad?”

When to let go of a story

Is it rational to be afraid of what people will think of you?

Let’s Talk About: Deus Ex Machina

Let’s Talk About: Coincidence in Writing

Let’s Lightly Talk About: Plagiarism & Copyright

Writing About Things You Have Never Experienced

“Do you need to go to college/university to be a good writer?”

My book is similar to something already out, what do I do?

General Advice

M. Kirin’s Cure For Writer’s Block (and Life Block)

Overcoming the First Sentence

Overcoming the First Sentence, Again

Overcoming the First Sentence, Redux

The 10-Minute Rule

Making Boring Scenes FUN to Write!

Stories are like children

Let’s Talk About Titles (And Then Talk Some More)

M. Kirin Reveals the ‘Secret’ Behind Style

How much description/scenery is too much?

How can I write faster?

I want my readers to love my characters

I think my book may be too short for my genre

My story doesn’t have an Antagonists, should I add one?

I killed one of my main characters by mistake, what do I do?

M. Kirin’s Writing Advice for Fleshing out Romantic Relationships

A warning about character names and meanings

Help! My characters are not doing what I expected them to!

Help! My characters are misbehaving! D:

A warning about character sheets

A talk about the beauty of first drafts, and pacing

Is getting attached to your characters… bad?

A note on Antagonism, and whether you need a villain or not

Past or present tense?

Is swearing okay? And other muthafuckin’ truths

“What emotion do you find hardest to write?”

“What writing software do you use?”

Communication, a must for collaborative works

Researching illegal things, cousin? I got just the thing for you!

Joss Whedon’s Top 10 Writing Tips

M. Kirin’s Tarot Cheat-Sheet

Writing Tips for Storytelling in Video-Games

Fair Use In Novels (by thedancingwriter​)

Let’s Talk About: Pen Names!

Let’s Talk About: Reactive VS Proactive Characters

Let’s Talk About: Transitioning Smoothly From Scene to Scene

Let’s Talk About: Writing The Climax (& Resolution)

Let’s Talk About: Writing The End

Let’s Talk About: Spies

Let’s Make a Title (To A Story You Haven’t Finished)

Publishing

Publishing Battle: Indie VS Traditional

“How do I turn my book into an eBook?”

Writing Music & Playlists

Writing In The Dark (Relaxing, Unobtrusive)

Writing About Love (All the Feels)

Writing & Fighting! (Super Intense!)

Writing About Horror (Welcome to Lavender Town)

Royalty And Noble Blood (Medieval Writing Playlist)

Digital Reality (Cyberpunk/Futuristic Playlist)

Lost In The Wild (Survival/Nature Playlist)

No Hero (Danger, Action, and Anti-Heroes!)

Mermaid Magic (Sunken Cities, Sea Monsters, and Magic!)

After The Bomb (Post-Apocalyptic and Dystopian)

Sorrow (Death, Grief, and Despair)

Music For Writers: Portal 2 Soundtrack (FREE)

M. Kirin’s Writing Playlists: Ravensgem

M. Kirin’s Writing Playlists: Justine’s Blood

M. Kirin’s Favorite Music to Listen to While Writing

M. Kirin’s Secret For Making Playlists

Miscellaneous

Finally! An Ask-Meme for Writers! 

M. Kirin’s Philosophy for Running a Writing Blog

Last Updated: 10-04-14. Click HERE to see the latest update. Latest posts are in Italics.