Writing Forward provides tons of useful information and resources for the new and experienced writer.
At this site you can find writing exercises, ideas, resources, and a section on publishing as well as grammar tips.
Some posts:
Introduction to Getting Published
Proofreading and Editing Tips for Writers
Don’t forget to bookmark it!
Filed under Editing, Publishing, resources, Writer Wednesday
The graphic I’ve added to this post is to make a point in regards to writing rules; sometimes its not a rule at all but more of a guideline.
There are almost 600 exceptions to the ‘I after e, except after c’ rule, thereby not being a rule at all. Besides, as any good writer understands, you would learn the rule to know when to break it anyway.
Read more about this rule and understand when to use it.
Or check out the explanation with the BBC show Q.I.:
Brian Regan also explains with hilarity the confusion.
Filed under Writer
Believe it or not, I do have, on occasion, issues with spelling certain words. Conscious and conscience is one such issue.
I finally mastered the difference between the two when a reader of my fanfic mentioned I misused the word, so I looked it up and seared that information into my brain.
Conscious- (adjective) aware, mentally alert.
Conscience- (noun) moral right and wrong.
Being one is an adjective while the other is a noun changes when I use it in a sentence.
Another confusion consists of affect and effect. Effect is a noun, meaning something like special effects. Being affected means something being acted upon.
It just shows you that our language isn’t an easy one to learn, even for those who speak it since infancy.
Filed under Writer
I’ve earned something of a reputation as being a grammar freak in my writing group. This surprised me because I don’t feel I’m an expert on the subject, being I’ve had issues with grammar and spelling in the past.
So here are my thoughts on the subject of grammar with writing a book;
I feel as writers we need to learn and master the craft of writing. The craft (or art if you prefer) incorporates the weaving of words to paint pictures of characters and plot, to invoke emotion in the reader, and to somehow grasp the eloquence and beauty of the written word.
Misspellings and grammar mistakes only serve to illustrate a lack of caring for the words. This is my opinion, of course, but when I happen upon stories or any form of writing where I find glaring mistakes, I cringe. How can the writer who makes such mistakes say they are a writer if they don’t bother to edit their own work, or be mindful of the craft as they work the story?
The writing tip that says loud and clear to write without the editor to get the story out is fine- for the rough draft. National Novel Month in November teaches us to get those words out, ignore the concern for grammar and spelling and focus instead on the story and characters. You get the work done, and then you edit and fix the errors.
This is fine- providing you fix those errors. I happen to like being mindful of writing ALL THE TIME. It was a valuable goal I set for myself one year, where I would focus on such things, and what I find is that it improved my skill considerably.
I’m not saying writers need to be perfect. Mistakes are part of the process. Despite my efforts I still make mistakes, but I fix them when I see them. I want to earn the respect of readers as a ‘real writer’, showing off my writing skills.
On that note, I would like to add that writing is a complex, difficult process. Good writing isn’t good grammar- its characters, conflict, symbolism, eloquence, sentence structure, plot, tension, humor, and so many elements that good writing incorporates a few or even many altogether. You can be perfect in spelling and grammar and still suck as a writer, but I do find if you write a wonderful story, poor grammar/spelling weakens your work.
What are your thoughts on this topic? Should writers be mindful of spelling and grammar?
Filed under Nanowrimo
The word ‘verbing’ is new to our English language, thanks to the comic Calvin and Hobbes, and the Urban Dictionary which introduces not only slang, but the words created by messaging and network media.
The act of turning a noun into a verb. Verbing results in verbation. Although in a sense it is the inverse of a gerund, a word that has been verbed can actually be turned back into a noun as a gerund. Hence verbing is the gerund form of the verbed noun “verb.”
In considering this unusual word crafting, I asked my eleven year old son what he thought his name would mean if it was a verb. His answer? “Probably something silly”. No, he didn’t mean the concept was silly, he meant his name would mean something silly, because he prides himself on his Stooge humor.
I thought of my own name, Sharon, and considered my own views on what a verb based on my personality would mean to the world. My sister suggested it means ‘immature’. A friend suggested ‘intelligent’, while my own insecurities bubbled up and surmised ‘creative but full of self doubt’.
My dog, Pepper, means ‘hyper and crazy’, while my cat boasts the opposite. To ‘Max’ means to be very laid back, you’re almost comatose.
It’s a fun game to play, and opens a crazy sense of creativity. Try it and see what your name means if it means a verb.
Its funny how I wrote a blog entry on how often do you write, only to find that for weeks, I’ve had no time to write. A number of friends fell in single file with drama and conflicts in their lives, and the responsibilities of Life kept rearing up its ugly head. Sadly, I’m not the most organized person. No one can accuse me of having OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). With any hope (and a good deal of luck) this will change and I can force myself to write daily and just ‘get it done.
The topic today, however, is not my own characteristic drawbacks but the very real problems of spellcheckers. Computers and programs are stupid; plain and simple. They only do what they are programmed to do, not able to keep in mind the broader and more creative aspects of writing. Slang, and words deliberately misspelled to mimic accent might get marked as an error.
I use them, but do not depend on them too heavily. I double-check words that appear outlined in red, and read the details as to why the grammar checkers deems I’ve managed another episode of ‘passive voice’. Woe to the writer who too quickly ‘adds word’ to a dictionary which is actually misspelled. (Yes, I’ve done that, subsequently having to look up the dictionary and delete the word manually).
Nothing takes the place of taking the time to learn proper grammar and spelling. William Strunk’s Element of Style provides an easy-to-read basic introduction to grammar. Spelling simply takes practice. I used to carry a small dictionary with me to correct errors, and now I lean on spellcheckers to give me the heads up on the misspellings, and I correct them before letting the spellchecker do it for me. This enables me to learn the proper spelling.
Check out Taylor Mali’s Def Poetry on the Impotence of Proofreading;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OonDPGwAyfQ
By Taylor Mali
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