Grammar Sucks

What Does It Mean to Become a ‘Real’ Writer?

Mon, 30 Jun 2025 01:30:37 +0000

I hear it all the time from my students and at the seminars and workshops I lead. The writers that I work with are excited to work with a "real" writer. Most people define a "real" writer as one who is published. Therefore I, with three published novels and innumerable newspaper and magazine articles under my belt, certainly qualify. However, the longer I am involved in the business of professional writing and the teaching of writing the more I question that definition. For me, being a "real" writer is much more about a state of mind rather than a state of being. I believe very strongly that you need to become a real writer before you can become a published writer for I know that while most (if not all) published writers are real writers that the reverse is not necessarily true. I have known many real writers who have not yet been published but I believe they will be some day -- if they just stick with it. Real writers are made. No one is born to be a writer although many real writers are born with a drive or need to be a writer and this is certainly a help during the difficult times and challenges that all real writers face. A real writer requires five essential tools. The first, and most important, is a unique writing process. In order to write well and effectively not to mention to grow as a writer, you must develop a writing process. A nonexistent, or inefficient, writing process can greatly hinder your ability to write but a writing process tailored to your unique strengths and weaknesses can make your writing stronger and easier. The second element goes along with the development of your writing process. This is learning your strengths and weaknesses as a writer. What is the most difficult part of writing for you? What is the easiest? The more you know about your own writing then the better equipped you are to take advantage of the areas where you are strongest and to work on the areas where you are weakest. Another essential element to becoming a real writer is criticism. Writers need to develop the skills necessary to be critical of their own work and to edit effectively. Most real writers also have a support network in place, such as a critique group or critical reader, to assist with this process. Real writers also need to be readers. Writers must read a variety of authors and types of writing in order to learn more about the language, its structure, and its varied uses. Reading provides inspiration in terms of ideas but also language use and vocabulary. Real writers love language and words and cannot get enough of either. Real writers are readers. The final essential ingredient for a real writer is a strong work ethic. Real writers practice their craft on a regular basis (usually daily). Some writers only write a few hours a day while others spend many hours writing. The length of time is not as important as a regular writing schedule that is only altered for major holidays or life-threatening illness. Even if you can only carve out an hour a day that is enough time to write a novel if that is your goal. The important part is making your writing a priority and giving your writing muscles a regular workout. If you want to be a real writer then you must work on these five essential tools of the writing trade: individual writing process, knowledge of strengths and weaknesses, criticism, reading, and work ethic. Once you have mastered these five tools of the trade, then you are on the way to becoming a real writer.

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Write Better by Not Writing … Until

Mon, 09 Jun 2025 17:10:13 +0000

Every writer needs some help with their writing. Every writer can improve their writing. One simple technique you can use to improve your writing and better develop your writing process is to spend less time writing and more time thinking about your writing. Many writers struggle with their early drafts simply because they have not allowed an idea enough time to simmer. Giving yourself time to brainstorm, sift and sort through ideas, and to both have and build upon creative inspirations is one of the keys to becoming a successful and productive writer. It is best to work on this when you are away from your desk, your computer and any writing equipment (even something as simple as a paper and pencil). You can sit yourself on a park bench or in your car, you can take a walk or a jog, or you can perform some mindless household task such as vacuuming, folding clothes or washing dishes. There really are no rules so long as you can focus the majority of your brain power on your writing without the distractions of friends, family, or co-workers. Even with today's hectic, busy days, there are moments when we are alone with our thoughts. If you want to improve your writing, then you should set aside at least a portion of those moments to focus on your writing. In fact, you might find that not only does this improve your work but it also allows you to multitask by completing some other mundane task (or simply getting in your exercise for the day). I promise you that once you have focused your brain on your writing that you will see an increase in your productivity. You will actually spend less time in front of the computer (or notebook) but will deliver more quality writing in that shorter time. It is important once you are set on a specific project that you focus your thoughts on that goal. If you are writing something short, then focus first on the introduction. For example. If you are writing a novel or book, then focus on one scene or section of a chapter. Create a movie in your head, and because it is your movie, do not overlook the sounds, smells, and textures that go along with it. Put yourself in the shoes of the characters of your movie so you can identify with them and feel their emotions. Play with words and sentences in your head. Get a feel for the rhythm of the language. Does it match the "movie" you created? The more you work these elements over in your head, the easier it will be when you sit back down to write. Use your head to make writing easier for you and more effective as well. The more time you spend thinking and planning your writing before you set out to work on your latest project, the better the result will be.

