My Passion for Writing Taught My Family Good Grammar by Peter Leavell

Boise is a biking paradise with 30 miles of paved trail along a tumbling mountain river, a tributary that gives the Idaho capital its christened name, City of Trees. I love jogging the path and listening to the birds and rushing water. Sometimes, I see deer and bald eagles within a few blocks of high rises and a football field with blue grass. People wave as they pass each other. I suppose the Greenbelt is one reason Boise is the fastest growing city in the nation. It’s amazing.

Yesterday, while I jogged along the river, a mom biked toward me, a trailer with child inside pulled behind. The joy on the mother’s face was as bright as the afternoon sun reflecting off the river.

It warmed my heart, seeing mother and child out for the afternoon. She slowed as she neared the zoo, the giraffe leaning over the palisade to say hello to people on the path.

Like the mother and child, as writers, we take those we love with us on our journey.

The mother’s ride was across smooth asphalt, but the trailer’s right wheel extended over the path onto the gravel shoulder.

We can’t always see how our journey is affecting the ones we love.

The trailer careened wildly side to side and up and down. Through the wire mesh, I saw the child flail helplessly.

Sometimes we think the journey of our writing career is hard on our families.

As the mother and child passed, I saw the baby was laughing and screaming with delight.

Even though we might feel guilty over the bumps and hurdles and time constraints of our writing career on our families, many times the journey teaches them:

—dream big, and dream together.
—daily discipline as a family, and as a family forgets to cook dinner, they dash about together making eggs and toast.
—the journey of a faraway goal is special, and obtainable.
—perseverance/work ethic can really put a crimp in their TV binge watching.
—how to handle emotional trauma.
—how not to handle emotional trauma.
—how to communicate with others, through writing.
—how to avoid strangers, through writing.
—how to keep a special writer’s mug safe by not washing it every day.
—grammar.
—don’t listen to the naysayers, for they know not what they speak of.
—experiences can be used for good or for bad: to make yourself a victim or to use in a blog.

What have you noticed your obsession with writing teaches others?

What my passion for writing teaches my family. @peterleavell #writerslife #seriouslywrite

'My passion for writing taught my family good grammar' and other life lessons for a writer. @peterleavell #writerslife #seriouslywrite

Peter Leavell, a 2007 graduate of Boise State University with a degree in history and currently enrolled in the University's English Lit Graduate program, was the 2011 winner of Christian Writers Guild's Operation First Novel contest, and 2013 Christian Retailing's Best award for First-Time Author. A novelist, blogger, teacher, ghostwriter, jogger, biker, husband and father, Peter and his family live in Boise, Idaho. Learn more about Peter's books, research, and family adventures at www.peterleavell.com.

Mixed-up Words by Annette M. Irby

mixed apple slices*

Have you ever seen this? There you are scrolling through FB and what happens? Someone comments: “Your welcome.” Cringe! 

Or “Look at this cute puppy! Awe!” Eeks!

Same sort of cringing happens to me when I’m editing/reading a book and find this type of thing: “Hand me that make up brush, would you?” Or, perhaps “Let’s take the pick-up.” Oh, no, no, no. (grin)

So, let’s see if we can answer some questions about tricky words, shall we?

First, I know you know the correct usage of your and you’re, so we won’t start there. But sometimes I wonder, given the number of times I see “awe” where an interjection belongs, if folks know the difference between awe and the interjection, aw.

Here are some incorrect and correct uses of commonly misused words:

INCORRECT: Awe, your baby is so cute!

CORRECT: Aw, your baby is so cute!

"Awe" is a noun and means overwhelming reverence. ("Awesome" comes from this word.)

"Aw" is an interjection used to express sentiment or opinion.

The rest of these mostly speak for themselves:

INCORRECT: Let’s take the pick up.

CORRECT: Let’s take the pickup.

ALSO CORRECT: Please pick up the toys.

INCORRECT: Could you hand me that make up brush?

CORRECT: Could you hand me that makeup brush?

ALSO CORRECT: She started wearing makeup at age thirteen.

ALSO CORRECT: I’ll need you to take a make-up test.  

ALSO CORRECT: That’s just part of his makeup.

