Friday, March 2, 2007
Just Back To Say Hi And Good-Bye--- Best Wishes To All, Especially To
Those With Determination To Be Writers. I'm signing off here effective Monday, March 5. I am maintaining a page at Yahoo 360-- http://360.yahoo.com/my_profile-JvSsYIAjdKQSKXd10bsmU71DrQ--?cq=1 If you're interested, I hope that link will get you there. Just in case, my Yahoo ID is "Rotico." Even if...
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Sunday, January 28, 2007
I'm Outta Here--- At Least For Now--- And Thanks For The Cheese
I'll probably not be posting anymore here at Blogit--- not that anyone will notice by this time, since I've already been away for three weeks. But just wanted to make it official. I still have about 1 1/2 months left on my subscription, so I might be back. Don't want to ever say "never." The main...
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Friday, January 5, 2007
Could Of, Should Of, Would Of--- And Their Misuse OR This Is For You, Dave
At Dave's request, here's a quick lesson regarding the misuse of a preposition as a verb. “I should of gone with you.” What’s wrong with that? What’s wrong is that “of” is a preposition, not a helping verb. What you should write is, “I should have gone with you.” Or, “I should’ve gone with you.”...
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Thursday, January 4, 2007
Slopping Speech Leads To Sloppy Writing OR Than Again . . .
“Then” and “than” share a similar sound, especially when not spoken clearly. I believe that’s the reason so many people misuse them in their writing. But whatever the reason, their misuse is all too common. What usually happens is that “then” is used when “than” should be. For example: “I would...
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Friday, December 29, 2006
Illiteracy 'Runs Rapid' In Today's World OR Bob Dylan Was Right
Here’s more evidence that media are leading the way in destruction of effective communication through the written word: “Movie piracy runs rapid in China, India... “ That’s a Fox News Channel headline that appeared on the screen during a segment about how much money studios are losing because of...
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Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Oop's! OR The Decline And Fall of Good Writing Skills
Twenty-five percent (2.5 out of 10) people ages 18-24 can’t find Louisiana on a map. Forty percent (4 out of 10) can’t find Mississippi. And 60 percent (6 out of 10) have no idea where Iraq is. I have included numbers as well as percentages for those who are as unschooled about math as many...
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Sunday, December 24, 2006
The Night Before Christmas
When I was 3 years old, I recited the following at a church Christmas program. Years later, I still remember it word for word. Merry Christmas, Jazwolf. by Clement Clarke Moore 'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse; The stockings...
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Friday, December 22, 2006
Intolerance Is Important Key For Writing Success OR Blood, Sweat And Tears
The difference between so-so writers and great writers is the tolerance they have for mediocrity. While I heartily endorse the sentiment, I can’t take credit for the quote. It belongs to Ana Menendez, a columnist for the Miami Herald newspaper. I'd add that many of us who aren't great don't accept...
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Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Oh, No! Not The Monkies OR Wake Up Sleepy Jean And Learn To Spell
Here’s a headline that appeared on an e-mail newsletter that I received recently. I’ve included a bit of the story to satisfy your curiosity. Puerto Rican Farmers Literally Want the Monkies Off Their Backs May 03, 2006 -- A group of angry farmers is gathered in this small town to talk about this...
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Friday, December 15, 2006
Include These Two Timeless Ingredients In Your Writing, Especially Fiction
Whenever you decide to write something, no matter what the subject, no matter who the readers, consider the following two themes and how you can incorporate one or both. They are universal and timeless. Write about conflict: man versus man, man versus nature, man versus himself. Write about being in...
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