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Prepositions and How to Use Them

Mon, 19 May 2025 00:58:25 +0000

Prepositions are words that show the relationship between a noun or pronoun and other words in a sentence, often indicating location, direction, time, or manner. They typically answer questions like where?, when?, or how? Here's a breakdown of how they are used: 1. Showing Location or Position: The book is on the table. The cat is hiding under the bed. They live in California. The museum is near the park. The airplane flew above the clouds. She stood beside him. The keys are inside the drawer. 2. Indicating Direction or Movement: He went to the store. The bird flew towards the window. They walked along the beach. The car drove through the tunnel. She jumped into the pool. The ball rolled down the hill. He came from Canada. 3. Expressing Time: The meeting is at 3 PM. I will see you on Monday. They arrived in the morning. Before dinner, we went for a walk. After the movie, we went for ice cream. She lived there for five years. During the summer, it gets very hot. 4. Showing Relationships (Manner, Purpose, Possession, etc.): He wrote the letter with a pen. This gift is for you. She is a friend of mine. They traveled by train. The cake was decorated with frosting. He did it without help. Key things to remember about prepositions: They usually come before a noun or pronoun: This noun or pronoun is called the object of the preposition. Together, the preposition and its object form a prepositional phrase. Prepositional phrases act as adjectives or adverbs: They modify nouns or verbs in the sentence. Adjective: The book on the table is mine. (on the table describes the book) Adverb: He walked to the store. (to the store tells where he walked) Some prepositions are made up of more than one word (complex prepositions): examples include in front of, next to, because of, in spite of. The same preposition can have different meanings depending on the context: For example, "on" can indicate location (on the table), time (on Monday), or a state (on fire). Prepositions can sometimes be tricky because their usage can be idiomatic: This means there aren't always strict rules, and sometimes you just have to learn which preposition goes with certain verbs, nouns, or adjectives (e.g., listen to, afraid of, interested in). Mastering prepositions is crucial for clear and accurate English communication. Pay attention to how native speakers use them and practice using them in your own writing and speaking.

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Writing: For Your Job or Your Hobby, or …. ?

Sun, 18 May 2025 18:40:03 +0000

Writing is a part of everyone’s life. Every one of us has had to write an article, a composition or a letter to a loved one, at least once in our lives. In schools, it is as common task as learning how to count or memorize multiplication tables. Yet as people grow old, some continue on to write until old age while some completely shun writing as if it’s a burden one needs to keep away from as much as possible. The difference between who you are among the two is how you answer the question, “Is writing a hobby or a job for you?” The answer you give could tell you of your perspective of the written form of art. Job or Hobby? Or? When does writing become a job then? Some may think that when you get paid then it becomes work. But why then did the great poets of times past who died miserable, alone and broke continued to write until they were on their deathbed? By this example alone you could deduce that writing may still be a hobby even if you are great author as long as the passion and the love for writing is there. But once other factors affect that passion for writing then it’s a different story altogether. Apparently, some great writers have been burned out at least one time in their lives because of the pressure to beat the deadline, the anxiety of having to please the readers and the dreadful idea of not living up to the expectations that surrounds a best-selling writer. Searching for the Reasons Why One Writes So then how do you keep the passion to write a love letter, the fervor to churn out poetry and essays, or to still beat the deadline without having to feel that writing is a heavy burden? How do you make writing a productive exercise and still to still call writing a hobby? There are many ways to respond to the posed questions above, but the simplest and most efficient way is to ask yourself, to ask that writer within you what reasons you have that you bothered to continue writing in a journal, a daily diary or on pieces of paper around your flat when in fact no one asked you to. Searching the inner soul could produce many definite answers for you. Maybe you view writing as a way to blow steam off on bad days, or maybe you chose to write your dreams because you want to preserve a memory of yourself, afraid that when you get older, you would somehow become this senseless, disconnected person. Or maybe writing for you is a form of release or expression. Whatever the reason is, you have to ask yourself if you still have it in you and if the tides of time have not washed away that passion and the reason for that passion to write. If you could answer that positively, then you’ll always be able to view writing as a hobby, as an activity that you will always cherish to do no matter what is going on in your life. A true writer will always write because of internal reasons, whether you are a novice playwright, a successful novelist, or a child who keeps a diary.

