Do you use semicolons? Do you know how? Good writers often avoid them rather than make a mistake. Some even think semicolons are “old school” or too formal to use in their writing, while others fling ‘em around like wet noodles—some of ‘em stick, some don’t. But it’s not that hard to get the hang … Read more
Quizzes are a great way to learn. The best part is discovering what you know and what you don’t know. Plus, in this case, you’re testing your comma skills, which are super important for any writer. And with an informal quiz like this one, there’s no performance pressure—you’re not in school, people—so you can relax … Read more
A reader sent in a question about -ing words: “OK, you said no question was stupid. So, I have been told not to use ing words in fiction writing because it is not the right tense. Why?” Have you heard this advice? Have you wondered about it? We use words that end in -ing all the … Read more
You write the way you write. Right? It’s a part of you and who you are. It’s how you express yourself. It comes from somewhere deep inside, almost as if by magic, and you don’t have a lot of control over that process. You write the way you’ve always written or how you were taught. … Read more
Have you ever heard of a musician or a singer who doesn’t practice? I haven’t, and writers are no different. It doesn’t matter if you’re a blogger just starting out or you’ve been blogging for years. It doesn’t matter if you’ve published magazine articles or short stories or poetry or you’re dreaming of that novel … Read more
The time to begin an article is when you have finished it to your satisfaction. By that time you begin to clearly and logically perceive what it is you really want to say. —Mark Twain Editing is just as important as writing—maybe even more important. If you can edit your work effectively, your rough draft … Read more