Author Archives: storytellergirlgrace

The Nitty-Gritty of Writing: Frequently Misspelled Words

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This subject could be novel-length—or at least long enough for several blog posts—but I’m going to cover just a select few words that I often see misspelled or misused. I encounter these a lot, whether it be the quick Facebook comment where spelling doesn’t matter as much, or the story or blog post by a professional where correct usage does matter.

Alright: This is not actually a word at all. The correct spelling is all right—two words. It is used in place of okay, such as “All right, Joe, we’ll do it your way,” or “What happened to you? Are you all right?”

It’s not related to the word already, which seems to be the popular belief, judging by the common usage of alright. Already and all ready have two different meanings: “Is it time to go already? Wow, time went fast,” versus “Are you all ready to go?”

But all right stands alone, as a two-word phrase.

Then/Than: Both of these are perfectly legitimate words, but I see them mixed up all the time.

Then is most commonly an adverb, and describes time or an order of events. It’s also used in a cause and effect scenario. “I took a shower, and then went to bed,” or “If you drop that bowl, then it will shatter.”

Than is primarily a conjunction, and is used as a comparison word. “I like turkey more than chicken” or “She is older than her brother.”

The most common misuse I see of “than” is it being used in the cause and effect-type of sentence, like “If Stan wants to talk to me, than he will call me.”

And similarly, I see “then” being misused as a comparison word, such as “I like apples more then oranges.”

If you’re not sure how to keep the words straight, then take a moment to analyze the sentence. If the sentence involves time in any way, it’s probably going to use “then.” If it’s a comparison of any sort, “than” is usually a safe bet.

Ya’ll: This is not a word either. The correct spelling is y’all.

First, a quick definition for anyone who doesn’t live in the American south—y’all means “you guys,” as in more than one person. It’s a contraction of “you all.”

The apostrophe indicates that there is a letter taken out—same as in words like don’t (do not) or it’s (it is). In this case, it’s the –ou taken out of you. Spelled ya’ll, it makes no sense.

And also remember, it’s a plural word. Y’all should not be used if one person is talking to one other person, unless the speaker is talking about a group of more than one. If you’re writing a story with a character from the American south, make sure that you don’t use this word if the character is having a one-on-one conversation with someone.

Correct: “Hey, Sammy, are you coming over tonight?” (Sammy alone has been invited)

or,

“Hey, Sammy, are y’all coming over tonight?” (correct only if it has been revealed earlier that Sammy, his wife, and his son have all been invited. In this case, the context indicates that Sammy is representing his whole family)

Incorrect: (romantic moment between guy and gal)—“So, Clara, do y’all love me?” (romantic moment turns disturbing here. Does Clara have someone else living inside her?)

I hope this helps to clear up some confusion about some of those troublesome words!

The ABCs of My Awesome Life

Posted in Music, Movies, and other Muses, Writings about Writing by

I totally stole this idea from The Magic Violinist. She has a great blog, so pop on over there (after you’re done reading my blog, of course!) So in this post, I reveal many deep secrets (or not) about myself, in alphabetical order.

Ambition: My ambition is to be a successful author. What makes a successful author? Having ten loyal fans? A hundred? A bazillion? Dunno. But I’ll start my journey of success by getting published first (hopefully by the end of this year/early next year).

Bad Habits: Sleeping late. Personally, I don’t consider this a bad habit unto itself—except that the world is run by morning people, so I wind up looking lazy by trying to sleep in till a decent hour.

Celebrity Crushes: That guy who played Hawkeye in Avengers. And the guy who played Thor. I don’t keep up with celebrities, and I’m too lazy to go look up the actors’ names. But who doesn’t like hunky superheroes?

Drink: XS Energy drink. I’m not an energy drink fan, really, but since XS is more of a nutritional drink than a standard “energy” drink, I’m all about it. Lots of flavors to chose from, too. Which is good, because I like variety.

Education: Always. I have a college degree, but I don’t think that education should be defined by the number of schools attended or the certificates on your wall. If you read, or connect with new people, or basically live life with your eyes open, you’re learning (or you should be). My education is increasing every day.

Food: Chocolate. Peanut butter. Chocolate and peanut butter. I also like fresh fruits and veggies, and hotdogs that have been cooked over an open fire and are all crispy and burnt on the outside.

Guilty Pleasures: I’ve never been quite sure what this is supposed to mean. I try not to do things that I will feel guilty about later. With the possible exception of eating cheese or ice cream. I’m lactose intolerant, but man, I love dairy. Sigh.

Hometown: Richmond, VA

Ice Cream: Love it. Except, as I just mentioned, I can’t have diary. Sigh.