INCORRECT: Could you hang onto this for me?

CORRECT: Could you hang on to this for me?

“Hang on” is its own phrase.

“Onto” is a preposition.

INCORRECT: Don’t give into the fear.

CORRECT: Don’t give in to the fear.

(same reasoning as above)

INCORRECT: Climb in to the wagon.

CORRECT: Climb into the wagon. ("Into" used as a preposition)

TIP: When deciding how to write a word or phrase, consider how it’s being used. And if there's ever a question (as in when grammar experts cannot agree), aim for clarity. Most often, your publisher's style guide will dictate final say.

For more grammar fun, let’s peek at some potentially mixed-up words, shall we? Many of these are homonyms. Test yourself. How many can you define?

Rifle and riffle.  

Distain and disdain.

Hoards and hordes.

Flyer and flier.

Repelling and rappelling.

Whale (to strike) and wail (to cry). (gave you than one :)

Illude, allude, and elude.

Illusive, allusive, and elusive.

Illusion, allusion, and elusion.

Burrow and borough.

Precedence and precedents.

Immerge and emerge. 

Hardy and hearty.

Complimentary and complementary.

I keep a list of these and add to it as I find more. It helps to include the definitions. What are your grammar pet peeves when reading? Have you found any misplaced homonyms?

Write on, friends!

~~~~~

Her Nerdy Cowboy

Her Nerdy Cowboy

Whoever heard of a bookish cowboy? When Logan McDaniel’s brother-in-law dies, he steps in to help his beloved sister run her ranch. But what does a city boy know of herding cattle? Claire Langley loved her cousin. After he dies, she agrees to serve as a temporary nanny for two heartbroken children. 

Claire and Logan find they share a love of books, and Claire can’t resist the nerdy uncle who is great with children, and who reads to her of pirate romance. Claire’s ailing mother needs her in Seattle. Can she break away? And if she does, can there ever be a future for Logan and her?

You can "buy" this $0.99 title for FREE this Lenten season by ordering from Pelican Book Group's site! 

~~~~~ 

Annette M. Irby

Annette M. Irby has three published books and 

runs her own freelance editing business, AMI Editing. 

See her page here on Seriously Write for more information.

*digital photo credit: freedigitalphotos.net "mixed apple" by zirconicusso

LET’S EAT GRANDMA - The Importance of Proofreading by Kathy Ide

The following post from Kathy Ide originally appeared on my blog in February, but I think its something we can all use since grammar, especially commas, can be the bane of a writer's life. -- Sandy

Kathy: Have you seen the plaques and T-shirts that say:

Let’s Eat Grandma.

Let’s Eat, Grandma.

 Commas Save Lives.

I love that! It shows how one tiny bit of punctuation can change the entire meaning and tone of a sentence.

You may think that as long as you’ve got life-changing content in your nonfiction manuscript, or an intriguing story with lots of conflict and interesting characters in your fiction manuscript, that should be enough. And yes, content and story are extremely important. But no matter how good those things are, you’ll be running some pretty big risks if you don’t bother proofreading your manuscript carefully for typos, inaccuracies, and inconsistencies … and learning the industry-standard rules regarding punctuation, usage, grammar, and spelling.

OK, you won’t be putting your grandmother’s life on the line or joining a tribe of cannibals. But tiny mistakes in your writing can have disastrous consequences.

Here are my top ten: 

1. Mechanical errors can decrease your chance of acceptance by a traditional publisher.
2. Mechanical errors can cause miscommunication. 
3. Mechanical errors can cause confusion. 
4. Mechanical errors can give an unprofessional appearance to publishers and readers.
5. Mechanical errors can be embarrassing.
6. Mechanical errors may cause readers to take you and your message less seriously. 
7. Mechanical errors can affect the sales of your book. 
8. Mechanical errors could cost you money. 
9. Mechanical errors can be distracting. 
10. Mechanical errors can give you a poor reputation. 

Professionalism Is Key

If you’re writing just for family and friends, it may not matter so much whether every comma is in exactly the right place or if you have a few typos here and there. But if you want to get your book published in today’s highly competitive commercial market, you need every edge you can get. If you expect people to buy what you write, you need to take the time to do it right.

