 Short Stories: January 15, 2025 Issue [#12933] |
This week: Homophones: Theirye're, Problem Solved! Edited by: Shannon  
More Newsletters By This Editor 
 
1. About this Newsletter
2. A Word from our Sponsor
3. Letter from the Editor
4. Editor's Picks
5. A Word from Writing.Com
6. Ask & Answer
7. Removal instructions
Welcome to the Short Stories Newsletter. I am Shannon and I'm your editor this week.
Keep reading for your chance to claim an exclusive trinket! |
| ASIN: B07K6Z2ZBF |
Product Type: Kindle Store
|
Amazon's Price: Price N/A
|
|
“You can always edit a bad page. You can’t edit a blank page.”
~ Jodi Picoult
Today, I'd like to talk about an essential yet overlooked aspect of writing: sound-alike words, a.k.a. homophones. Even seasoned writers get tripped up occasionally, but understanding homophone usage elevates your storytelling.
Homophones are words that sound alike but have different meanings and spellings:
 Bare/Bear
Write/Right
Hear/Here
Incorrect usage confuses readers and disrupts the flow of your writing. Imagine a sentence like “I’m going to” when you meant "too." When I encounter something like this in a short story or novel, I get confused (going to where?) and pulled out of the story. If it continues I debate whether to finish reading.
As writers, we don't want that. We want to convey specific ideas. When homophones are used incorrectly, they can pull your reader out of the world you've created for them. For instance, consider a scene where someone is reflecting on a haunting mistake they made, and you write “I can't bare the thought” instead of “bear the thought.” This may confuse and even irritate your reader. Using precise, correctly spelled words demonstrates that you have carefully crafted the story and care about the reader's experience.
Here are some of the most commonly confused homophones:
Their, their, and they’re:
Their is possessive (e.g., “Their children are well behaved”).
There refers to a place or location (e.g., “I put the book over there”).
They’re is a contraction of “they are” (e.g., “They’re getting married in May”).
Your and you're:
Your is possessive (e.g., “Your short story is amazing!”).
You’re is a contraction of “you are” (e.g., “You’re a handsome man”).
To, too, and two:
To is a preposition (e.g., “She’s going to work”).
Too means also or excessive (e.g., “I’m going too” or “The coffee is too hot”).
Two is the number (e.g., “Two people knocked on my door this morning”).
Tone, pacing, and even character are influenced by homophone usage. You can create a sense of rhythm and pace by repeating sounds or homophones in your writing:
"There they stand, their hearts racing. They're close. The wind picks up, rustling the leaves overhead. They are finally home."
Sometimes, homophone usage helps reveal more about your character's personality or education. Maybe your character deliberately mixes up homophones or uses them consecutively for comedic effect:
"Share, there's a hare over there!" said Kyle.
"There's definitely not a hare there. I swear, you make me want to pull my hair out sometimes," Shari replied.
So how do we ensure we're using the correct homophones?
Proofread: Carefully proofread your writing before submitting/uploading. Sometimes we get so used to seeing what we've written that we don't see what we've written. Asking someone you trust to read your work may prove helpful, or reading your story aloud. Writing aids like Grammarly or ProWritingAid (LOVE) are also useful.
Homophones seem like small potatoes in the grand scheme, but improper usage can negatively impact your writing. Take the extra time to proofread and edit mistakes. Craft stories that are precise, clear, and engaging. Your readers will appreciate you for it.
Do you struggle with homophones? Have you written a humorous story that intentionally misuses or repeats homophones to develop character? Every registered author who shares their ideas and/or creative endeavors relating to or inspired by this week's topic will receive an exclusive "The Dedicated Writer" trinket. The image used to make this month's trinket was created by yours truly. I will retire this month's limited-edition trinket in March when my next short stories newsletter goes live.
“Almost all good writing begins with terrible first efforts.
You need to start somewhere.”
~ Anne Lamott
Thank you for reading.
|
I hope you enjoy this week's featured selections. Please keep in mind that the official WDC contests are active on a rotating basis, but I wanted to provide links to all of them because they were my favorites to enter when I was new to the site.