Jonesing for: Ice cream, since I’ve been writing about it. Sigh.

Kryptonite: Bunny rabbits. And music. If I’m out in public and a song I like is on the muzak, then I’m pretty much ignoring my shopping or my lunch partner till it’s over.

Lookalike: Periodically, I’m informed by random strangers that I look like Meg Ryan. And a friend recently said that I look like Eivør, which I find flattering beyond words. When I grow up, I want to be as pretty and talented and famous as Eivør is…

Movies: Lord of the Rings (all of Peter Jackson’s thus far to date). Star Wars (all of them, but mostly the original trilogy). Miss Potter. Clue (y’know, that 80s movie based on the board game). August Rush. Most anything starring Will Smith.

Nickname: Don’t really have one. Some people call me “Gracie,” which is fine.

Obsessions: Music. Writing fantasy stories. And those forbidden dairy products. Sigh.

Perfume: I don’t use it.

Quirk: Which one? I’m rather quirky (aren’t all writers, really?) I’d be happy to live every day and go everywhere in sock feet. I’m borderline neurotic about checking my notifications on my phone, Facebook, etc. It bugs me to have a bunch of little icons or red flags in my notification bar.

Regret: I don’t do regrets. Sure, there are some things in the past that I wish I’d done or hadn’t done. But since I can’t change the past, I’d rather devote my mental energy to making sure that I don’t do or neglect to do something in the future.

Starbucks: Nope. I don’t like coffee. And there are cheaper places to get tea or giant cookies.

The Last Book You Read: I’m always reading 2-4 books at once. Some recent reads I enjoyed: The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick. Wisdom by Bonnie Watson. You can always stalk me on Goodreads if you really want to know what I’m currently reading.

Vacation: I went to England and Norway a couple of years ago, and I’m hoping to go to Iceland later this year.

Wine: Don’t drink it much—maybe one glass a month. I prefer red over white.

X: X-Men. I spent my college years and most of my 20s reading nearly every X-Men comic in existence.

Years: I’ve lived a few, and I intend to live many many more.

Zen: I guess this means what brings me bliss or peace? Music. Long walks in the woods. Scratching my rabbits’ ears.

My First Anniversary!

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So tomorrow, June 20th, marks exactly one year since my first blog entry. Okay, technically it was my second blog entry, but my actual first post was just a test to make sure I’d set up everything right on WordPress.

Anyway, in this post I’d like to celebrate that I survived a year of blogging. And I’d like to share some of the things that I’ve learned over this past year:

1. Blogging is lots of fun

It’s been fun coming up with new things to write about every week, reading comments from readers, posting my little Gravatar link all over the interwebs so that more people will see my blog.

2. Blogging is lots of work

See #1. As fun as blogging is, it’s also been surprisingly hard to post something creative once a week. As someone who loves to write, this ought to be easy, but it isn’t always. Especially since I try to publish my posts on a regular schedule, so I always have my self-imposed deadline breathing down my neck.

3. Blogging is a great way to meet new people

I’ve met so many cool bloggers. Since I started blogging, I’ve also been reading more blogs, and engaging in conversations via the comments fields—sometimes even moving to email or Facebook for deeper conversations. Yes, I do believe you can have meaningful friendships online.

4. Blogging stretches my creativity

See #2 about how much work it is keeping up with regular postings. Right now, I’m feeling very accomplished because I have several more weeks’ worth of blog entries already written, and more ideas in the pipe. But many times I find myself staring at the computer, thinking that if I don’t post something this week then some reader I don’t know will suddenly hate me. Surely a creative writer can come up with something creative to write? Sometimes it’s a stretch.

5. Blogging gives me a confidence boost

Despite the stresses of #2 and #4, I’m happy about my first year of blogging. I know I’m not famous (yet), nor am I being paid for blogging (yet), but it makes me smile when I see how many people subscribe to my blog via email or follow me on WordPress. And I’ve posted at least one entry a week for an entire year. Creative gems or not, that’s still a lot of writing.

So here’s my self-congratulatory pat on the back. And many thanks to everyone who does follow me (here, or on Facebook or Twitter). I hope you’ll read and share my writing for another year! 🙂

A Father’s Day tribute to Great Dads of Literature

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This coming Sunday we celebrate the fathers in our lives. So, in keeping with my earlier blog post about Mother’s Day, here’s my Father’s Day celebration of dads in books.

