You can now read my new book, Laws for Claws, on Amazon Kindle – it’s even free if you have Kindle Unlimited! 😉
And the paperback will be available on Amazon as soon as I get the author proof back and check that it’s all printing ✨perfectly✨. 📖📚
Laws for Claws is an urban fantasy novel, not part of the Fire Dancers series.
This story a werewolf, paranormal romance – delightfully smutty, and definitely NSFW, so it’s such a fun read!
I included all my favourite tropes in this one – one bed, enemies to lovers, “who hurt you?”, forced proximity, and so many more!
Addie is a red-headed and red-blooded young lawyer. A rising star at the precinct, she’s determined to make violence against women a thing of the past.
But she doesn’t know that someone she put behind bars has just been released – and they’re a feral werewolf, out for blood.
Scott, a police sergeant who leads with empathy and authority, and Lee, a troubled cop in the canine squad, both want to protect her. They’re both werewolves in the clan Scott leads, but they have very different priorities.
Addie is hesitant to let them in, afraid of getting caught in the middle of their friendship, and of upsetting the clan.
Can the three of them work together to take down the enemy? And maybe even create their own version of happily ever after?
One of them things I’m most proud of about putting this book out into the world is that I’ve included some of my experience as a #neurodivergent human – diagnosed ADHD, OCD, PTSD, and more.
We’ve known for a long time that some learners need a certain type of noise or quiet in order to learn.
For example, auditory learners will learn best by listening or by having noise in the background while they’re trying to learn something.
And learners with sensory-avoidant sensitivity often need quiet to learn – like an ADHD or autistic student needing to wear noise-cancelling headphones in a noisy classroom or to get through a school assembly.
But here’s the wild part that I didn’t know, but I learned this week in class!
I noticed this week that I was getting annoyed that one of my teaching textbooks consistently uses “practice” every time, when they actually should be using the verb “practise” in some sentences.
How do you know when to use practice or practise?
To practise is a verb that means you’re doing the same action or process over and over, usually over time, to get better at that action or process. For example:
“I practise the flute once every 6 months, just to remind myself that I still know how to play it.”
“It’s good for young students need to practise their times tables every day at first, so that they can remember the answers automatically when they’re solving other maths problems.”
A practice is a noun (a place, object, thing), and people use this word to mean of two things:
A practice can be a company you work for, or a place you work at, like a medical clinic or a legal firm.
“My friend wants to open their own practice one day, but it’s quite expensive to rent out an office space.”
A practice can be a collection of ideas that someone has brought together and it’s become their method or their philosophy of how they work.
“The practice of applying new technologies to old problems is a great way to motivate students to learn about a topic.”
How to remember when to say practise or practice
So how do you remember whether you need to write practise with a c or an s in the sentence you’re writing? Here’s a few different tips on how to remember it, because I know everyone’s brain works a little differently!
What letter do I use?
The word “practice” uses the letter c because it’s a “collection of people or ideas”.
For example, the practice of medicine is a collection of ideas about how the human body works.
And a legal practice is a collection of people who get paid a lot of money to write very boring but important documents.
What does it sound like?
Another tip is that if you think about when you were a little kid, sounding out words one letter at a time, the sound of the two words will usually help you pick one that “just sounds right”:
“I’m practising my teaching skills.” sounds right when I use the “sssss” sound, which means the letter s.
“I’m practicking my teaching skills.” sounds funny when I use the “ck” sound, which means the letter c.
Can I avoid having to remember?
Yes! I find the easiest way to remember when to use practice vs practise it is to stop using the word “practice” altogether.
Because no matter which of the two meanings above you need for “practice”, you can almost always replace “practice” with a clearer word or just delete it entirely.
For example, let’s reword the above two examples to be clearer, by replacing or removing the word “practice”:
“My friend wants to open their own legal firm one day, but it’s quite expensive to rent out an office space.”
“Applying new technologies to old problems is a great way to motivate students to learn about a topic.”
…or let’s simplify it and add an example, to be even clearer: “Students are much more interested in learning when you let them apply new technology like ChatGPT to old problems like research and writing.”
And as always, remember, English doesn’t have the easiest spelling and grammar rules to learn, even if it’s your first language. So if you’ve been confused by practise vs practice, don’t feel bad!
