Write like a pirate. Write like Hemingway. Toss around insults like Norman Mailer (who had a problem with everyone's writing, apparently). It's the News and Link Roundup for July 25, 2014.

A man writing a book about pirate surgeons has put together a (mostly facetious) guide about writing like a 17th–18th-century surgeon. It's fascinating.

Could the Hemingway Editor improve your students' writing? It shows them where they've used passive voice and complex words where simpler words would suffice, among other things.

From the Hechinger Report: A story of a school that saw better results from giving teachers more time to work together.

For a writer, plagiarism isn't merely wrong—it's unconscionable. From Slate, here's a cautionary tale for your students.

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal wants to ditch the Common Core. A coalition of charter schools, teachers, and parents isn't too happy about that.

If there's one thing great writers throughout history have loved to do, it's insult one another's work. This infographic from the Huffington Post gives us the scoop.

That's all for this week. Be excellent to each other.