5. Pongo, from The Hundred and One Dalmatians, by Dodie Smith

Pongo’s wife Missus made it into my Mother’s Day list of literary moms. Pongo, like his wife, was loyal to his spouse, loyal to his children, and loyal to his Dalmatian friends Perdita and Prince. And compassionate enough to adopt eighty-some other puppies as his own kids.

4. Pa Ingalls, from The Little House on the Prairie series, by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Perhaps Charles Ingalls doesn’t belong on this list, since he was actually a real person. But he was a top-notch dad nonetheless. He led his family into the great unknown of the west, because he believed it would be the best opportunity for his family and provide his children with the best future. And all through sicknesses, natural disasters, and the general hard labor of a farmer, he kept a positive attitude, kept his love for God, and always showed love for his daughters.

3. James Henry Alden, from The Boxcar Children series, by Gertrude Chandler Warner

Grandfather Alden must have been a good dad, because he was an excellent granddad. The parents of the Boxcar Children had passed away, and so Mr. Alden went hunting for his elusive grandchildren. The self-sufficient kids were delighted to have a family again, but Mr. Alden never let them lose the independence they’d gained. He provided a home, love, support, and advice, and was there to bail them out if they truly got into danger—but he let his grandkids explore their world in their own way, and always treated them with respect, no matter their age.

2. Samwise Gamgee, from the Lord of the Rings series, by J.R.R. Tolkien

Sam didn’t actually become a father until the very end of the last book. But we learned what sort of father that he would be based on his undying loyalty to Frodo and his determination to always do what was right. These traits, along with his eternal hopefulness and his love of all living things, earned him hero status. Every dad wants to be a hero to his children, and Sam achieved this—despite his best efforts to remain a respectable hobbit and stay at home in his garden.

1. Mark Christopher, from The Choice, by Og Mandino

Mark did all the right things as a dad—provided a stable and loving home for his family, and showed his kids how to pursue a dream and deal with the consequences of achieving it, both good and bad. And he was willing to make the ultimate sacrifice—to lay down his own life to save his son’s. That’s a loving dad.

Don’t forget to wish your dad a happy father’s day!

The Nitty-Gritty of Writing: Latin Abbreviations – i.e., e.g., etc.

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I don’t know about you, but sometimes Latin abbreviations just confuse me. Despite my love of languages, I never took a Latin class in school. I don’t know if that puts me at a disadvantage or not when it comes to scientific and literary Latin-isms. But I’m willing to bet that I’m not the only one who gets confused sometimes about the proper usage of some of these oft-used Latin terms.

Rather than teach an entire Latin lesson (which I can’t do, because, as I just stated, I never studied it)—I’ll just cover three common Latin terms used in writing. Let’s start with i.e. and e.g.

The abbreviation i.e. stands for id est, which means “that is.” It’s a way of explaining in further detail something that was stated in the first part of a sentence. If you substitute “that is” or “in other words” for the i.e. and the sentence still makes sense, then i.e. is probably the abbreviation you need.

Since I’m lactose intolerant, I can’t eat the best part of the pizza, i.e., the cheese. (Since I’m lactose intolerant, I can’t eat the best part of the pizza, in other words, the cheese.)

To help you remember what i.e. means and you’re not a Latin expert, pretend that it means “in essence.”

The abbreviation e.g. stands for exempli gratia, which means “for the sake of example.” It can be used to describe a list (or a single item) that is an example of what was stated in the first part of a sentence. If you substitute “for example” in place of the e.g. and the sentence still works, that’s probably the right choice.

I grew up reading super hero comics, e.g., X-Men, Fantastic Four, Batman. (I grew up reading super hero comics, for example, X-Men, Fantastic Four, Batman.)

To help you remember what e.g. means, pretend that it stands for “example given.”

I may be going against a rule book of grammatical standards, but for general usage, these two abbreviations should be lower case, always have the period after each letter, and should be followed by a comma. (I think this last, about the comma, applies primarily to American usage. British usage doesn’t have the comma).

The abbreviation etc. stands for et cetera, which means “and so forth” or “and other things.” It is used at the end of a sentence to indicate a continuation of a list of related items.

I’ve owned many different breeds of rabbits: mini lop, rex, lion head, etc. (I’ve owned many different breeds of rabbits: mini lop, rex, lion head, and so forth/and other similar things.)

Like the other two abbreviations, etc. is always lowercase and always followed by a period. It’s usually used at the end of a sentence, but it should be proceeded by a comma after the last word of the series.

I hope this helps to clarify some of these Latin abbreviations, both when you’re reading and when you’re writing. Just remember:

i.e. – in essence

e.g. – example given

etc. – and so forth

 

Does anyone else have any other troublesome abbreviations and easy tricks for remembering how to use them?