Comment down below – what’s something you enjoy practising?
Have you learned any new skills lately?
I learned how to crochet recently, and so far, I’ve made a very short scarf!
Image description: A selfie of TJ wearing a very short scarf, crocheted using rainbow chenille wool. It looks fluffy and soft, but kind of lumpy. 😂
I’m currently studying my Master of Teaching (Secondary), so I thought I’d start sharing some of the gems I am discovering in the education and training sector!
I’m also working at the same time, in the not-for-profit sector, where training adult volunteers and facilitating group events is a big part of my role. So I’m getting to exercise the things I already know about training and teaching there, as well!
Today’s tip comes from an American study, but next week I’ll bring you an Aussie one… Because you know I think our local context is one of the most important things, whether we’re talking grammar or publishing books or teaching!
How to help students succeed, by teaching them a growth mindset
So in 2016, an American study of 125 math teachers and their 3,965 Grade 9 students, looked at how students felt about their teacher’s attitude about each student’s ability to learn, and how the teacher acted in the classroom…
And compared that to what the teacher said in a survey: Did the teacher believe they had a growth attitude themselves, and did they believe they were passing on that mindset?
Wait, what’s a growth mindset?
A growth mindset is where you believe that you can learn to do anything you need to, so you can achieve anything you need to if you keep trying to learn it. (The opposite is a fixed mindset, where you believe you are either good or bad at doing something, and your ability to learn new skills is limited or “fixed”.)
The example in this study was: “My math teacher believes that everybody in my class can be very good at math.”
How to help students grow a growth mindset
The short version – heavily paraphrased by me – is that, if you want to create a growth mindset in your classroom, to help every student have a better chance to succeed academically:
When a student is struggling, we reassure them that the struggle – the effort it takes to learn something new – is natural, e.g. “It’s definitely confusing when you’re learning a new concept, and it’s totally normal to feel frustrated.” or “Everyone gets stuck sometimes, and we keep trying new things until we get it.”
Share accountability for the student’s success at learning, e.g. “We’ll work together on this, and we’ll make sure you get it.”
Avoid putting it back on the student to just work harder, e.g. “You have to put in the effort and study.” would not be helpful.
And the crazy takeaway from this study is that it doesn’t seem to matter whether you, as a teacher, actually have a growth mindset or not!
Whether teachers reported in the survey stage that they have a growth mindset and they focus on teaching that to their students, or whether they said they have a more fixed mindset, or whether they said they have a growth mindset but they don’t focus on teaching that to students, didn’t affect whether students developed a growth mindset.
So we can hope that as long as you’re helping your students to believe they can learn and believe that you’ll provide help as needed, then they are likely to develop a growth mindset in your subject or class.
This 2016 study was conducted by Hooper, Haimovitz, Wright, Murphy, & Yeager – and I should note that I’m mostly reading analysis by Haimovitz and Dweck, 2017, because it’s a lovely summary.
Are you a teacher?
Send me your best teacher tips! I love learning, and although I’ve been training adults and working with young people for years, I’m so excited to be learning new strategies for helping teens become more confident, more capable, and lifelong learners.
Special thanks to the teachers who shaped my young, creative, undiagnosed-neurodiverse brain in ways that helped me find my growth mindset! Chronologically, Mr Fittell, Mr Pitt, Ms Suarez, Mr Hanlon, Mx Dugan. ♥
Happy holidays, everyone! I’ve made it through nearly the whole year without ranting about this, which I’m kind of proud of.
I cannot tell you how many books – both traditionally published and indie/self-published books – I’ve seen using the word “smirk” where it doesn’t belong.
A smirk is a one-sided smile. It can be smug, proud, fake, unpleasant, etc.
The easies way to remember the difference between a smirk and a smile is that if a person’s smirking, they’ve either won against the others, or they’re hiding something from the others (could be a good secret or something bad, doesn’t matter).
For example:
‘Merry Christmas,’ said the Grinch with a smirk. Later that night, he planned to press the big, red button in his lair and blow up all the presents.
But if a person’s happy, but not bragging or teasing or hiding a secret, they’re just smiling.
Can’t there be different types of smirk?
Yes, absolutely.
Damon from The Vampire Diaries is the classic example of the many different types of smirk. No one pulls off a smirk like Damon, and he does it in so many different ways or moods.