If you have a hard time finding typos, inconsistencies, and “PUGS” errors in your writing, consider hiring a professional proofreader. If you go to www.ChristianEditor.com and fill out the form for Authors Seeking Editors, you’ll be connected with established, professional editors who can make your manuscript shine.

A comma may not save Grandma’s life. But a careful proofread might make a life-or-death difference for your manuscript.

If you haven't read Kathy's new book, I highly recommend it. What grammar problems do you find the most aggravating? 

~~~~

Kathy Ide, author of Proofreading Secrets of Best-Selling Authors, is a full-time freelance editor/mentor for new writers, established authors, and book publishers. She speaks at writers’ conferences across the country. She is the founder and director of The Christian PEN: Proofreaders and Editors Network and the Christian Editor Network. For more about Kathy, visit www.KathyIde.com. Or find Kathy Ide on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, ShoutLife, Goodreads, or Pinterest.

Order

Hey readers, Annette here on our final Grammar Wednesday. Watch for Ocieanna's return next week. We're excited!

Today let’s talk about order.

As an editor, I see the issue of order come up often. What do I mean?

Three hints: It’s something you read all the time in published books. If you’ve ever written dialogue, you’ve probably done it. And it’s sort of against the rules.

Note that last point. It is sort of against the rules. Other editors will disagree that it’s a problem, hence all the published books with this infraction. Ahem, I mean preference. ;)

So, consider my advice, but know your publisher will have their own position on this order issue.

So, what is it? See if you can find it in the following sentence.

Carol tightened her hold on the doorknob and said between clenched teeth, “I don’t care if they did say they’d take care of it. That’s your job. Now, get it done!”

Did you see it? Let me fix it and then maybe it’ll stand out more.

Carol tightened her hold on the doorknob. “I don’t care if they did say they’d take care of it,” she said between clenched teeth. “That’s your job. Now, get it done!”

Now it makes more sense, right? It’s the “said” before what was said.

Worse, is when the author writes how something sounded before it sounded. Like:

Carol softened her tone, “I can see your point. Just be sure it gets done.”

OR

Carol softened her tone. “I can see your point. Just be sure it gets done.”

The mention of Carol’s softened tone should occur after she speaks. You can’t tell us how something sounded before it sounds. (Please forgive my mixing of tenses there; that is what I meant to do.) So, the better way to say it is:

“I can see your point.” Carol softened her tone. “Just be sure it gets done.”

Make sense?

Now that I’ve brought this to your attention, you’ll probably see this order issue everywhere, and it may even become a pet peeve. Sorry about that. ;)

Write on, but don't forget about order.

Grammar Day – Writing Numbers

Welcome to Grammar Day at Seriously Write. Do you ever wonder whether you should use a numeral or spell out the number? Today, we’re going to look at rules and examples that will hopefully alleviate some confusion.

Rule 1: In books, spell out whole numbers one through one hundred, as well as round numbers.

Examples:    I would like three copies.

             I would like one hundred copies.

            I would like 101 copies.

In articles, spell out whole numbers below 10; use numbers for 10 and above.

Examples:    There are nine people on the team.

            There will be 12 people on the team.

           

Rule 2: Be consistent within a category.

Examples:    Out of 10 apples, I found 2 rotten ones.

                            Out of ten apples, I found two rotten ones.

Rule 3: If you have numbers in different categories, use numerals for one category and spell out the other.

Examples:   It takes 7 peaches to make one pie and 12 apples to

                          make two pies.

                          I purchased 15 tickets for my seven employees.

                         I have 10 toes but only two feet.

Rule 4: Spell out simple fractions and use hyphens with them.

Examples:   One-half of the casserole was eaten.

                          A two-thirds majority is required for that bill to pass.

Rule 5: A mixed fraction can be expressed in figures unless it’s the first word in a sentence.

Examples:    He cranked the wheel around 5 ½ times.

                            Five and one-half pieces of cake were left.

Rule 6: Write decimals in figures. Put a zero in front of a decimal unless the decimal itself begins with a zero.

Examples:    He moved the hook 0.55 inches to the right.

