Questions

Over the years, writing experts have recognized that English writing skills are one of creative communication’s most essential ***?pects. ***?rthermore, today’s modern age of immediate communication has reinforced the requirement to write clearly, ***?lly, and compellingly.

 

True enough, creative writing is a process that must be given a lot of consideration and effort. First, you would have to identify your writing area. This must be a subject in which you find yourself at your most creative and thus, at your most constructive. This would vary from ***?rson to ***?rson. Some individuals would prefer to work with some music playing in the background; some prefer background chatter and movement, while some ****?ts total silence when they are writing.

 

The entire process would also involve finding the inspiration behind the piece, the writing itself, flowing with momentum, and completing. The final step is the editing part. This involves proofreading the text and making the necessary revisions. Revising is not a one-time task. The best writers revise their work ***?veral ***?mes, until they are completely satisfied with the final result. However, if you are not someone who has exceptional understanding of the grammar rules, the editing and revising part will pose much difficulty for you. You could employ the help of an expert, ****? this could be ***?me-consuming. Your best option is to make use of creative writing software.

 

Creative writing software greatly helps by ****?anizing your thoughts. It also offers inspiration and advice. It also suggests writing prompts that would get your mind whirring. Another benefit of this software is that it provides help in formatting *****?enplays, novels, and other creative writing forms. Some offer ***?nctionalities for text enrichment.

With the grammatical ***?pect, you would be provided ***.stance in checking the spelling, punctuation usage, and grammatical compositions. The ***?ntences you have created will be checked and revised accordingly so that they will become fluent, clean, and accurate. Confusing ***?ntences and redundant paragraphs will be dealt with accordingly. This software makes use of a mechanism that attempt to simulate the human mind by reading the written text carefully, ****.zing it, and then “fixing” it in accordance with an advanced ***?lf-learning algorithm. Some programs work by suggesting corrections ***? you type the text. They offer better modes of paragraph development, suggest better ***?ntence structures, point out redundant ideas, and observe proper rhetoric. Therefore, our text becomes easier to read and understand. Not only will your writing become more comprehendible, ****? you will also improve you English writing and speaking knowledge and skills by being exposed repeatedly to your common lapses. Thus, it also ***.sts greatly in character development because you would become more confident with your writing. Moreover, free trials are often offered, so you can get to ***?miliarize yourself first with how the mechanism works before you actually purchase the software.

By having something that will automatically identify and correct common errors in writing, you get to upgrade your skills. Without a doubt, creative writing software will provide all the help you need if you ****?t all your writings to be professional, clear, understandable and error-free.

 

 


- Jane Sumerset

sorry about spelling
- nicole m

Before I was asked to step in as publisher for the romance imprint of a small press, I spent a considerable amount of time reviewing submissions for publication. Today, of course, I do even more of that, but now there is more at stake.

As a reader, I provided honest opinions on potential works for our house, and helped the publisher to determine which works suited our needs. Of those works, we pared the lot down further by determining which works did not require practical re-writes to fix the obvious errors in grammar, spelling, and structure.

As a publisher, this job becomes more important to me, because I have the final say regarding a submission’s fate. Naturally, when an author sends me a novel, I expect to receive the cleanest, best edited draft possible. For me to accept a manuscript that needs a lot of work, despite the quality of the plot and characterization, can be costly in the long run. Ultimately it is my dream, and arguably the dream of any publisher and editor, to receive manuscripts that require little work.

Does this mean I expect everybody to turn in To Kill A Mockingbird or Gone With the Wind caliber work on the first try? Of course not. Some of our best-selling authors needed quite a bit of work before they were sent out into the world. It is my hope, as I continue to read final drafts, that authors will be able to master a few elements of grammar and structure that may easily be missed.

Mind you, I have made these same mistakes myself, and with conditioning and the help of some great editors I am proud to say I am a better writer now than I was ten years ago.

What follows below is a brief listing of my personal top offenders, rules that may be easily abided to lessen a publisher’s frustration.

1) “That” and “Who” - This is more of a personal pet peeve than an actual grammatical error. Depending on which reports on style you read, it is acceptable to use “that” in place of “who” in certain circumstances. For example:

“Charlie was the one that referred me to the clinic,” said Shelley.

No doubt you have seen many instances of “that” used in this way. While not incorrect, it can be distracting for the anal retentive editor or publisher. In a perfect world, I would prefer to see the sentence read:

“Charlie was the one who referred me to the clinic,” said Shelley.

Or:

“That’s the guy who referred me to the clinic,” said Shelley.

As you reread your manuscript for errata, take the time to look for such instances. Strengthen your grammar and you may have a chance at strengthening your ability to write in an editor’s mind.

2) “Suppose” - I see this one often. I don’t know if the constant misuse of this word is attributed to society, but I would tend to think so. We live in a fast-food age: everybody talks fast, moves fast, and unfortunately thinks too fast. Haste indeed makes waste, particularly if you are breezing through a story and not taking the time to self-edit. Suppose is one word that is often overlooked. I can’t tell you how many times I have seen this error:

“She was suppose to meet me here,” said Paul.

