 Short Stories: May 05, 2010 Issue [#3711] |
  Short Stories
This week: Edited by: Storm Machine  
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Product Type: Toys & Games
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Is Grammar Important?
fi yuo cna raed tihs, yuo hvae a sgtrane mnid too
Cna yuo raed tihs? Olny 55 plepoe out of 100 can. -- email forward
"It's a damn poor mind that can only think of one way to spell a word.” -- Andrew Jackson
With things like these floating around, it’s a wonder any of us can spell at all. We hear a lot about people who can’t spell who make it big because of their extraordinary intelligence, or some other factor. But let’s not forget that we’re writers. Who else should know the rules of the English language?
Rules might be made to be broken, but writers need to understand the rules to know whether or not it’s worth it to break, bend, or otherwise abuse them. Is it required to know you’re using a gerund? How about whether you’re using alliteration or onomatopoeia? It’s possible to randomly sprinkle nouns and verbs together, but individual results may vary.
Beyond luck, you can learn the basics. There are books and websites and even copyeditors to make it work.
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/
http://www.grammarbook.com/
http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/
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While there are hundreds of grammar books out there, The Elements of Style is a longtime favorite for writers. Did you know there’s an Unofficial Grammar Newsletter out there on WDC? Many websites are free, and they can’t help if you don’t start looking.
Why should you go to the trouble of learning it? Assuming the factoid at the top is correct, with those kinds of errors, 45% of people would not even be able to read your story, no matter how amazing it is. Many other readers will simply pass because they don’t want to strain that hard to understand, not to mention it looks unprofessional. Some reviewers on WDC won’t even read past the first sentence if you have a grammatical error that early – also the title and tagline - thinking you must not care enough about your work to proofread it. And in case you need another reason, remember that a misspelled word might be another real word and your reader could completely miss your meaning.
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|  | Monster (18+)
If you call someone a name often enough they may soon believe it
#259585 by Andrea  |
| | | TOO COCKY BY HALF (13+)
Humourous homemakers' magazine feature column. If you have pets you'll laugh.PRIZE WINNER
#1175378 by tosca |
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Good point in this newsletter- I'm struggling to fit in time to both read and write during term time- I have a huge pile of books waiting to be read, followed by a much longer list of ones to get out the library when I'm finished... Thanks for an important reminder 
Good luck with that list.
Doug Rainbow
Reading for relaxation or recreation differs from reading for reviewing or reading for self-improvement. Critical reading is slower and demands interactive thought between the printed page and the reader.
Very good point!
Than Pence 
I liked your part about reading. It happens to me all the time: I forget to sit down and read a real book! I need to make time for that. Thanks for the reminder... and I guess a sort of validation. I've often felt like I was just wasting time when sitting and reading and not writing. Writing has always felt more productive but now I'm reminded that reading is JUST as productive. Thanks again.
Make an appointment to go to the library and just check something out. Be careful, though, it's turning into an addiction with me. |
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