            Then he moved it .09 inches to the left.

Rule 7: Never start a sentence with a numeral.

Correct:        They sold 124 hotdogs.

Correct:        One hundred twenty-four hotdogs were sold.

Incorrect:    124 hotdogs were sold.

Rule 8: If you’re writing out decades with incomplete numerals, put an apostrophe before the incomplete numeral, but not between the year and the s.

Correct:        Do you prefer music from the ’80s or the ’90s?

Incorrect:   Do you prefer music from the ’80’s or the ’90’s?

           

The Chicago Manual of Style and the AP Stylebook were used as references.

Grammar Day

Do you ever take shortcuts when it comes to grammar? Hey everyone, Annette here. Rather than post another quiz today, I’ve decided to offer a touch of advice.

Sometimes I get a little lazy when I’m writing. Instead of looking up a word, I’ll choose another one if I’m unsure. Or instead of dislodging the hefty Chicago Manual of Style from the shelf beside me, I’ll rework the sentence into a format I know is correct. Can you relate with this?

But what kind of service are we doing for ourselves when we avoid tracking down the right word or the right way to format something?

That’s one of the reasons I’ve enjoyed doing Grammar day here on Seriously Write. I’d choose topics I was somewhat confident in and then research to make sure I presented them correctly. Now, I have the rule lodged in this overstuffed brain of mine (overly full because I’m trying to keep track of a million things at once, not so much about intelligence busting out--grin). So, hyphens, en dashes, and em dashes became a lot more familiar, because I took the time to both look them up and study them.

The other day I could not remember the word acronym. All I could think of was acrostic. So, after debating ways of discovering the answer, or replacing the word with something else, I grabbed my Flip Dictionary and tracked it down. Yay! Now I hope to remember it. ;)

So, let’s commit to this together. Next time we are tempted to take a shortcut where grammar is concerned, let’s invest the time in looking up the answer and memorizing it. We’re serving ourselves and our readers by growing in this area. Face it, grammar is a non-negotiable, unavoidable aspect of writing. Right? Don’t avoid it. Conquer it! And write on!

Grammar Quiz Wednesday

Welcome to grammar day on Seriously Write. Ready to test your skills? Today, we’re looking at some commonly misused words. Try not to look at the answers below.

Have fun!

Which word is correct?

1)      My friend learned how to paint with water colors by taking a coarse/course at the community college.

2)     After performing her solo in church last Sunday, Mary received a wonderful compliment/complement from the pastor.

3)     When trying to decide between two career paths, my niece sought council/counsel from her mentor, a favorite teacher.

4)     Grandma asked if we’d like apple pie, cheesecake, brownies, or carrot cake for dessert/desert.

5)     The remark made by the reporter at the scene of the accident sounded callous/callus.

6)     After sitting all day at the computer, it really felt good to take a break/brake.

7)     Karen strolled down the grocery aisle/isle looking for the whole wheat pasta.

8)     Before purchasing an older home, it would be wise to get advise/advice from a building inspector.

Corrected sentences:

1)      My friend learned how to paint with water colors by taking a course at the community college.

If something is coarse, it’s rough.

2)     After performing her solo in church last Sunday, Mary received a wonderful compliment from the pastor.

A complement is something that completes or goes well with something else.

3)     When trying to decide between two career paths, my niece sought counsel from her mentor, a favorite teacher.

A council is an advisory or legislative group of people.

4)     Grandma asked if we’d like apple pie, cheesecake, brownies, or carrot cake for dessert.

A desert is an arid region.

5)     The remark made by the reporter at the scene of the accident sounded callous.

A callus is hard, thickened area on skin.

6)     After sitting all day at the computer, it really felt good to take a break.

A brake is the part of a machine that slows it down or stops it.

7)      Karen strolled down the grocery aisle looking for the whole wheat pasta.

An isle is another term used for an island.

8)     Before purchasing an older home, it would be wise to get advice from a building inspector.

To advise is to suggest or recommend and is a verb.

Advice is a suggestion or recommendation and is a noun.

How well did you do?

Like anyone else, I’m not perfect. I use The Chicago Manual of Style, The Christian Writers Manual of Style, and Webster’s Dictionary as my sources.