I don’t need to tell you that the price of gasoline is going up, but did you know that the same tips that can help extend your gas mileage can help your writing, too? Don’t Speed. Go Slow and Steady. Take your time. There’s no need to rush, just work…
MM: It’s a Date
Have you ever given any thought to how you write the date? 365 (or 366) days, broken out into 12 months, of 28, 29, 3o, or 31 days, all sequentially counted in groups called years. Now, the months themselves may be spelled out, so that this month is written as…
Once Upon a Time…
Most people will tell you that, if you want to write, you should read. A lot. That there is no better training for being a good writer (other than the actual writing part). Now, reading a lot has never been a problem for me. Quite the contrary–my problem has always…
MM: Colonoscopy
I’ve covered many of the other punctuation marks, but not yet the Colon, otherwise known as the pair of eyes (:) in a classic emoticon smiley<:)>. Other than looking at you, though, it has other uses: Primarily, it alerts the reader to the fact that a list or explanation is…
MM: Period
It seems like such a simple thing. When writing a basic sentence, you end it with a period (also known as a full-stop). Obviously, when asking a question you use a question mark (?), and you follow up an exclamation with an exclamation point (!). You might be leading into…
Simplicity
I’ve talked about not over-using the same, tired words, which ties into other, earlier posts that stressed the importance of a good vocabulary. Having a healthy variety of words to play with can only help the quality of your writing, right? Well, yes, but here’s the Catch-22. I’m sure that…
Good Writing Equals Professionalism
I’ve got an object lesson for you today, so let’s start with a story: I recently bought a new camera (a Nikon D40 DSLR, which I love, thank you), but I’m irritated with Adorama camera. Even though we’re in different states, they charged me sales tax. I sent an e-mail…
MM: Alot
Seen in the wild: This sign so incensed my sister, she went back and took a picture just for us. See it? It asks, “Have alot of square footage?” This is a simple one, folks. “Alot” is not a word, unless you are referring to that little town in India.…
Simmering
I mentioned that I was having trouble coming up with bad-grammar examples to Melissa the other day, and she said something that made me think. @Deb, probably because whenever we try to come up with examples, they evade us. It happens to me all the time. That is one reason…
MM: Jargon
Jargon is everywhere. You know–the special, “inside” language that is used by specific industries or groups of people but is completely obscure to Joe Public. (Have you ever tried to read a legal brief? Or a medical journal?) Referring to an addressed envelope as a SASE. Calling the newsperson in…
MM: Confusing Travel Terminology
Since I’m travelling today, I thought I’d address some of those travel-related words that can get confusing. So please, make sure your safety belts are securely fastened and that your hands are safely on your keyboards, and let’s begin! Plane vs Plain: Plane, of course, is short for “Airplane” and…
MM: Simple Sentence Structure
I am. Simple, isn’t it? Serenely self-confident and self-contained, it embodies a simple statement of fact, unburdened by any distractions. No, no. I’m not talking about the philosophical statement (though, that’s true, too). I’m talking about the sentence, because it simply doesn’t get any more, well, simple than that. A…
BTT: Writing Challenge
There’s a weekly meme over at Booking Through Thursday which is usually based on reading, but this week, it was geared toward writing, so I thought I’d chime in here. Everybody (meaning you) is free to play along–all you need to do is post an answer on your blog and…
Power Source
Joanna is asking about Power. I’ve written about using your own knowledge to empower your writing, and I’ve written about how a foundation of knowledge can give your writing the power to explore the world beyond those boundaries. But, here’s the thing–none of that matters if you don’t drive your…
MM: Hyphenation
Back in February (yes, I’m late), Peter asked: I would like to know when you are allowed to use the hyphen (”-”). I tend to use it pretty often – like now – and I’m wondering if it is proper use. I also get confused when two words are joined…
Handwriting: Is Italic the Answer?
We talked about ways to improve your handwriting–practice, muscle-control, patience–all that. But what if you simply need a whole, new style? Something different? Something that will be unlike the handwriting you’ve been using and that has fostered such bad habits? Well, Italic Writing may be for you. Of course, you…
MM: Dangling
There’s an AT&T Wireless commercial, showing a father knocking on steamy car windows at a make-out spot, looking for his daughter because he hadn’t gotten her text message about spending a night at a friend’s house. The voice-over has him saying something to the effect that, “Come Monday, you’ll be…
Handwriting: Improving Legibility
We have talked about the epidemic of bad handwriting. So now that you know that you’re not alone (if you’re one of the many people suffering from poor penmanship), what can you do if you want to improve yours? Number one answer? Practice. Good penmanship is based on muscle memory,…
Handwriting: Legibility Issues
If you are anything like me, your handwriting is, um, less than ideal. The word “scrawl” may be bandied about, and jokes about illegibility abound. (Though, in this regard, I truly am my father’s daughter.) It’s not just me, though. It’s practically an epidemic. I’ve often said that if a…
MM: Slang
What do you think about using slang in your writing? The official Rule is that you should avoid colloquialisms when you write. I can give you two good reasons for this. 1. They date your writing, just like any other popular reference. You can refer to some popular television show…
Handwriting: The Personal Touch
When is the last time you got a hand-written letter in the mail? A personal note? A greeting card? Exactly. It’s a dying art. I have a drawer full of letters I’ve received from friends over the years, but I cannot remember the last time I actually had a letter to add. Maybe…
Handwriting: The Flow of Writing
When you sit down to write, do you reach for a pen? Or a keyboard? It’s not just an idle question. There’s a completely different flow to the act of writing when you’re writing long-hand on a pad of paper as opposed to tapping away at a keyboard. First, there’s the…
MM: Emoting
Sure, emoticons are handy little things to toss into an e-mail to a friend. But when they come en masse, they become obnoxious. One bee buzzing around your picnic is atmosphere, but a swarm can get, er, difficult. Similarly, an e-mail with one little smiley face is cute. One that has one after every other sentence? Gag (as they said in my high school days).
Clutter
Jan left a comment on my post about getting started writing where she said, “I find that I am much more productive if I have projects and things ready to go (that includes a clean desk, nothing scatters my thinking more than a cluttered desk).” I agreed whole-heartedly and replied,…
…And the Finish Line
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,…
Take Your Starting Positions…
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…
MM: Overused Vocabulary
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…
MM: Exclamation
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.
Blog-Worthy Writing
So, Sol asked about how the rules of writing for a blog are different than the rules for other kinds of writing. Now, this is a topic that has been covered at length by better bloggers than I, but it’s a good question and one that I’ve been circling around.…
MM:
Out of so many grammatical stumbling points, I can’t choose one on which to focus today . . . So, let me ask you. Do you have any specific questions you’d like to see addressed? Topics I have not covered yet? Tips you’d like to you share? Honestly, I’m at…