20 Common Grammar Mistakes That (Almost) Everyone Makes I’ve edited a monthly magazine for more than six years, and it’s a job that’s come with more frustration than reward. If there’s one thing I am grateful for — and it sure isn’t the pay — it’s that my work has allowed endless time to hone my craft to Louis Skolnick levels of grammar geekery. As someone who slings red ink for a living, let me tell you: grammar is an ultra-micro component in the larger picture; it lies somewhere in the final steps of the editing trail; and as such it’s an overrated quasi-irrelevancy in the creative process, perpetuated into importance primarily by bitter nerds who accumulate tweed jackets and crippling inferiority complexes. Below are 20 common grammar mistakes I see routinely, not only in editorial queries and submissions, but in print: in HR manuals, blogs, magazines, newspapers, trade journals, and even best selling novels. Who and Whom This one opens a big can of worms. Which and That Lay and Lie This is the crown jewel of all grammatical errors. Moot Nor
A Simple Novel Outline – 9 questions for 25 chapters « H.E. Roulo Just as every tree is different but still recognizably a tree, every story is different but contains elements that make it a story. By defining those before you begin you clarify the scope of your work, identify your themes, and create the story you meant to write. At Norwescon 2011 I sat in on a session called Outline Your Novel in 90-minutes led by Mark Teppo. I’ll give you the brief, readable, synthesized version. Answer 9 questions and create 25 chapter titles and you’re there. Here are the 9 questions to create a novel: 1.) 2.) 3.) 4.) 5.) 6.) 7.) 8.) 9.) Now, with those 9 questions answered to your satisfaction, try to fill in a 25 chapter, 75,000 word outline. Chapters 7-18 are the middle of your book. Chapters 19-25 depict the heroic act to victory. Wasn’t that easy? Okay, sure, the work isn’t done yet. Using the idea that there are 25 chapters, I outlined my current work in progress. I hope that was helpful. Tell me what works for you. Related 6 Steps to Masterful Writing Critiques
The 10 Most Popular Writing Resources Being Used By Students The plagiarism prevention and grading assistance company Turnitin this week released an updated report on sources in student writing , and while higher ed students demonstrated better judgment in selecting academically-viable source material than their secondary-ed counterparts, several less desirable websites found their way into the rankings. According to Turnitin , these are the top 10 sites that university and college students used, based on the company’s analysis of 156 content matches in 37 million student papers that were submitted to Turnitin between July 2011 and June 2012: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. This is a cross-post from our content partners at Education Dive . Would you like to see more education news like this in your inbox on a daily basis?
Childrens Book Illustrators Agent | Book Illustrators | Beehive Illustration Pixar’s 22 Rules of Storytelling « Aerogramme Writers' Studio These rules were originally tweeted by Emma Coats, Pixar’s Story Artist. Number 9 on the list – When you’re stuck, make a list of what wouldn’t happen next – is a great one and can apply to writers in all genres. You admire a character for trying more than for their successes.You gotta keep in mind what’s interesting to you as an audience, not what’s fun to do as a writer. They can be very different.Trying for theme is important, but you won’t see what the story is actually about til you’re at the end of it. Now rewrite.Once upon a time there was ___. Every day, ___.
The Art of Character Development As authors, it is our Duty To create lovable, enticing Characters And do horrible, evil things to Them. This guide is designed to help people with writer's block, role-players of all levels, and people who are just interested in psychology and philosophy as it applies to fiction. Here you'll find tips, examples, suggestions, general information to aid in creating rounded fictional characters for your stories and/or RPGs, and perhaps even information useful for everyday life. There are many aspects of character development, and your character could be nearly as deep and complete as anyone you might know in real life. However, there are basic keys to fleshing out a character that can help break through blocks and get you and your creation on their way to a great story. ♦ Being informed is a vital part of all storytelling. ♦ Learn the importance of Point of View and Background. ♦ Motivation and Alignment: "Good" VS "Evil", what drives your character. The characters come before the story.
