Logical Fallacies Logical Fallacies: The Fallacy Files Fallacy A fallacy is the use of poor, or invalid, reasoning for the construction of an argument.[1][2] A fallacious argument may be deceptive by appearing to be better than it really is. Some fallacies are committed intentionally to manipulate or persuade by deception, while others are committed unintentionally due to carelessness or ignorance. Fallacies are commonly divided into "formal" and "informal". Formal fallacy[edit] Main article: Formal fallacy A formal fallacy is a common error of thinking that can neatly be expressed in standard system of logic.[1] An argument that is formally fallacious is rendered invalid due to a flaw in its logical structure. The presence of a formal fallacy in a deductive argument does not imply anything about the argument's premises or its conclusion. Common examples[edit] Aristotle's Fallacies[edit] Aristotle was the first to systematize logical errors into a list. Whately's grouping of fallacies[edit] Intentional fallacies[edit] Deductive fallacy[edit]
25 Insights on Becoming a Better Writer When George Plimpton asked Ernest Hemingway what the best training for an aspiring writer would be in a 1954 interview, Hem replied, “Let’s say that he should go out and hang himself because he finds that writing well is impossibly difficult. Then he should be cut down without mercy and forced by his own self to write as well as he can for the rest of his life. At least he will have the story of the hanging to commence with.” Today, writing well is more important than ever. So what can we do to improve our writing short of hanging ourselves? 1. Don’t just plan to write—write. 2. [The] Resistance knows that the longer we noodle around “getting ready,” the more time and opportunity we’ll have to sabotage ourselves. 3. Find your best time of the day for writing and write. 4. Work on a computer that is disconnected from the internet. 5. Find a subject you care about and which you in your heart feel others should care about. 6. 7. Hone your outline and then cling to it as a lifeline. 8. 9.
Logic Self-Taught: A Workbook (by Dr.P.) Logic Self-Taught: A Workbook © Katarzyna Paprzycka (dr.p) [Katazhyna Papzhytska] propositional logic, predicate logic, Katarzyna Paprzycka, Dr.P., propositional logic, Logic Self-Taught: A Workbook, sentential logic, quantifier logic, logic for dummies, logic for everybody, logic for people, logic for students, logic textbook on-line, logic textbook for WebCT, logic textbook for Blackboard, logic textbook for e-learning, natural deduction, teaching logic, logic for high-school students, logic for non-logicians, logic for lawyers, logic for philosophers, teaching to do proofs, Bergmann, Moor, Nelson, The Logic Book, Solutions to logic exercises, logic help.
Fallacies Dr. Michael C. Labossiere, the author of a Macintosh tutorial named Fallacy Tutorial Pro 3.0, has kindly agreed to allow the text of his work to appear on the Nizkor site, as a Nizkor Feature. It remains © Copyright 1995 Michael C. Other sites that list and explain fallacies include: Constructing a Logical Argument Description of Fallacies In order to understand what a fallacy is, one must understand what an argument is. There are two main types of arguments: deductive and inductive. A fallacy is, very generally, an error in reasoning.
How to Deliver Bad News in Writing While you can't turn bad news into good through clever wording, the way that you deliver bad news in writing can affect how it is received the same way that it does when speaking. Some speakers know how to deliver bad news, and others only make it worse. The same is true in writing. The introduction is very important. It sets the context for the bad news, and context has a lot to do with how bad news is received. Instead of jumping straight into the bad, try leading with something positive. The bad news itself should go in the middle of your message. Once delivered, the bad news should be followed by the remedy, lesson learned, or course of action that will result in future prevention or improvement. Conclude by showing that you care. The key to delivering bad news is trust. By Carl Dickson, Founder of CapturePlanning.com Click here for more free articles like this one
How to Write an eBook that Makes Money (Even if you HATE Writing) In the last month I’ve talked a lot about affiliate marketing. So let’s shift focus and discuss the other way I make an online income – Selling eBooks. Affiliate marketing is an excellent business model. But I’ve found that offering an information product is how you make the real money. Currently I only have a single eBook offer. Yet this product nets me an average of $3,000 to $4,000 of income each month. In the last month you’ve heard me mention that I’m working on a massive eBook: Affiliate Marketing Without the Bulls**t Creating this product has been a grueling experience. I feel that many folks have trouble with the process of writing an eBook. Basically this is a crash course for non-writers on how to start and finish a lengthy information product. Step #1: Research eBook Ideas There’s been a lot written about picking a niche for an eBook. Others recommend looking at “problem keywords” and writing an eBook that provides a solution. These are all great ideas. Pick a Narrow Niche 1.