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As Long As vs. So Long As — Which Works When?

Sun, 11 May 2025 17:57:08 +0000

I can't remember hearing anyone use the phrase "so long as" in the past weeks, er, perhaps months or years. We're all attuned to using "as long as" whenever we want to use a conditional or a comparative. "A what?" you ask. A comparative compares things, such as length. For instance, "That trailer is twice as long as mine." You're comparing someone else's trailer to your own, even though it's a stupid comparison. Now, say you want to purchase that longer trailer, you might think to yourself, using common daily (mis)grammar, "As long as I keep my job, I can buy that trailer" However, in this case you should be expressing a conditional. Buying that bigger trailer is conditioned upon your keeping your job and your income --"so long as I keep my job." Now, almost no one speaking to another would say "so long as I keep my job." Almost everyone, probably 9,999 out of 1,000 (or even greater), would say "as long as I keep my job." When it comes to everyday spoken English, the misuse of the comparative for the conditional generally poses no problem in being understood. What I have a beef with are writers, who use English to earn a living, who continually confuse the conditional with the comparative. So long as these writers continue to misuse English grammar, I have a beef as long as my driveway. Wow, what a silly, bad statement, but it's at least using the conditional and the comparative correctly.

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Why Is English Grammar So Difficult? Or Is It?

Mon, 05 May 2025 19:34:44 +0000

The most universal language in the world is the English language, spoken in a vast number of countries. And, for people who don’t speak English, it’s not easy to learn. Not easy, but not impossible either. Why? English has usage rules as any language does, and these rules can be tough to master and can be overwhelming many times. How Non-Native Speakers Try To Learn English Most people, in an attempt to learn the English language, will enroll in an English tutorial class. While an actual class can be extremely expensive, there are places to turn online that are cheaper. Bear in mind that English grammar classes should not be consumed with the more popular spoken English classes. Internet English classes are relatively flexible, fitting into a person’s busy schedule such as their work, family and household chores. Kids tend to pick up the English language through reading. Therefore, to learn truly learn a language, it’s imperative to make reading a habit. It will also help the learner to understand how words are used and sentences are structured. Of course, English grammar can be tricky with the host of rules it includes. You can’t memorize the rules, but regularly using the language will help teach you. What Makes It Difficult For Non-Native Speakers To Learn The English Language? Answer: Word Usage, Statement Construction and Pronunciation The majority of English grammar teachers liken grammar to mathematics. In order to learn and use it effectively, you have to understand it. Since English is the most used language, people have a basic knowledge of it. They know their ABCs and what’s English. However, they don’t have the understanding of word usage and statement construction. Non-native English speakers don’t know what word to use and where it needs to go. On top of that, pronunciation makes learning the language even more difficult. After all, how one person pronounces something in the northern U.S. can be different from how a person in the southern part of the U.S. would pronounce it. People trying to learn the English language will turn to a dictionary to understand the words they are using. However, their time would be better spent on learning the language in an online grammar class. There are a plethora of online exercises that can teach a person how to read and speak English fluently. With the help of interesting exercises, a person’s attention can be held for longer, allowing them to pick things up better and quicker.