A Beginner's Guide To Proofreading Writing plays a key part in your life. Whether you’re a blogger, teacher, administrator, or someone else … writing (and therefore proofreading) is a critical skill. Proofreading is a process which entails rereading a piece of writing in order to surface any type of writing errors. Proofreading Methods Concentration is the key to producing any quality piece of writing. Reading out loud is a good strategy to correct writing problems. Using online grammar checking software is also a remarkable way of proofreading. Internalization of instructions is very important when writing. Removal of unnecessary content is an excellent proofreading tactic. Using a simple language or style when writing, minimizes the occurrence of editing errors. Does the Copy Make Sense and Read Well? Just because an author is able to proofread his publication, it does not guarantee its perfection. By now, it is clear that proofreading is an extensive exercise. Spelling, Grammar, and Punctuation
Ani - Ghost City of 1001 Churches Ani – some call it the City of 1001 Churches, others the City of Forty Gates. Yet no one has called it home for more than three centuries. Abandoned by its once prosperous and powerful inhabitants, it is situated on the Turkish side of a militarised zone between the border of Turkey and Armenia. The city of Ani is no stranger to death, destruction and desertion. It is a ghost city today but once its Armenian inhabitants numbered close to 200 thousand. In its heyday it was a metropolis which rivalled Constantinople, Cairo or Baghdad as a center of culture and enterprise. The city is the victim of a colossal and centuries old struggle for power between various factions in the region. Almost each time a faction rose to power the city was ransacked almost to the point of obliteration. The city was originally Armenian and the territory on which it stands is still disputed between modern day Turkey and Armenia. A pair of quarrelling siblings would start Ani’s protracted but inexorable decline.
The Ultimate Guide to Writing Better Than You Normally Do. Writing is a muscle. Smaller than a hamstring and slightly bigger than a bicep, and it needs to be exercised to get stronger. Think of your words as reps, your paragraphs as sets, your pages as daily workouts. Think of your laptop as a machine like the one at the gym where you open and close your inner thighs in front of everyone, exposing both your insecurities and your genitals. Because that is what writing is all about. Procrastination is an alluring siren taunting you to google the country where Balki from Perfect Strangers was from, and to arrange sticky notes on your dog in the shape of hilarious dog shorts. The blank white page. Mark Twain once said, “Show, don’t tell.” Finding a really good muse these days isn’t easy, so plan on going through quite a few before landing on a winner. There are two things more difficult than writing. It’s no secret that great writers are great readers, and that if you can’t read, your writing will often suffer.
back story How to Weave Backstory Into Your Novel Seamlessly Today's guest newsletter is from Karen Dionne, contributor to Writer's Digest. My first science thriller, Freezing Point , opens with the crew of a fishing trawler braving rough seas off the coast of St. John’s, Newfoundland: The wind howled around the solitary trawler like an angry god. Inside the wheelhouse, Ben Maki braced himself as an errant wave hit broadside and the trawler listed heavily to starboard. Who is Ben Maki? Backstory refers to the characters’ history and other story elements that underlie the situation at the start of the book. But as authors, we need to be careful: Backstory by definition takes the story backward. Too Much, Too Soon One of the most common mistakes I note when I’m called upon to offer comments on aspiring authors’ manuscripts is that the author has included too much backstory in the opening pages. Including backstory in the opening pages is the same as saying to the reader, “Wait a minute—hold on.
Successful Queries Successful Queries: Agent Adriann Ranta and “Not a Drop to Drink” This series is called “Successful Queries” and I’m posting actual query letter examples that succeeded in getting writers signed with agents. In addition to posting these query letter samples, we will also get to hear thoughts from the writer’s literary agent as to why the letter worked. The 65th installment in this series is with agent Adriann Ranta (Wolf Literary) for Mindy McGinnis’s young adult novel, NOT A DROP TO DRINK (Sept. 2013, Katharine Tegen Books), a post-apocalyptic survival tale set in a world where freshwater is almost non-existent. GIVEAWAY: Mindy is excited to give away a free copy of her novel to a random commenter. Successful Queries: Agent Julia Kenny and “Sure Signs of Crazy” This series is called “Successful Queries” and I’m posting actual query letter examples that succeeded in getting writers signed with agents. GIVEAWAY: Karen is excited to give away a free copy of her novel to a random commenter.