Maybe it’s because people write by ear, they write what they hear. People talk quickly, and voices slur. Supposed becomes suppose by default.

“She was supposed to meet me here,” said Paul. This is how you are supposed to write the sentence.

3) “It’s” and “Its” - It’s true. I wouldn’t be writing about this common error if is wasn’t, well, so common. Soundly trouncing you’re/your in the Top 10 All-Time Contraction Errors is this set of small words. Sadly, it can make for huge errata if it’s not handled early in your manuscript. To review:

It’s - a contraction, meaning “it is” - “It’s nice to see you,” said Marsha. “I think it’s going to be a wonderful day.”

Its - a possessive pronoun - “The dog is sick. I have its medication,” said George. “Poor thing lifted its head and could barely bark.”

A tricky set, but one worth a closer look in edits.

4) The Mirror Rule - This common error in fiction writing can be difficult to track, but rest assured it will be easier to spot as you improve your line editing skills. The Mirror Rule primarily concerns character description, in particular eye color. Consider this passage:

Paul clenched his fists, angry to think Sheila deceived him. “How could you do this to me?” Paul cried, his blue eyes flashing with anger.

Now, you can probably deduce that the passage is being told from Paul’s point of view, therefore the reader sees everything Paul sees. Therefore, it stands to reason that Paul cannot see his own eyes, and the sentence should not describe them. Logically, we would think that Paul knows what color his eyes are, but in this context the passage is considered in correct.

From Paul’s point of view, we can learn other attributes like shoe size or weight, but for the reader to learn eye color it will have to be from somebody else:

Sheila held her breath and tried not to cry. She had never seen Paul so angry before, and it showed in his flashing blue eyes.

This is a more proper way to get the visual across.

5) Just say “said”

I have probably seen every possible verb used to enhance dialogue. In one story alone, the heroine scowled, growled, purred, cooed, guffawed, snorted, cackled, chuckled, cried, wailed, moaned, groaned, smirked, smiled, laughed, wheezed, breathed, whispered, and howled. Then she came up for air and started from the top.

I do understand that authors will throw such verbiage in the mix to break the monotony of “he said, she said.” In some instances, using such a word can add emotion to a scene that a reader might otherwise not see. The words, too, can help develop quirks in a character that stretch throughout a story and enhance realism. That said, there is also such a thing as going overboard.

Novelist Elmore Leonard once wrote in a list of advice to writers to use only “said” when qualifying dialogue. I would tend to agree, though I am not adverse to the occasional guffaw. When the howling and scowling becomes too much and too distracting, though, it’s time to tone it down a bit.

6) Repeats

In order to make for smoother narrative, one thing I look out for when editing a manuscript is constant repetition of words within a short space. Consider this passage:

Sheila checked the hallway and found it was devoid of people. Where had everybody gone? She crept slowly to the last door and peered inside, seeing the classroom was also devoid of life.

Here, “devoid” is used twice in one short paragraph. Such a word is not wholly common in narrative to begin with, and to use it in this way can be a bit distracting to readers. Consider this alternative:

Sheila checked the hallway and found it was devoid of people. Where had everybody gone? She crept slowly to the last door and peered inside, seeing the classroom was also empty.

As you go over your manuscript, be sure to check for these instances. Sometimes writers tend to favor one word over another and use it to death. It is a practice that could be detrimental to your writing. Hopefully, though, an editor worth his salt can ease you into using a better variety of words.

While this should not be considered a definitive article on improving your manuscript for submission, these six tips will hopefully get you on the right track toward improved narrative and dialogue in your novel. The more improvements you make before submission, the better your chances of picking up an editor or publisher to work with you. Above all, keep writing!


- Kathryn Lively

Hello, we are working on a red iron management system that will track testing of industrial flowline products. We would like to call this system “Iron Man” for short but I’m not sure if Marvel would sue our asses for it. We would not be using the spelling “Iron-Man”, feature the character at all and would not even sell it as a service. This system is for use by employees.

I can’t wait weeks to get a response from Marvel so I am asking here if I should even attempt it or just move on to a new name.

Thanks.
- Shawn T

One of the greatest challenges of writing a book is staying motivated throughout the project—this is something every writer struggles with at one time or another. And that’s okay. No one can stay focused 100 percent of the time. What’s important is that you stay committed to writing your book and you know how to re-motivate yourself when you feel like setting the project aside.

When you feel your inspiration waning, consider the following ways to snap out of it and stay motivated to write your book.

1. Just WRITE!

The best way to overcome a lack of writing motivation is to write—just put your head down and plow through. Don’t worry about whether or not your words are perfect because you have to go back and revise later. If you’re not sure about things like grammar and spelling, don’t worry about it until the book is finished. A good editor can go back and tell you how to fix the writing. In the beginning, focus on getting your thoughts on paper or on the screen and organizing them.

