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  Showing and Telling for Article Writers

  2340 readersWarning: I’m getting into realms that can send fiction writers to insane asylums – showing v. telling. Do you need to show rather than tell in non-fiction, as well? The answer, as with so many things in writing, is a definitive, “Sometimes.” (And that’s the case in fiction, as well!) The examples I provide in my

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  In Defense of Adverbs

  2406 readersEarlier this week, I discussed verbs in our “Parts of Speech” discussion. Verbs create the “meat” of our writing. In fiction, they move the plot forward. In articles and speechwriting, they tell the story. They’re the “do-ers.” If the adage “90 percent of the work is done by 10 percent of the people,” pertained to words,

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  Let’s Get to the Action: Verbs

  2575 readersThis post is the second in my series on “parts of speech.” Workshop teachers often instruct aspiring fiction writers to begin their stories: “in media reas” (in the middle of the action). Without verbs, a story would have no action. How dull would that be? Verbs – Verbs are action words. Nouns can “do” verbs. Dogs bark. Writers have

• Find the Right Word for the Job

  2048 readersOne of the most effective ways to achieve a rich, expressive writing style is to strive to find the ideal words to express yourself. Original Post: Find the Right Word for the Job Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.

• Adverbs Are Really Quite Acceptable

  4884 readersAdverbs are to verbs as adjectives are to nouns: They modify action words. However, they can also support other parts of speech, such as adjectives and other adverbs, as well as clauses and even entire sentences. Original Post: Adverbs Are Really Quite Acceptable Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.

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  More Words to Avoid in Freelance Writing

  3273 readersIf this isn’t a case of attracting what you want to avoid, I don’t know what is. Since I wrote about avoiding the word “And” to begin sentences, I’ve been finding places in my articles where it’s the best transition. And so… at the risk of finding future posts peppered with adverbs, I’m going to

• Coordinate and Noncoordinate Adjectives

  3542 readersAn adjective is a word that provides detail about, or modifies, a noun. Adjectives are sometimes confused with adverbs, which modify verbs. The -verb in adverb gives you a clue, as does the -ject in adjective -- just like the -ject in object: The names of objects are always nouns. Original Post: Coordinate and Noncoordinate

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  I Love You, Literally

  2032 readersMy head will literally explode if I hear one more person use the adverb “literally” incorrectly. It will be quite the mess to clean up. Fortunately, though, my brains will blend right in with the other off-white mushy substances (yogurt, oatmeal, aged banana) my toddler regularly spills on the floor. The tiles could probably use

• 5 Tips to Understand Hyphenated Words

  2294 readersThe complexity of rules about those little dashes that separate many words for various reasons causes so much misunderstanding that many writers just leave them out of the recipe or spill them randomly into the mixing bowl. Original Post: 5 Tips to Understand Hyphenated Words Your eBook: Click here to download the Basic English Grammar ebook.

• Bonds vs. Bounds

  4312 readersWhat’s the difference between a bond and a bound, and the relationships of the verb and adjective forms? Both words have to do with constraints, but the multiple meanings aren’t necessarily related. A bond is something that binds — literally, as with chains, or figuratively, as an agreement or a financial obligation — and the word