Guides

May 02, 2023

Part of the appeal of starting this Substack space was the chance to share some of my favorite lessons from my days as a college writing teacher outside of the classroom. In these guides and “how to” posts, I share literary definitions, techniques, writing practices, and brainstorming tricks to help you hone your reading and writing craft.

Check it out!

how to: what is close reading?

haley larsen, phd

April 20, 2023

Close reading is analytical and it is learned. It shifts a reader from comprehending a text — what you’re likely doing very well when you read a book the aforementioned way— into interpreting that text by using a combination of textual evidence and inductive reasoning. Put another way: close reading moves you into a deeper level of understanding a text...

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how to: write a reading reflection

haley larsen, phd

August 13, 2023

Do you ever get tired of starred reviews and long justifications of why a book earned someone’s deeply subjective 8.2 rating instead of a 9.1? I’ve never really been a fan. I’m not into book reviews or star-based rating systems for books. This is why I’ve steered-clear of Goodreads and the like.

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how to: brainstorm & free-write

haley larsen, phd

September 17, 2023

Today: a simple how-to post, sharing my favorite free-writing exercise. If you’re anything like my colleagues and students, it should help you either jumpstart your next writing project or breathe new life into something you’ve set aside. I’m busily planning my October posts, because I’m a *Halloween girlie* and I can’t wait to dive into all-things-spoo…

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