2. Get Help

Don’t be afraid to ask for help to stay motivated. If you haven’t written a book before you might need to hire a writing coach or read some books about writing to get started and stay on track. If you need help and don’t get it then you’ll be more likely to give up on the book, and if you give up on the book you could be giving up on a brand new career or a great new income stream for your business—or a hobby that you might really enjoy. So whatever you do, don’t give up on writing your book.

3. Communicate Your Challenges

Sometimes, just sharing your struggles with motivation can help you overcome them. One way to do this is start a blog and write about the process of writing the book. Your blog reader’s comments and support will help keep you motivated to write and make sure you meet your deadlines—you won’t want to disappoint your following. You also will have an audience of readers ready to buy your book the minute it’s finished if you cultivate supporters during the writing process.

4. Keep Your Eye on the Prize

If you’re stuck on the writing, think about how great it will feel to finish your book—and imagine what you’ll do with the money that you make from your book. You can expand your business, go on an exotic vacation, treat yourself to a luxury spa weekend, buy a house, buy a car, or thousands of other things. Writing for the pleasure of writing is great. But when writing doesn’t feel pleasurable anymore, it helps to think about book sales—and there’s nothing wrong with that, especially if it keeps you writing.

5. It’s Not Just About You

Another great way to get motivated is to think about how your book will benefit others, which is an underlying desire almost every aspiring writer possesses. Sharing your experiences might really help someone else who is in the same situation that you were, so let the satisfaction of helping others motivate you to keep writing your book.

Staying Motivated in the Future

Motivation comes and goes. The key to completing your book successfully is to recognize when you need a motivational kick in the pants and take action. When you feel like setting your book project aside, consider these strategies for overcoming your motivational challenges—your future success as a writer may depend on it.


- Melinda Copp

Hay i formily asked about a how to come up with a name for my charicter in a book and now i got one (Arton im not shure but i think it will work) so i then wrote about 8 pages then was totaly struck with writers block and now i dont know what do do. What should i do to get past my Writers Block and stuff? Eragon was my insperation for continuing to write my book, (i started writing it like 2 years ago) and stuff but i finished the 3 books and now i dont know what to write since i have finished reading them and i am out of ideas and stuff. What do i do?
Hay i formily asked about a how to come up with a name for my charicter in a book and now i got one (Arton im not shure but i think it will work) so i then wrote about 8 pages then was totaly struck with writers block and now i dont know what do do. What should i do to get past my Writers Block and stuff? Eragon was my insperation for continuing to write my book, (i started writing it like 2 years ago) and stuff but i finished the 3 books and now i dont know what to write since i have finished reading them and i am out of ideas and stuff. What do i do?

srry about the bad spelling and stuff lol i dont spell well when i write fast
- isaac

English writing software - Software can’t match the quality of a manual proof read? Wrong. English writing software can now instantly simplify all of your writing tasks. English writing software can make your life easier in many ways. English writing software can now instantly simplify all of your writing tasks. English writing software uses a technology called NLP (Natural Language Processing), which reads your whole sentences in context, unlike an ordinary spell checker, which only words single words. Reading in context is important, because without context a spell checker can’t tell if you mean “their” or “there,” as both are words in English.

English writing software is the patent-pending solution which automatically works with all text based tools, easily correcting all grammatical, spelling, punctuation or any other writing errors.

Use it for: Essay Writing, Medical writing, Article Writing, Creative Writing, Email, Instant Messaging, Business Writing, Letter Writing, Social Media, Blogging, Legal writing and much, much more.

For people who must write a great deal, whether for school or work, English writing software can help to teach you to naturally improve your writing. It’s like having a virtual writing teacher built into your computer. English is actually not one of the easiest languages in the world, even for native speakers. Here are five ways it may be able to help you.

1. If you are in business and must send out correspondences, emails, reports and other information, you want your writing to be clear, correct and professional. This will enable people to better understand your communications. It will also improve your image as someone who writes well and clearly.

2. English writing software can help increase your creativity as a writer, as in addition to correcting mistakes, it also acts as a thesaurus and suggests different words, such as descriptive adverbs and adjectives. This makes your writing more interesting and versatile.

3. If English is not your first language but you have a need to communicate clearly in this language, this is the perfect solution for you. You can write down the basic ideas of what you need to say, while the software will read and correct your mistakes and suggest alternatives.

4. If you spend time rewriting or editing your reports or other correspondences, English writing software can save you a lot of time by automating these tedious tasks.

5. When you make mistakes in your writing and people notice it, it can have a negative effect in the way they think of you. If you are in business, trying to sell something, attempting to persuade someone of something, or even if you are just writing social emails, isn’t it better to be seen as someone who is well educated and can write well.

When you write letters or emails, you can do so faster and with more confidence, as English writing software will correct your mistakes and suggest better word usage, much like a thesaurus. If you have to do much writing, for any reason at all, English writing software can help you to communicate faster and more effectively.


- Jane Sumerset