Thank you, and have a great week!
|
Have an opinion on what you've read here today? Then send the Editor feedback! Find an item that you think would be perfect for showcasing here? Submit it for consideration in the newsletter!
https://www.Writing.Com/go/nl_form
Don't forget to support our sponsor!
| ASIN: B083RZ2C5F |
|
Amazon's Price: Price N/A
Not currently available. |
|
The following is in response to "Enter Contests to Improve Your Writing" :
~  ~
S 🤦  writes: I don't "do" contests (in WdC or elsewhere) because of some mental health issues, but I do run one, and I try really hard to give feedback to all those who enter my Horror Writing Contest in order to help writers with their short stories. I prefer activities. I have to say, I did do contests when I first joined WdC, but the lack of feedback got to me. So now I run my own, I feel feedback to all entrants is a must.
As I have mentioned before, I like to think I have the idea of short stories down okay, and your rules are good (though I have broken all of them at times with some publishing success).
The story I have submitted is a Quill Winner for best short story 2023, so people here think it is good: "Audrey" [13+]
~ ~
Princess Megan Rose   writes: Some helpful information about word count, characters and dialogue for a short story. You do have to keep the word count short for a contest. I enjoyed the video links as well. I like giving characters neat, strange names. This part you wrote was interesting. We all want to write the best short story ever. Good call. I enjoyed reading this newsletter and getting insight.
~ ~
Wordsmith John  writes: Thank you for the great information regarding short stories and the do's and don'ts. I was pleased to see I do quite a bit of what you covered.
Thanks again.
~ ~
BIG BAD WOLF is Merry  writes: There is always something.
~ ~
StephBee  writes: Great Newsletter with a sharp overview of short stories and how to keep them succinct. I'm sharing a short that I wrote during GOT this year. I think it really follows the formula you presented: "Tanzanian Peabodies" [E]
~ ~
Jeff  writes: My best short story advice, especially when it comes to contests, is to do your best to subvert expectations and deliver something surprising. Short stories are often presented in formats where a bunch of them are collected together (multiple entries in a contest, a collection of short stories in a publication, etc.). When that happens, the most memorable ones are the ones that stand out from the rest, so always look for inventive takes on prompts, premises, etc. to ensure that you surprise your reader with the unexpected. 
~ ~
Annette  writes: I won a few times in short story contests. Way back when I entered contests. I lost my writing mojo a while ago and can't seem to find it. I hope that my own 2025 activity will get me to enter more short story contests: "I Write in 2025" [13+]
~ ~
Osirantinous Capricornus  writes: When I signed up to WDC I did so to work on my novel. I barely ever wrote anything short but I began entering short story contests (originally The Daily Slice/Screams, which was a surprise on its own because I can't watch horror/scary at all!) as a total challenge to write something complete that was also concise. I've loved the challenge and I think it's actually made my novelling better too. I've added a link to one of my favourite shorts (which is actually on a Christmas theme): "All that glitters, all that glows" [GC]
~ ~
Elycia Lee ☮ Happy 2025!  writes: Thank you for the wonderful newsletter, Shannon. The year 2025 would be a challenging one for WDCers who are committing themselves too writing challenges such as The Bradbury challenge, Cards Against Authors, I Write, and The Contest Challenge. I've to say, while it seemed insane to participate in the Bradbury, it's comforting too to have other writers doing the same and actually having the assurance that we'll have something to show for at the end of our challenge. There is a lot of call for submissions for stories this year and these contests definitely help us write more. Most importantly, it helps us start writing our stories.
~ ~
Drake  writes: I haven't entered contests in a long time. I miss it. Here is my most recent attempt "The Love Drug"
~ ~ |
| ASIN: 0996254145 |
|
Amazon's Price: $ 12.95
|
|
To stop receiving this newsletter, click here for your newsletter subscription list. Simply uncheck the box next to any newsletter(s) you wish to cancel and then click to "Submit Changes". You can edit your subscriptions at any time.
|
This printed copy is for your personal use only. Reproduction
of this work in any other form is not allowed and does violate its copyright. |
View Portfolio
Visit Notebook
Send Gift Points
Awards
Badges
Send Email