Here are some of the best examples I could gather for you of his different smirking styles…
Examples of Damon smirking in The Vampire Diaries
Cunning or evil smirk – like in the first few seasons:
You can’t tell what he’s thinking or planning – but the key is that his eyes are not smiling.
Playful or teasing smirk – Damon gives this type of smirk almost every time he interacts with Bonnie – once they become besties, that is.
Arrogant smirk – whenever Damon thinks he’s winning, or he’s managed to fool someone, you see this type of smirk… This screenshot is not the best because he’s talking, but you get the idea:
Loving smile that is sometimes a smirk – you could call Damon’s one-sided smile a smirk sometimes when he’s with the main character, Elena, because he’s hiding a secret from her. (Secret is: he loooooves her. Spoilers for 2011, I guess?)
This is the smile of someone who is proud of themselves for eliciting a reaction from their lover, or proud of their lover.
This versatility in expressions is just one of the many reasons why everyone loved to watch Ian Somerhalder play him in the 2000s and 2010s.
Damon was also a really well-rounded character, but I think I’ve fangirled enough for one post!
Incorrect times to say “smirk”
Sometimes a smile isn’t a smirk – it’s just a smile.
In a lot of novels I see these days, the male love interest is often smirking at the female hero – but not intentionally – he’s actually just smiling.
He’s not teasing her…
He doesn’t have bad intentions to pull one over on her…
He isn’t proudly smirking because he’s elicited a reaction from her…
He’s just smiling – so to say he’s “smirking” feels really jarring and just plain weird.
It makes the reader go, “Wait, what am I missing here? I thought this dude was in love with her?”
Pop quiz: Do you think Damon is smirking or smiling in this picture?
It’s almost time to say happy new year and good riddance to 2023, so here’s how to write about dates and years in 2024.
This is based on the Australian government’s style manual and the most common usage that I’ve seen over the past few years as an editor of digital content.
The longest day of the year is fast approaching… or on the other side of the world, their shortest day of the world! So I thought we’d talk about how to write dates and days correctly in business writing.
(Image source: AI artwork of cats sitting next to window, watching fireworks, generated using Gencraft.com.)
Y’all know I simply cannot let November pass by without attempting the #nanowrimo hullaballo. (NaNoWriMo = National Novel Writing Month. It’s a lot of fun trying to write a full novel in one month!)
And whether you’re a plotter or a pantser, you know playing music that matches the themes you’re writing can really get you in the mood … for prose. 😉
So if you, like me, are writing a fantasy novel this month, here’s some musical inspiration to listen to while you write…
Image credit: Fourth Wing fan art 🎨 by @jrtart_ (Jesslyn) as featured on X (Twitter)
Here’s my favourite new finds for songs to play in the background of your next DND session! 😎✨
Yes, I play DND, and I love it!
Best background songs for playing DND
1. Step into the Stinky Dragon by Micah Risinger – look, I’m cheating with this one because it’s from the DND actual play podcast Tales from the Stinky Dragon, but I’m not sorry — it’s just amazing! Great for literally anything. (Bonus – another amazing song by Micah that’s been stuck in my head for weeks: His Name Is Mudd (firbolg comedy song).)
3. Running up that hill (by Kate Bush) instrumentals only, performed by the Unsecret String Quartet. Great for emotional scenes.
4. Heroic Fantasy Music by the Fiechters.Good for the start of initiative in combat scenes and for use as a theme song for characters in the martial classes.
5. If in a fantasy Maori setting – Hine-i-te Awatea (Oceanic Feeling, the Maori translation version) by Lorde. Good for druids. ♥️
(C) TJ Withers, 2023. Please credit me when sharing or reposting, thank you!
I plan to add to this list, so let me know your favourite songs to help you feel lucky and optimistic and manifest only the best for yourself!
You’ll recognise Sia, of course, and you might know Morgan St Jean as the singer songwriter who went viral for “Not All Men”. As an SA survivor myself, I love that song more than words can say, and I love this new song by her, “Energy”, even more!
All my love to these artists for their work, I’m really enjoying listening to your songs to motivate me through a difficult time in life!
(C) TJ Withers, 2023, please credit me when sharing or reposting. Thank you!
TJ Withers 