Writing Hint #10 Verbs
From time to time – well, far too frequently actually, I hesitate over something I have written. I read it, reread, rewrite, change the words and even change the order of words just to make sure everything is correct.
Despite this, I still make mistakes.
Oh the wretched trials of being a writer! One area that I have particular problems with happens to be in the use of verbs. Straight forward you might say. Indeed, and so it should be, but sometimes I get terribly confused.
I wonder if this are the result of 35 years of reading the scribblings of emerging writers in my classroom? Now I don’t seems to be able to distinguish right writing from wrong righting.
So when I comes across this writing hint, I were quite perplexed:
Verbs has to agree with their subjects.
Writing Hint #9 The problem of using cliches
No Comments »8th September, 2006; Category: Writing Hints
Cliches pepper the writing of so many people’s writing and speech that they have become as numerous as the grains of sand on the beach. To my way of thinking it shows a certain laziness on the part of the writer. They use cliches as a kind of shorthand to make their point.
Originality.
That is what is needed.
All writers, especially bloggers, should follow the advice in this writing hint:
Avoid cliches like the plague. They are old hat.
Related article:
Writing Hint #8 The Power of Punctuation
1 Comment »7th September, 2006; Category: Writing Hints
Never underestimate the importance of punctuation. It can make or break your writing. Giving no attention to these important markers can totally change the meaning of what you write.
Consider the following:
A professor wrote the following sentence on the board and ask his students to punctuate it correctly.
“A woman without her man is nothing.”
All the males in the room wrote:
“A woman, without her man, is nothing.”
All the females in the class wrote:
“A woman: without her, man is nothing.”
Punctuation is powerful.
Write with passion
A certain turn off for readers is a piece of writing that does not sing.
In most cases the writer has only a few sentences at best to capture the attention of the reader. In many cases these days, you may have only a few words – perhaps even just a title to hook the reader. I get dozens of emails each day. In most cases I merely skim the titles before hitting the delete button. I simply do not have the time to read every word.
Write with passion
If you know your subject AND you are passionate about it, this will show in your writing. The reader will be hooked and read on, to the very end if your passion oozes through every word. This is what being a communicator is all about. Sharing your passion.
And when your passion shines through your writing, the readers will read to the end and many will return again and again. This is true of writing for print but essential, I feel, in blogging.
The following excerpt from an article tells how it should be:
Passionate Writing: You Can Sell Your Passion
by Carla Vaughan
If you want to be an effective writer, you will find it easiest to focus your writing on topics about which you are either knowledgeable or passionate. Passion sells.
Passionate writing doesn’t mean you have to write about romance or sex. What it does mean is that you have to write from your heart. You have to write about a topic that makes your heart pump a bit more wildly or that you get animated about when you discuss it.
When you write about a subject that creates this kind of excitement, you connect with your readers. They will love your writing. They will not be able to stop reading, in fact. If you do simple research on a topic or have a basic understanding of it, you will not be able to stimulate your readers or lead them with anticipation to the next paragraph.
Passionate writing engages the reader from the first word and leads them through your piece in a way that entrances and exhilarates them. Once you establish your voice, your readers will come to know your writing style and they will seek you out. You must be consistent, though, in producing content that is pleasurable to read.
Writing Hint #7 Use words correctly
One of my greatest fears with blogging and writing is that one day I will use a word incorrectly. I taught young children for most of the 35 years of my teaching career, mostly those aged 7 to 10. In order to communicate effectively I needed, of necessity, to use words understandable to children of this age. Although I think that I have a good vocabulary and a good grasp of word meanings, there are times when I feel very unsure of myself and somewhat inadequate.
In this context I was amused by this quote, which I read recently in a magazine for writers:
“Use words correctly, irregardless of how others use them.”