I’ve been trying to do my own thing for almost three years. My path has been filled with missteps, restarts, and shifts in direction. I sometimes wonder if more knowledge could have prevented some of those things. Most of the time, I recognize that where I am now would not be possible without the route I took. It may have been the harder, more circuitous one, but it was the only one I had.
Write Right
Write Right: Of versus Have
I confess: I stopped reading a blog post the other day because the author wrote “could of” instead of “could have.” It’s one of those errors that stops me in my tracks. The part of me that is an ultra-critical editor comes to the fore. It begins to nitpick other small errors in a post. I usually decide I have had enough of my critical sensibilities and leave a post before I can become unreasonably irate.
Why Do You Obsess about the Writing Rules?
“Why do you obsess about the writing rules?” The question wasn’t phrased exactly like that, but it was asked of me. I was asked why I’m concerned with the writing rules.
I had to pause before answering. The rules are so innate (even though I don’t and won’t ever know them all) that I can’t recall when I became fascinated with them. I know they weren’t always a part of it; like anyone else, I had to learn the building blocks of sentences. I learned new spelling and vocabulary words, diagrammed sentences, memorized prepositions. Even then I enjoyed the way words sounded and the way they could be put together to form sentences, paragraphs, and stories. Did the rules become a part of my writing life during those years?
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Write Right: Anxious or Eager
The other day, I read that someone was anxious to see Andrea Bocelli in concert. The word choice gave me pause. I only feel anxious when I have to see the dentist or the doctor. I do not feel anxious when I am going to see one of my favorite singers. I feel eager.
Changes at Write Right: An Introduction
The new year tends to be the time when people make resolutions and changes. I’ve never been one for making resolutions – I view them as empty promises – so the changes I’ll be implementing at Write Right actually have their start in November. I’ve delayed announcing the changes because of the holidays and some final details.
Write Right: Assure, Ensure, and Insure
I’ve surely used too many words with the “sure” sound. I know; bad joke. It helps to make a Write Right post easier to bear, though, doesn’t it?