Writing tips on the web

[Shelagh Watkins]

Before I set up this new board, I decided to do a search on the 'net -- well I would, wouldn't I? I'm a researcher. I Google therfore I am -- a researcher that is.

So, what did I find? The first website I visited was full of tips that I didn't find particularly helpful. With the emphasis on particularly. I hadn't read many of the tips when I came across this about avoiding using too many adverbs:

Be particularly wary of words ending with -ly.

It made me laugh, but it also made me stop reading further. I decided I would start a thread instead and see if anyone else had any useful tips or insights into the art of writing.

Tell me more, I'm always on the lookout for new ideas, and I don't mind stealing yours. LOL!

~Shelagh

[Marta Stephens]

Great site! Thanks. I'll add that to my list. ;)

[Padma Narayanswamy]

In my case script writing was a bit difficult I used to write dialogues
used in prose but now I have improved

[Mary J. Dressel]

An English teacher I had in college straightened out lie, laid and lay. She said, "laid, put something down-- if you are laid, you know it" LOL Couldn't resist.

[Shelagh Watkins]

The rule for lay:

The verb "to lay" must ALWAYS have a direct object (a noun that receives the action of the verb)
EXAMPLE: I lay the papers on the desk. Papers is the direct object of the verb LAY. Any time a form of the verb LAY is used, it must have a direct object.

Or the more memorable words of Kris Kristofferson, sung by Al Green:

Lay your head on my pillow...

[Ron Kruger]

Wow, Marta, what a great list.
My nemesis is the past-perfect problem. Worst of all, every “had” seems to breed another and another. We can’t get rid of them all, but I found that by putting “had” into my find command that I “had” a past-perfect plague. I also found I can get rid of most of them by recasting sentences, such as those in your examples, though sometimes I feel as if I’m breaking, or at least bending, some grammatical rules.
The only thing I disagree with is what your list says about ellipsis. A lot of people use them to show a pause, but I was taught from my newspaper days that the only time to use them is to denote words left out. I’m not saying it is necessarily wrong to use an ellipsis to denote a pause, but I think the use of this punctuation in any form distracts from the flow and somewhat confuses the average reader. Besides, I think it is much better to inject some narrative between sentences to denote a pause or break in dialog:
“I can’t remember what,” Shelagh paused, staring out the window at nothing in particular, moisture forming in her eyes.
“I’ll have to think about it.”

[Shelagh Watkins]

Well I've obviously had a long think about this! I don't know how I missed it -- but I did!
I shall pause no longer and wipe the tear from my eye. Now, let me think, what was I talking about? I can't remember.

[Lynn Tincher, Author]

Fantastic! I will hang on to this one. :)

[George Wilder Jr.]

Thanks for the invite. Great discussion.

[David S. Rosenberg]

Whoever cautioned you about using too many adverbs gave you good advice. Editors prefer strong verbs that better describe action than modified verbs. (Reference: On Writing by Stephen King.

[Shelagh Watkins]

Hi David,

I think the clue is in "using too many adverbs" and using an adverb as an adjective in a phrase to replace a single adverb does not solve the problem, e.g.

"You'll pay for this," Rick said, the look on his face visibly showing his anger.

The replacement of the phrase "the look on his face visibly showing his anger" with a single adverb "angrily" is more succinct and just as informative.

"You'll pay for this," Rick said angrily.

The adverb could be avoided altogether for the purists:

"You'll pay for this," Rick threatened.

~Shelagh

[Rainbow]

I thought that I had writ something, Had I? Had I not?
Did I have some 'ly's in there I hope that I did not!
As I went to edit it and as I saw the page
It seems a 'ly' had crept right in
It put me in a rage!
But there is a question that burns inside of me
English or American grammar oh la la ly ly LY!

Case proven...defence rests!:-)

[Rainbow]

Hey Peeps

Here's an interesting piece on 'typoes' ooops 'typo's!'

http://www.yudkin.com/typos.htm

http://starburst689.fortunecity.com