Creative Writing - Phase Two
This next part will or may be boring for some of you, but it is very important you understand at least the basics of grammar and punctuation (if you don’t). If you do, it never hurts to refresh the mind from time to time.
This is also a two-part section with the next portion coming next week.
And, keep in mind, the words to follow are what is, and isn’t acceptable to some reader’s, editor’s, and publisher’s when writing/submitting; but the choice to use these words are yours as long as you understand the word you are using fits the sentence, the description, and the dialogue you have in mind.
The words are there for your personal use to fall back on when you are uncertain of how you wish to use these words.
… let us begin.
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Grammar and Punctuation
As an example:
When she looked at me with her piercing blue eyes, the affect I had, created such an illusion of mind-controlling passion, that I had to force myself to presume this entire escapade was a dream.
Another look:
When she looked at me with her piercing blue eyes, the effect I had, created such an allusion of mind-controlling passion; I had to force myself to assume this entire escapade was a dream.
Another example:
“You are such a cynic to distrust everything you hear.”
“You are such a skeptic to doubt everything you hear.”
Two different distinctions, with two different meanings, used in the same sentence. The major difference are the words “doubt” and “distrust”. Both are modifiers that help get your point across and allow the reader to see, as well as “hear” the difference.
Here are words you should easily know when writing:
Shall – will
That – which
Who – whom
Eight mistakes never to make when writing: (know and learn the difference)
Affect – effect
Bad – badly
Fewer – less
Farther – further
Important – importantly
It’s – its
Like – as
Principal – principle
Problematic Prepositional Phrases
Different from – different than
Due to – owing to or because of
Half – half off or off of
On behalf of – in behalf of
On the street – in the street/on line or in line (substitute for street as another example)
On to – into/in to/into
15 Difficult Distinctions
Allude – elude
Allusion – elusion/illusion/delusion
Among – between
Assume – presume
Assure – ensure/insure
Bring – take
Capital – capitol
Compliment – complement
Convince – persuade
Discreet – discrete
Disinterested – uninterested
Flaunt – flout
Immigrate – emigrate
Precede – proceed
Stationary – stationery (to see if you have read and paid attention, in the comment box please tell me how each of these words, though spelled the same means two different things … humor an old man, why don’t you.)
Two slippery suffixes
-able : -ible
-ic : -ical
Two unwitting Briticisms
A – an
ward: wards
Five nonwords (used often)
Alright
Double entendre
Momento
Preventative
’till
(Although the last four are used, there common use is very rare. ‘till is used more in poetry or the poetic sense but more as ’til. Momento is never used by itself, making it a true nonword but when used with Uno – Uno Momento, then it is allowable and proper speech or vocabulary. In normal speech or in any form of description, alright should be all right. Alright is fine when used as a form of slang.)
15 points editors and proof readers are picky about – know the difference
Awhile, instead of a while
Any, instead of every
Awhile, instead of a while
Bimonthly, instead of semimonthly
Blonde, instead of blond
Depreciate, instead of deprecate
Flounder, instead of founder
Forgo, instead of forego
Get, instead of got or gotten
Glimpse, instead of glance
Imply, instead of infer
Nauseous, instead of nauseated
Purposely, instead of purposefully
Shrink, instead of shrunk
Whether, instead of ‘whether or not’
Wrack, instead of rack, wreck and wreak
31 words readers actually spot differences in novels
Burglary – robbery
Callous – callus
Canvas – canvass
Casket – coffin
Catsup – ketchup
Continually – continuously
Cynic – skeptic
Defective – deficient
Forward – foreword
Gourmet – gourmand and glutton
Graduated – graduated from/ was graduated from
Gratified – grateful
Hang – hung
Lend – loan
Lighted – lit
Luxuriant – luxurious
Oral – aural/verbal
Pair of – pairs of
Partially – partly
Percent – percentage
Pitiful – pitiable/piteous
Prescribe – proscribe/prescription
Prophecy – prophesy
Ravish – ravage
Sensuous – sensual
Spoonsful – spoonful’s
Stanch – staunch
Try and – try to
Whiskey – whisky
Xerox – photocopy
Use your dictionary/thesaurus for these words and you will see the specific meaning. All of these words can be used, but only in the right way that is readily understood.
I do want to reference one other book that can be of good use to you. The Chicago Manual of Style. It is a style guide for American English published since 1906 by the University of Chicago Press. Its seventeen editions have prescribed writing and citation styles widely used in publishing. Slightly expensive but worth every dollar paid.
Next time around … the terrible reference guide on parts of speech, and explanation of the uses of punctuation.
I know, I know, but without their uses, your novel (and poetry) would look like one garbled mass of words.