Search found 172 matches
- Fri Nov 28, 2014 11:51 am
- Forum: Jan's Writing Basics
- Topic: Be a Better Writer -- INSPIRATIONAL WRITING
- Replies: 16
- Views: 17466
Re: Be a Better Writer -- INSPIRATIONAL WRITING
I am going to take a leap here. I researched "inspirational article" yesterday when the topic was posted. (Mostly because I feared this topic, and wanted to make sure it wouldn't be taken for what it isn't.) The purpose of an inspirational article is to create an urge or desire or ability ...
- Wed Nov 26, 2014 9:41 pm
- Forum: Jan's Writing Basics
- Topic: Thanks
- Replies: 6
- Views: 7977
Re: Thanks
*Like*
- Fri Nov 21, 2014 1:50 pm
- Forum: Jan's Writing Basics
- Topic: Be a Better Writer -- COMING OF AGE STORY
- Replies: 27
- Views: 24906
Re: Be a Better Writer -- COMING OF AGE STORY
Assuming you found "a narrow cot" and "not all princes travel to foreign soil to wage war" as hints... My grandmother had a very difficult and not always pleasant life. My grandfather was an alcoholic and a very "hard" man, but as children, we thought he was the greates...
- Fri Nov 21, 2014 1:36 pm
- Forum: Ann's Grammar Basics
- Topic: Commas in Direct Address
- Replies: 9
- Views: 90978
Commas in Direct Address
I probably covered this before, but it bears repeating. Use comma to set off a name, an endearment term, a nickname, a person's title, or anything that you are addressing directly. Mike, there's a cow in the garden. Where are you going, my girl? No, Your Honour, I have no idea. Good morning, coffee....
- Fri Nov 21, 2014 12:50 pm
- Forum: Jan's Writing Basics
- Topic: Be a Better Writer -- COMING OF AGE STORY
- Replies: 27
- Views: 24906
Re: Be a Better Writer -- COMING OF AGE STORY
Yes, ketchup and vinegar. In Canada and in the UK. Either white vinegar or malt vinegar. Now I have a craving. I'm wondering, Jan, did you "get" the epiphany. To me, it's blatantly obvious, but I'm the writer and the MC. And that is something else I wanted to say about Coming of Age storie...
- Fri Nov 21, 2014 11:40 am
- Forum: Jan's Writing Basics
- Topic: Be a Better Writer -- COMING OF AGE STORY
- Replies: 27
- Views: 24906
Re: Be a Better Writer -- COMING OF AGE STORY
Maybe it's just me, but I have found that many Coming of Age stories I've read have an "aura" of tragedy or sorrow or impending doom. And because it's written from a child's POV with adult terminology, the reader will often recognize the direction of the story. The child is stating the obv...
- Mon Nov 17, 2014 7:55 pm
- Forum: Ann's Grammar Basics
- Topic: Should I make this Comma Part Six :-)
- Replies: 2
- Views: 9193
Re: Should I make this Comma Part Six :-)
Excerpts from, The Healing Heart - Minds, Moods, and Machines - will give us an important dimension to the effects of emotional stress on the heart. Let's break this down. First of all, there is only one comma, so it's not setting off anything that could be non-essential and the dashes aren't eithe...
- Sat Nov 15, 2014 11:42 am
- Forum: Jan's Writing Basics
- Topic: Be a Better Writer -- ACTION/ADVENTURE
- Replies: 16
- Views: 20292
Re: Be a Better Writer -- ACTION/ADVENTURE
I think a number of my stories may qualify as Action/Adventure, although they are usually hiding behind Historical Fiction in my mind. But this one stands out as truly action. Its inspiration was another Action/Adventure classic, Rambo 4 , where Rambo says something in essence to, "The old men ...
- Sat Nov 15, 2014 11:25 am
- Forum: Ann's Grammar Basics
- Topic: It's or Its
- Replies: 4
- Views: 9766
Re: It's or Its
Thank you for adding that, Jan. It's always time for coffee.
And thank you, Kat. Incorrect usage does extend to the other possessive pronouns all too often. Your's, her's, their's, and our's are all INCORRECT.
And thank you, Kat. Incorrect usage does extend to the other possessive pronouns all too often. Your's, her's, their's, and our's are all INCORRECT.
- Sat Nov 15, 2014 3:07 am
- Forum: Ann's Grammar Basics
- Topic: It's or Its
- Replies: 4
- Views: 9766
It's or Its
I see this error every day; its or it's being used incorrectly. It's is a contraction for it is. It's is never, ever, ever a possessive. "The dog chases it's tail" is incorrect. "The baby played with it's toy" is incorrect. The dog chases its tail. Correct. The baby played with i...
- Fri Nov 14, 2014 10:48 am
- Forum: Ann's Grammar Basics
- Topic: Misplaced Apostrophes
- Replies: 5
- Views: 11151
Re: Misplaced Apostrophes
@Noel!!
- Sun Nov 09, 2014 3:44 pm
- Forum: Ann's Grammar Basics
- Topic: Simple Past or Present Perfect (Milly)
- Replies: 0
- Views: 7630
Simple Past or Present Perfect (Milly)
Milly asked-- 1. Verbs--as an ESL speaker I don't "feel" the difference between the past and the present perfect. I need a simple, easy to remember, rule--if such a thing exists. I am going to direct you to a website that is actually ESL. It explains it very well (and quicker) than I could...
- Sun Nov 09, 2014 3:25 pm
- Forum: Ann's Grammar Basics
- Topic: Who or Whom?
- Replies: 3
- Views: 9586
Re: Who or Whom?
Don't panic! There is a perfect solution.* "Carol, whoever she is, should be pretty proud of her daughter." First, we need to recognize that "whoever she is" is a noun clause. It can be replaced by "she." "She" is the subjective case. Therefore, use WHOever. L...
- Sat Nov 08, 2014 7:02 pm
- Forum: Ann's Grammar Basics
- Topic: Hyphens in Adjectives
- Replies: 8
- Views: 14523
Re: Hyphens in Adjectives
Please, don't stop asking! I learn as you all do, and partly because I want to distill the information into something understandable, without all the "gobbledegook." It's easy enough to find these things on the internet, but they are filled with terms and stuff we don't NEED. It's comparab...
- Sat Nov 08, 2014 2:40 pm
- Forum: Ann's Grammar Basics
- Topic: Hyphens in Adjectives
- Replies: 8
- Views: 14523
Hyphens in Adjectives
Hyphens are used whenever two or more words are put together to form an adjective PRECEDING another noun. For your example, non-native, however, the "rule" changes because "nonnative" is odd, so put the hyphen in. Non-native. (However, Miriam-Webster says "nonnative.") ...