Using Grammar and Good Manners to Save the World
From the monthly archives:
So, we talked about what to do to start your writing for the day, but how about how to finish it at night?
Here are some tips:
Round out your thoughts. Leaving a thought half-finished often means losing it altogether between writing sessions. The writing doesn’t have to be perfect, but make sure you’ve got the complete [...]
{ 8 comments }
Quick!
How fast can you assume your starting position?
When you sit down to write, is everything ready for you to just … go?
Are you reaching for your pen or your keyboard even as you sit down in your chair? Do you keep everything ready to go at an instant’s notice, so that you can take advantage [...]
{ 13 comments }
One of the most basic tips for good writing: Don’t over-use the same word and don’t use hackneyed phrases that have been used so much they become cliche.
I notice this the most in my “casual” writing, things like e-mails to friends, comments on blogs, and the like. One of these nights I really need to [...]
{ 13 comments }
Well, I wish I’d known this yesterday….
Not only was March Fourth the only day on the calendar that is a complete sentence, but it was also National Grammar Day.
Who knew?
(I mean, other than Sharon at Daily Writing Tips, which is where I saw it.)
{ 4 comments }
You realize, of course, that today’s date is actually a complete sentence? A command, to be precise.
“March Forth!”
It still amazes me that I was well out of college before I realized that this date was actually grammatically correct–the only one of the year. My sister calls it “Parade Day.” I used to call it “Sentence [...]
{ 9 comments }
Too many exclamation points make you sound like an overly-excited teenager, jabbering on the telephone to her BFF. (Like, OMG!) Now, obviously, there are times when you need to use them. Nobody calmly says, “Stop,” to a toddler running toward a busy road. If there’s a fire, you shout, “Fire!” I mean, the punctuation exists for a reason.
{ 4 comments }
