“It is. I’m holed up in the security office if you ever want to stop by.” “My section is on the other side of the mall. You know, that part by Santa. Why do parents have to go all insane? Why can’t everyone just stay calm and have a good time anymore? It’s all about … Continue reading For by Grace TIDBITS!
writingtips
To continue on romance…
In my current novel, from the first few chapters, it should be pretty obvious that this is NOT a romance novel. I work with a website called Project Team Beta to find my beta readers and editors. This is the third novel that I have pushed through their site and it might possibly be the … Continue reading To continue on romance…
Grammar Wednesday: COMMA SPLICE–Semi-colon
A semi-colon is used as a way to separate the two independent clauses more than just a comma and coordinating conjunction. A semi-colon has a firmer break in the thoughts. A comma and coordinating conjunction is like a California stop (or a rolling stop) at a stop sign, and the semi-colon is like a full … Continue reading Grammar Wednesday: COMMA SPLICE–Semi-colon
Wrongs compounded by wrongs…
I wasn't ever planning on writing this post, but after reading a chapter and editing it for someone, I feel it's absolutely necessary. So, here we go. WRITERS! YOU NEED TO DO YOUR RESEARCH! Okay, whew! I said it. Here's the thing. It's okay to elaborate and to expand, and yes, to use hyperbole, but … Continue reading Wrongs compounded by wrongs…
The Next Big Thing: Blog Hop March 20, 2013
Hey y'all (yes, I've been living in Texas far too long). This is a blog hop. Don't know what that is? Good, I didn't either for a bit. Basically, this is a way to learn about some awesome and cool indie authors. I answer a few questions and give them a shout-out! I want to … Continue reading The Next Big Thing: Blog Hop March 20, 2013
Grammar Wednesday: COMMA SPLICE–coordinating conjunction
Our new grammatical issue to look at, for the next five weeks or so, is the comma splice. Are you ready? This one has been the bane of my existence since my early college years. My prof would go through and take red marker to ALL my comma splices, and let me tell you, that … Continue reading Grammar Wednesday: COMMA SPLICE–coordinating conjunction
Grammar Wednesday: COMMA–sequence of events/lists
Welcome! Guess what?! This is the last week on commas! Oh my! Unless someone really doesn't understand one of the rules or I feel there needs to be a reprise. We're done! (Yes, why I do believe I overused my exclamation quota for the day.) Sequences of events and lists are very similar in nature. … Continue reading Grammar Wednesday: COMMA–sequence of events/lists
Grammar Wednesday: COMMA–direct salutation
Direct salutations occur mainly in dialogue when one character is calling another by a specific name. Now, this can be the name of the character or a nickname. Either way, it is considered a direct salutation. I will also tag on identifying characters in this. The commas go on either side of the name. When … Continue reading Grammar Wednesday: COMMA–direct salutation
Grammar Wednesday: Comma–parenthetical phrase
A parenthetical is easy. If it could go into parenthesis, a.k.a if it makes not difference to the meaning behind the sentence, but you still want it there, then it is a parenthetical phrase. EXAMPLE: 1. Bobby went out to the bar, which he did a lot, and had so many beers he couldn't drive … Continue reading Grammar Wednesday: Comma–parenthetical phrase
Grammar Wednesday: COMMA–participle phrase
Participle phrases can be a bit tricky. Basically, if you have a sentence with an "ing" word in it, you need to pay attention to what's going on! A participle is a verb that acts and pretends to be an adjective. It modifies the noun. So, now that I've probably confused you with the lingo, … Continue reading Grammar Wednesday: COMMA–participle phrase
Fucking Fucks! (Cursing in exposition)
I need to preface this post with the fact that I am NOT against cursing in books. So, I am NOT against cursing in books. Have you every seen the movie "Good Will Hunting"? I read something recently where it started to turn into that movie. For the first ten pages there were no curse … Continue reading Fucking Fucks! (Cursing in exposition)
Writing brings people together…
Yesterday, I spent the day at the Dallas Sci-fi Expo/Comic con. It was an amazing experience. I met actors from my favorite TV shows, friends from twitter, and hung out with general geeks like me! Aside from the general grandeur, what amazed me the most was how writing brings people together. I went with a … Continue reading Writing brings people together…
Hearing about an unpubbed writer who replies to rejections with reasons why the editor/agent is wrong.
This is one of my favorite tumblr pages of all time. Granted, I don't really tumblr, but if you're an author or aspiring to be one, these posts are HILARIOUS! Hearing about an unpubbed writer who replies to rejections with reasons why the editor/agent is wrong..
Grammar Wednesday: COMMA–compound sentence
A compound sentence is made of two independent clauses. That means, in the basics, each part of the sentence can stand alone as a sentence itself. My FAVORITE example for this is from Katy Perry. "I kissed a girl, and I liked it." "I kissed a girl." and "I liked it." can both stand alone … Continue reading Grammar Wednesday: COMMA–compound sentence
Simple Advice
I am what most people consider somewhat prolific. I produce a lot of story over a little amount of time. This is particularly true for someone who is a full-time graduate student. This also comes from what are considered amateurs, though I consider myself an amateur so there is little distinction in my book. People … Continue reading Simple Advice
February Goals!
February is fast and coming. AKA THAT'S TOMORROW! Yikes! I have two goals for Feb. I'm changing it up from my original goals because I need the help. So I have two goals, aside from my general school studies and actually being up-to-date with my readings. 1. Write my super secret project 2. Edit "Dying … Continue reading February Goals!
Grammar Wednesday: COMMA–dialogue tag
To start off my "Grammar Wednesday," I figured I would start with commas. They seem to be one of the biggest issues with the aspiring authors and current writers that I beta and edit for. Now, there are five or six basic rules for commas. I'm going to do one a week. THIS WEEK: dialogue … Continue reading Grammar Wednesday: COMMA–dialogue tag
Things to know when writing…
- You will always offend someone. - You will never please all your readers. - You can only fully satisfy yourself, but only if you are lucky. - Write how you want it to be written. If you don't agree with changes that the publisher or editor are making, find a new one, even though … Continue reading Things to know when writing…
Adrian J. Smith 