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Mastering English Pronunciation — Another Key to Communication

Tue, 29 Apr 2025 04:32:16 +0000

What is an accent? An accent is the carryover of sounds from the speaker’s original language to the second language. When we are infants we literally have the ability to speak any language in the world. We are all born with the necessary speech mechanisms and the capability to learn any language. We end up When we are infants we literally have the ability to speak any language in the world. We are all born with the necessary speech mechanisms and the capability to learn any language. We end up speaking the language that we do solely by reinforcement. The sounds a baby hears and the speech patterns she is exposed to are the ones that she develops. Soon the baby gains the fine motor skill and control she needs to create sounds herself. The infant will begin by babbling and playing with sounds. Soon she is able to produce simple vowel/consonant combinations which maybe why mama and dada are often their first words, they can make the combination and the big reaction it elicits reinforces their efforts. By 18 months she will be able to produce about 20 words that have meaning and understand around 50 words. Now babies, of course, have the ultimate immersion experience. In order to obtain any control over their environment they must learn the language and they are surrounded by the language almost 24 hours a day. The second-language learner does not have these advantages. Even if you who are new to the U.S. are now living in an English-speaking country, and bu attending classes to learn English, you will still have opportunity to speak and hear your first language with friends and family. This is especially true in America, a country of immigrants where finding a community of people with the same language background is possible. Another challenge is the expectation factor. For many years you have heard a speech pattern, and there is an expectation of what you will hear when others speak. You are predicting what sounds will come next based on your subconscious knowledge of language. I call this listening with an accent. It is necessary to break through this barrier, to really hear how others are speaking, to actively listen. To listen is to learn, and I don’t mean that in an existential way. I really mean that if you can’t hear the way the sounds are produced you cannot learn how to produce the sound. Once you can hear the sounds, you must add them to your own phonetic library. This means that you have in your mind the knowledge and understanding of how to produce every sound or phoneme in you original language. Now you must add on some sounds that are in the American sound system that is not in your original language sounds system. Record yourself reading a brief paragraph. Just two to three sentences in English. Then listen to the recording. Write down exactly what you hear on the recording. Not what you meant to say but what you really did say. How is it different from what was written? Did you say th, when it was written or did you say d? I would suggest sticking with the consonants at first because the differences are easier to pinpoint. If you would like to get help in improving your pronunciation, it would be best to go to a speech therapist rather than an ESL teacher. Speech therapists are trained in physiology of the speech mechanisms and musculature. They understand what is involved in producing each sound and are trained to identify and work with articulation problems. Though an accent is not the same as an articulation problem, they have similar characteristics. When a client has difficulty articulating specific sounds, the speech therapist can hear and see what they are doing differently and describe and show yjr, how to do it correctly. When a client has an accent, the speech therapist can see what the person is doing differently and show and describe how to make the sound so it more closely approximates the standard. The most important advice I can give you is to keep practicing. At first it may feel like you are exaggerating when you “speak with an American accent,” but I am sure that the native American speakers around you will not even notice. They will merely be impressed with your great diction! Article submitted through the Internet.

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English Grammar Really Does Matter

Tue, 29 Apr 2025 04:13:13 +0000

Whether we are talking about a five-year-old who is about to start learning to read or whether we are talking about a thirty-year-old woman who is attempting to write a thesis for her master's degree, we cannot deny that taking time to learn proper English grammar is important. When we see or hear about English grammar, the immediate reaction of many people I know is to cringe. They are reminded of junior high and high school English class and the way that their English teachers made them to English grammar exercise after exercise. Because English grammar is usually seen in such a negative sense, it is all the more important that people replace those lies with the truth that learning English grammar really is important for anyone who wants to have a proper perspective of the English language. When we are speaking or hearing English, not too many of us take the time to think about the fact that English grammar is the very thing that allows us to communicate with and understand one another. It is not so much because we use the same words of the English language, but it is because we all put our words together in certain ways to form thoughts and sentences that we can understand each other. This, in short, is the purpose of English grammar. English grammar is the mechanics of the English langauge that allows for two people who use the same vocabulary to be able to communicate without misunderstanding. Certainly there will always be some level of misunderstaning that happens when two people communicate, but so much of our problems will be lessened if we all take some time to learn English grammar. Many schools today are moving away from making English grammar a part of the regular curriculum. So while students may learn how to read and write successfully, they will likely never learn the English grammar or the reasons why they are speaking and writing as they are. So, if you or someone you know is struggling with any element of the English language, or if you know a child or someone who is attempting to learn English for the first time, then make sure English grammar is included as an important part of the learning process. Being able to speak, understand and write a language is an important part of being successful no matter what you do in life. And taking the time to learn even the basics of English grammar will go far in helping people communicate even better.

