Friday, January 5, 2007
Kind Of Write This Way? No. It's Sort Of A Mistake
“I kind of like John.” “I sort of would like to go to the dance with Beulah.” Fearing disapproval, disagreement, or, in this case, rejection, we protect ourselves by “qualifying” what we say. That way, if John doesn’t like us in return or if Beulah doesn’t want to go to the dance with us, we’re not...
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Wednesday, December 27, 2006
The Bible Has This To Say About Good Writing
A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver--- Proverbs 25:11.
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Sunday, December 24, 2006
Yes, Virginia, There Is A Santa Claus--- The original
By Francis P. Church, first published in The New York Sun in 1897. [See The People’s Almanac, pp. 1358–9.] We take pleasure in answering thus prominently the communication below, expressing at the same time our great gratification that its faithful author is numbered among the friends of The Sun:...
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Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Seeing The Humor In Spammers And Scammers OR "Hi It Jaswolf"
A constant source of amusement for me (I’m easily amused) is the spam and scam material that I receive from people who obviously do not speak English and yet want to appear as if they do. For much of the spam, it’s obvious that these scumbags get their material from the same source. For example, all...
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Saturday, December 16, 2006
This Is The Way The Freelance Writing Business Works
I was in Las Vegas, attending a trade show for one of my writing specialties. I was there to learn about the latest products, of course. But I also was there to meet people. And I did. A friend, who works in advertising, introduced me to an editor who was looking for writers. We exchanged cards and...
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Tuesday, December 12, 2006
That's The Groom? Then That Brown Stuff On His Hands Must Be . . .
So, you say that after the wedding you shook hands with the groom. Hmmmm. I do hope that he washed his hands before coming in from the stable. Earlier in the day, I saw him shoveling... And why was that fellow who takes care of your horses standing in the reception line anyway? Perhaps you meant the...
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Thursday, December 7, 2006
Another Chilly Language Lesson With Gratuitous Sexual Innuendo
Barry White provided seductive stylings in the background. Firelight cast a romantic glow in the otherwise darkened room. She leaned into me and pressed her full, warm breast against my arm. I felt the nipple harden, as did a portion of my anatomy. Her big brown eyes sparkled with innocence but...
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Monday, December 4, 2006
Beautiful But Brutal Part One---- Illustrated
Three inches of freezing rain fell in my area on Thursday, Nov. 30, and Friday, Dec. 1. It put a crystal glaze on everything and the weight of all that ice brought down power lines and broke trees, which toppled even more lines. About 500,000 homes have been without power for one length of time or...
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Sunday, December 3, 2006
Sometimes, Writing Is Child's Play OR See Through Others' Eyes
I just finished my second assignments for young readers. One article was for teen-agers. The other was for readers ages 7-9. In offering me this work, my editor said, “I like the way you ‘speak’ to kids at their level.” Hmmmm. Some might wonder about that comment, especially former female companions...
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Thursday, November 30, 2006
What Does It Take To Succeed As A Writer? Here's My Theory:
In a earlier post, Macphilips made a good point about what it takes to become a successful (published) writer. Here’s what he said: “We all are talented, but not many are skilled. Acquiring skills is a combination of talent, education, and experience.” I’ve written all around that idea in previous...
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