All Blog Posts Tagged 'write' (13)

Why I Write?… A blog by Julius J.E. Thompson.

       Sometimes, I put myself in the psyche of a reader who scrolls over the book list on the Amazon website or stroll down the Barnes & Nobles’ bookstore isle.…

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I am sure you writers will agree, there are many reasons we like to write. For me, the first reason is that it's my "outlet". It's the way I resolve things in my own mind. Sometimes it comes out in a short story. At other times it comes out in a song or poetry or in a blog post.  (See a video of a song I wrote below)

I call my self a creative writer. I mainly like…

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Active and Passive Voice: When you are active, you do something. When you are passive, things happen to you. This is the same concept as the active and passive voice in sentences.

In the active voice, the subject performs the action described by the main verb. In the passive voice, the action described by the main verb is done to the subject.

Example D.1a, active voice: “The service…

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Commas are confusing because they are used in many ways. However, the basic principle to using commas is simple: Use commas to separate clauses and phrases within sentences that have their own meaning.

The “rules” for commas below are broadly, but not universally, accepted. However, a careful writer considers two central issues:

• Reader understanding and
• Consistency.…

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You have two adjectives together. Do you or don’t you put a comma between them? If they are coordinate adjectives, you do. This follows Zen Comma Rule P.

Comma Rule P: Put a Comma between Coordinate Adjectives.

Definition of Coordinate Adjectives. Adjectives are…

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I have just finished writing an intense cliffhanger of an ending to my second Redcliffe novel Love Kills. It was amazing! Having finished editing a separate manuscript, I was thinking about what needed to be done on my current WIP. I had written the first draft of Love Kills, but was unhappy with the way I had finished it. There had to be more.

Well it seems that my muse agreed, and all day today, while doing my menial household chores, the story has unfolded…

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When I was in college, I worked behind the front desk of a major hotel. Directly across the lobby was the hotel bar, a small, dark lounge with the bar counter on the opposite side and a stage at one end. George Thorogood, when he stayed at the hotel, would sit at the far end of the counter, next to the stage. 

Connie, the bartender, once told me that her job was to…

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The basic principal for writing about complex subjects is to do the work necessary so that the reader can understand you easily. Of course, your first task is to make sure you understand your own ideas. As Einstein said, “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” With this in mind, here are three strategies to help you write clearly about complex…

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        Electronic Books, the entertaining way to save our beautiful trees, which are one of nature's most amazing gifts. Electronic books and their amazing digital readers are stampeding around the world like billions of Texas cattle, and it's just the beginning. Compared to the new growth of a mighty oak tree, proudly spurting out of the ground; however, this oak tree is technologically energized, and it'll be a thousand feet tall within another year.…

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                     Jumping in the car (well....van), cranking the music, and going for a long drive, is one of my favorite things to do. With no errands to run or destination in mind, I feel free--happy. My kids quiet, my mind clears, and I can think to the beat of the music while I delight in the view of the valleys, streams and farms. I love to discover new places and the…

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Commas in Series

First, two correct examples of sentences using the serial comma.

1. The toy was red [comma] round [comma] and heavy.

2. I purchased pickles at the store [comma] gas at the convenience store [comma] and flowers at the florist for my beautiful wife.

 

RULE A

Separate every item in a series with a comma.

 

Series: A series is a string of three or more…

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Anyone who writes will most likely tell you taking on the challenge of writing a novel can be more frustrating than you might think at first. In fact, you might be able to get through 1-1/2, maybe 2 chapters before you realize the extent of research, editing, more research, more editing you have to do before your 1st manuscript is completed. That's where the fun really begins because after you read your first copy in manuscript form you realize you have even more changes required before you get… Continue