How to Market Your Freelance Writing Website so That Potential Clients Find You and Fall Over Backward to Hire You In last week’s Wealthy Web Writer e-letter, I shared a blueprint you can use when developing content for your professional freelance writing website. Just to recap, a professional website is one of the most powerful marketing tools you can have. It builds your credibility, helps you make contacts, and gives you an automatic way to build and nurture relationships with both clients and prospects. This week, as promised, I’m going to show you how to turn your website into a client magnet. How to Establish an Ongoing Relationship With Your Prospects and Clients There’s really no secret when it comes to establishing ongoing relationships with your website visitors. Start up an e-letter (or e-newsletter) — Adding a subscription box to your site and then sending out an e-letter is one of the first strategies you should consider. Marketing Your Site Once you have your site up and running, the next step is to attract traffic. Add your site URL to: Customer Convenience Pages A Few Final Tips
How to Publish an Ebook, Step by Step Want to publish a book? You can either kill a bunch of trees, or get with the 2010s and publish it as an ebook. If you haven’t noticed already, ebooks are no longer a niche market. As of June 2011, ebook reader adoption had reportedly hit 25 percent in the United States, with the market growing at a phenomenal 169 percent year over year. Today, most new releases are being published in ebook format. An ebook can provide your small business a real competitive advantage by giving you instant credibility and visibility in the marketplace. Unfortunately, the ebook sales market is fragmented. As a budding publisher, you will need to prepare your book for at least those three platforms. I have a couple of ebooks on the market, but for the past few years they’ve been available only for Kindle. Prepare for E-Publishing Before you even create your Amazon or B&N account, here’s how to get ready for your career as an e-publisher. Start with the book: First, write a book.
Online Creative Writing Courses Offered Free by Top Universities and Educational Websites Getting Educated for Free 1. Introductory Courses Introduction to Creative Writing - University of Utah Course Creative Writing 101 - Eight Lesson Suite101 Course Intro to Creative Writing - Eight Week Course from the Crafty Writer Creative Writing Workshop - Four Lesson Suite 101 Course Writing What You Know - Introductory Course from the UK's Open University 2. Introduction to Fiction - Undergraduate Course from MIT Start Writing Fiction - Introductory Course from the UK's Open University Introduction to Screenwriting - Steve Barnes' Nine Week UCLA Writing Course Approaching Prose Fiction - Intermediate Course from the UK's Open University Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy - Quick Launch or In-Depth Courses for Writers of All Ages 3. 4. 5. 6. Utilizing Your Creative Writing Knowledge Writers do not necessarily need a degree to be successful. You can be published online, in magazines, newspapers, trade publications and in books. Salary Potential Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
10 Tips on How to Write Less Badly - Do Your Job Better By Michael C. Munger Most academics, including administrators, spend much of our time writing. But we aren't as good at it as we should be. In my nearly 30 years at universities, I have seen a lot of very talented people fail because they couldn't, or didn't, write. It starts in graduate school. The difference is not complicated. Rachel Toor and other writers on these pages have talked about how hard it is to write well, and of course that's true. 1. 2. 3. 4. Writers sit at their desks for hours, wrestling with ideas. The articles and books that will be read decades from now were written by men and women sitting at a desk and forcing themselves to translate profound ideas into words and then to let those words lead them to even more ideas. 5. Years pass, and they still have the same pat, 200-word answer to "What are you working on?" You, on the other hand, actually are working on something, and it keeps evolving. 6. "X and Y start with same assumptions but reach opposing conclusions.
Amanda Hocking, the writer who made millions by self-publishing online When historians come to write about the digital transformation currently engulfing the book-publishing world, they will almost certainly refer to Amanda Hocking, writer of paranormal fiction who in the past 18 months has emerged from obscurity to bestselling status entirely under her own self-published steam. What the historians may omit to mention is the crucial role played in her rise by those furry wide-mouthed friends, the Muppets. To understand the vital Muppet connection we have to go back to April 2010. We find Hocking sitting in her tiny, sparsely furnished apartment in Austin, Minnesota. She is penniless and frustrated, having spent years fruitlessly trying to interest traditional publishers in her work. Then it comes to her. "I'm going to sell books on Amazon," she announces to her housemate, Eric. To which Eric replies: "Yeah. Let's jump to October 2010. So let the historians take note: Amanda Hocking does get to Chicago to see the Muppets. What went in had to come out.
8 Writing Techniques to Win You a Pulitzer Today’s guest post is from writer Joe Bunting, who blogs at The Write Practice. We all know there are novels and then there are “literary” novels. When you read Margaret Atwood, it just feels different than when you read Tom Clancy. And for some reason, these literary novels are the ones that win all the most prestigious awards like the Pulitzer Prize, the Man Booker Prize, and the Nobel Prize for Literature. Literary authors are known for their unique voices and experimental styles. You might have learned not to write run-on sentences in school or to avoid beginning a sentence with “and,” but literary writers often seem to flaunt their rule-breaking ways. This is both good and bad. So if you’re salivating to win a Nobel Prize, and just don’t think your diplomacy skills are good enough to win the Peace Prize, here are eight techniques you can use to make your writing more “literary.” Isn’t that beautiful? Writing long sentences can get old. One thing. Try reading it aloud.