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.