Category: Grammar and Editing
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Good Characterization Requires a Little Mystery
What makes a character in a book or a movie memorable? What makes the character interesting? Sometimes what attracts us to someone is a bit of a mystery, and good characterization requires a little mystery too. Seeking the Carnivalesque In the screenplay book I’m reading, Writing the Character-Centered Screenplay by Andrew Horton, the author uses the term…
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Commonly Misused, Misspelled Words and Phrases
Spell check doesn’t necessarily catch words that are spelled correctly but chosen incorrectly. Here’s a list of some of the most common I’ve found in my editing experience. (Written in a certain vein, because vampires need proper grammar too.) accept/except: Of course I’ll accept (agree with, allow) your tongue at my throat. After the summer…
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Grammar: Which vs. That
For proper grammar, think about how you’re using the words which vs. that. Essential or NonessentialGenerally, the word which introduces a clause that is not essential to understand the meaning of the sentence (nonessential) and can be set off with commas. The word that generally introduces an essential clause, which is needed to understand the…
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How Genre Influences the Story
The instigating event: She walks with her sister down the apartment complex sidewalk. In the green, four teen boys bat a volleyball around. They look; she looks. She talks quickly to her sister about their visit. Rapid talk. And while her mouth says things like, “She looks healthy, happy.” Her mind says, “Hot boys. Don’t…
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Show, Don’t Tell: Another Look
“Show, don’t tell.” All writers have heard the importance of learning this technique. But good writing isn’t as easy as following a list of ten rules. In too many blog tips and how-to lists, the concept has become oversimplified to a quick-and-easy fix, as if changing an adverb to an action fulfills the quest for…