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The purpose of this newsletter is to help the Writing.com short story author hone their craft and improve their skills. Along with that I would like to inform, advocate, and create new, fresh ideas for the short story author. Write to me if you have an idea you would like presented.
This week's Short Story Editor
Leger~ |
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Common Errors
Errors, we all make them. I certainly make quite a few. But everyday I try to improve and learn something new. I figure learning a tiny bit here and there can't be quite as painful as English class in high school. So I figured I would dedicate this newsletter issue to some common errors I see corrected in reviews and sent to my own mailbox. 
Than / Then -Than is a word used in comparisons. Then is an adverb referring to time.
A lot / Alot -A lot is an informal word for many. Alot is not a word.
Well / Good -Well means healthy. Good is an adjective and can be used with words like "be, look, feel".
There / They're / Their -There is an adverb meaning a place or location. They're is a contraction of THEY and ARE. Their is a possesive pronoun. Their comes from the word THEY, so the E comes before the I.
Doesn't / Don't -Doesn't (and does not, does) is used with the third person singular - he, she and it. Don't (and do not, do) is used for other subjects.
Take / Bring -Take means to carry from a near place to a far one. Bring means to carry from a far place to a nearer one. Brang and brung are not correct words.
Alright / All right -Alright is not a word. All right is.
Can / May -Can means "to be able to". May means "to be permitted to".
And last but not least...
Farther / Further -Farther refers to length or distance. Further refers to time or amount.
I hope some of these are helpful with your writing and reviewing. Be sure your reviews are in the spirit of kindness and truly helpful. Send a review that you would love to receive in your mail. Review a newbie! Try to make our new members feel welcome. And if you have the time, review a longer story or novel. Print a few out to take on your trips or when waiting someplace. It's easy to copy your notes into a review format later.
Happy reading and reviewing!
This month's question: What other common errors have you edited? Send in your answer below!  Editors love feedback!
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Excerpt: I remember when she told me she couldn't help me anymore. The cage wrapped its arms around me in triumph as I peered out desperately. Her words floated away, no feeling to anchor them. She didn't look me in my eyes - only sideways glances - like I wasn't even there. Like I was a stain on the carpet.
Excerpt: "Wh...where am I?" I asked a woman standing nearby.
"Maple Heights Hospital," the RN replied. "You were brought in for alcohol poisoning," she informed me. Did I drink that much? I asked myself.
Excerpt: Jim Dawson lay face down in the sand on the beach behind the Sea View Motel as the sun rose on July 5, 1994. The week before, he had checked into the closest motel he could find in Lincoln City after leaving his wife and five-year old daughter, and hadn’t stopped drinking since. No matter how much he drank, the alcohol couldn't numb the guilt he felt.
Excerpt: When I first met Julie, my family had just moved to Kansas. I didn’t want to move, especially to a place that had no ocean, and I didn’t want to leave my friends in Miami. My mother kept telling me, “Don’t worry. You’ll meet new friends.” But I just knew I wouldn’t.
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Excerpt: My indie music is playing softly and my gaze drifts towards the plexi-glass where I lock eyes with the reflection of a boy sitting a few seats behind me. Immediately, I look away. It’s always so awkward when that happens, each person knowing the other one was looking and yet neither of them do anything. It’s especially worse if you lock eyes again and again, then it just becomes this unspoken conversation of uncomfortable eye glances, each of you wondering when the other person will stop looking at you – which of course means you both continue to look.
Excerpt: “I don’t know why we’re going to the lunchroom. I’m so excited about going on a special mission today, that I’m not even thinking of food.” I said to Sasha as we walked down the leisure wing corridor of the space station. Our school is called Exoplanet High School, which is based out of this space station. It is named for the nearby Exoplanet which many of us are from. Our parents sent us to this boarding school because it’s one of the best educational facilities in the entire star system. We get to go on field trips often, but this afternoon we will be going on the biggest one yet.
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This month's question: What other common errors have you edited? Send in your answer below! Editors love feedback!
Last month's question: Send in some suggestions to help new authors to write short stories. What's your advice? ?
len_gray advises: I'd advise that you read your story out loud to a kid. Believe it or not, my 10 year-old little sister is one of the best proofreaders I have!
Although kids are more willing to suspend belief, they aren't fools and will call you out on anything that doesn't jive with them in the story.
J. A. Buxton  replies: My main suggestion is don't dumb down your stories by thinking children are stupid. When I was very young, I was given a dictionary to look up any word I didn't understand. If more parents gave their child this valuable reading tool, we might not have so much illiteracy in our schools or even here on WdC. Just a thought!
brom21 responds: I think that an important element to a good children’s story is something that sticks with the young reader. I know this is pertains to adult reading but I believe it is needed with children’s stories. Perhaps such a thing could come from a very inventive character or an environment that is described little by little. On another note, I think there should be appeal to adults whether older or younger much like Harry Potter came across to older readers. Anyway, this is my response and I hope it makes sense to everyone.
Quick-Quill  answers: KEEP IT SIMPLE. Childrens stories are different than YA. You must listen to children, see what they see as well as understand their thought process. It sort of sounds like this. "This happened, then this came in and this happened. THEN all of the SUDDEN this happened!" then they fall over laughing at the the story. goal conflict and resolution are all that is needed in childrens books. Think of the 3 pigs.
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Short Stories: January 14, 2015 Issue [#6775]
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