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Effective Ways to Connect on Social Media

Sun, 27 Apr 2025 16:55:23 +0000

Facebook Do you know anyone who's not on Facebook? Probably not very many people, anyway. The biggest companies and the most successful business people all over the world are on Facebook. Why? Because they see its tremendous power -- 24/7 -- to build relationships with millions of people anywhere in the world...and on autopilot. That's the potential for making lots and lots of money, given the right formula. Facebook Tips That Work Messages you leave on Facebook can increase your success or detract from it. These tips should help. • Develop your style - Keep your writing style in messages appropriate to Facebook. That means, informal andsocial, personal and appropriate. No heavy negativity or heavy sales pitch, either. You might want to write similar to the way you speak. • Keep it short and focused on the main point -- Respect other people's time and stay on message. • Give valuable information of interest =- Giving people something they want or need by way of information is a way to start building a relationship. When it comes to Facebook fan pages (where you post your products), these tips on posts might come in handy. • Write posts relevant to the topic of the fan page. • Post questions and start discussions relevant to your target audience to encourage responses. • Analyze your posts. Look at the responses and likes you're getting. Are you missing the mark? Do your readers want something you're not providing? Pinpointing these issues will pay off in the future. Five things never to do on Facebook 1. Never spam. You want to promote and engage equally. No one wants to see posts full of links. 2. Keep you personal and professional pages separate. Combining them can confuse the reader and cause mistrust. 3. Never attack people. You won't please everyone. Just ignore the criticism and move past it. Or delete it. 4. Don't leave your fans stranded. The main point of social media is interaction. It makes you human. 5. Have a plan. What do you want to accomplish? If you don't know, you won't accomplish it. LinkedIn LinkedIn has a big problem -- that's good! Most people still think of LinkedIn as ineffective for producing results in internet marketing. But the problem is not with LinkedIn; the problem is with the way internet marketers are approaching it. As you probably know, LinkedIn is the largest professional network in the world. It's a place where professionals connect with each other and build a network of solid long-term relationships. These relationships can result in enormous sales of products and services, eventually. But it's all in the approach. Tips for Presenting Yourself on LinkedIn How you present yourself is very important on LinkedIn. It takes pride in distinguishing itself as a business site, so the informal atmosphere and approach encountered on Facebook or a blog is unacceptable. If you're unfamiliar with LinkedIn, you can learn more about the "rules" on many paid and free sources. Here we'll discuss how to best present yourself. PROFILE Your first chance to put your best face forward is on your profile. Your profile speaks for you. It's your first impression. • PHOTO -- Have a professional looking photo. No party hats here. You want people to use your services or buy your products, so look your best. • YOUR URL -- LinkedIn assigns you a non-descript url by default. Edit this to use your own name if it's available. That way, people will find you more easily. • PROFESSIONAL HEADLINE -- The keywords you want to be associated with should be in your headline. Searches are done on LinkedIn by scanning the keywords in each profile headline. • ACCURATE, ENGAGING SUMMARY -- Your summary captures your entire career in few words. Make it stand out by answering prospective clients' needs. Use keywords here as well. • ACCOMPLISHMENTS -- Be accurate and specific about your accomplishments. Be relevant and quantify your accomplishments if possible. Make your profile as interesting as possible. In your case you are probably not applying for a job, so let people know who you are, what area(s) you work in, what products or services you offer, and what things make you stand out. When you've completed your profile, don't walk away and hope for the best. There's a protocol to follow to make yourself known in LinkedIn. You need to be assertive in order to be found, but in the way LinkedIn defines, which is different from anywhere else. Be sure you follow up with: • Building your contacts -- Connect with past and present colleagues and alumni. • Cultivating and using recommendations -- Recommendations are powerful because they are authentic, so trusted in LinkedIn more than in other venues. • Using groups -- Groups can be of help to you in three ways: they can help develop your profile, assist with lead generation, and aid in your own personal development. • Promoting your events -- Promotion is easy in LinkedIn once you have established yourself because the right groups are easily targeted with the result that your information can be quickly spread and your brand recognition will spread. • Using status updates -- Status updates are underused in LinkedIn. Update your profile with relevant blog posts and other news items. If you follow LinkedIn's guidelines, there's enormous potential for success. Twitter/X Twitter/X is an outrageously successful social media platform that you no doubt already are somewhat familiar with.Basically, you have up to 140 characters per tweet to announce anything you want to. As an online entrepreneur, your general goals with Twitter are to generate as large a following as possible, to retain those followers, and to engage them so that they buy your products and services. If you're really good, your followers might retweet your message (send it to their Twitter friends) or even be "favorited," which will make you very popular. So, the question is, "What do you have to do to create messages in 140 characters that are so intriguing that your followers and potential customers will click your link?” Tips for Great Tweets Your tweets must interest the person reading them; that means that they must be personal and be about things that interest the reader. Furthermore, what you really want is not just for the reader to click on your link, but also to share, like, recommend, tweet and forward your information and link. To accomplish this, you need to ask yourself some questions. What do you want your tweets to say about you and your brand? How can you make this "statement" appealing the people following you? You need a sound knowledge of the value of your information, your brand, and your product or service. Your tweets act as spurts of information that capture the reader's attention and imagination. What appeals to your readers? What content are they looking for? Once you know this, you can begin to determine what information they want to get and how they want it presented. You can decide what to include in the recommendations, requests, questions, answers, invitations, and offers you send to them. Try some of these tips: 1. Engage your audience emotionally by asking a question or suggesting that they do something. 2. Respond to every tweet you receive; you never know where it might lead. 3. Provide valuable, relevant information to your base. Credit the source if there is one. 4. Be truthful. Don't lie in order to get people to click on your link. You'll pay for it later. 5. Be brief. Keep your tweet focused on one point. 6. Don't "flood" your base with tweets. Be considerate and space out your tweets. One way to think of your tweet is as if it were a headline. Create a question of some kind in the reader's mind so that he wants to click the link to get more information. Be sure to leave a link. Use interesting terms or pop culture items or breaking news your readers can relate to. Choose something that will grab them and keep them.

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Grammar: What Exactly Is the Purpose?

Sun, 27 Apr 2025 16:55:20 +0000

Define grammar. According to the dictionary, it’s a language’s entire structure and system. In short, it tells a person how something works when talking or writing. So, if that’s the case, why are so many people frightened by the word “grammar?” In school, you’re taught grammar in English, Spanish or any other language you are trying to learn. In English, it meant a huge mound of rules to learn, and these rules would vary significantly. There was no one size fits all scenario. It can take a person years to understand grammar and make it work for them. Even more so, if they write for a living. What Is The Primary Purpose Behind Grammar So, you may be wondering what the primary purpose behind grammar is. Believe it or not, it’s something very simple but intricate too. Grammar is a necessity in even the most basic human needs – communication with others. Businesses must use words that are clear to their target audience – to understand what the company’s service or product is and how it can help them. With the excitement flowing, words will fall onto a page without a second thought. Grammar is what connects businesses with their readers. People excited about their business have so much passion when writing about a product or service. They’re so excited that they try explaining everything about a product in a little blurb or article, but this often causes confusion. While business owners need to be passionate about their product/service, they also need to be clear with the message they are sending. Grammar will help them to do that. The Importance Of Basic Sentence Structure The sentence is the most basic sentence structure of written words. There are many kinds of simple and intricate sentences, and it’s best to use simple sentences whenever possible. Simple sentences are easier to understand, and the ideas are clear. The problem people have with writing is that they try putting more than one idea into a sentence. Think of it this way: you have a bunch of books you’re putting on a less than sturdy bookcase. The amount of weight you’re putting on that shelf will cause it to break and fall. A sentence with more than one idea in it will also fall apart. Bear in mind that this is just a brief look at grammar. Don’t look at grammar as rules to hinder your writing but to help you connect and communicate with readers. This is what grammar is all about and its importance.

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