On Words: Writing Tips

Writing Tip 90: Writing a Character’s Mind, Body, and Soul (and language choice!)

You know what’s great about people? We’re all different. How I say things is totally different from how my husband does, which is totally different from how my mom would, which is totally different from how my two year old would. Why? We’re different people. We have different language patterns, different brains, and different life experience.

Moreover, if you put me in a room with these people, the way I stand—perhaps swaying as if I’m holding a baby (even though I might not be)—is different from my husband who might be stretching, or my mom who might be talking with her hands, or my two year old who… well… has an inability to stand still.

People are different. When you write about your characters, allow them to be distinctive. All shouldn’t wink at each other when they say something clever; they shouldn’t all gesture with their hands, nor sigh heavily, nor twirl their dark mustaches menacingly (okay, maybe you weren’t using that last one for everyone). When writing falls into a pattern, you see the author’s personality, not the characters’. And the author should be the invisible hand that guides the story, not the center focus, right?

Writing Tip 89: Where to Start your Story (Not with waking up!)

Here’s a writing tip for the fiction writers out there…

Just because a character’s day starts with his or her morning routine doesn’t mean your chapter needs to start there too. We all wake up in the morning, put on our clothes, brush our teeth, and eat our breakfast. Sometimes we stretch. Sometimes we yawn. Do you see how fascinating this paragraph is? Wait, it’s not? I’m glad you’re noticing, because this is exactly my point.

People don’t want to read about everyday details. As writers, we get to create people and worlds and plots. We get to stir ideas and distract readers from their everyday. So why give them more of the everyday?

Creative writing can have so much potential. Every page, every paragraph, every sentence, and even every word should drive the story forward. If a character is just wiggling his or her toes under the blanket, opening his or her eyes, and seeing the sun break through the window, a reader isn’t being pulled in. Ask yourself how you can intrigue. The morning Cheerios aren’t doing it.

Writing Tip 88: “Show don’t Tell” – And what it actually means

Every writer who’s ever taken a creative writing class has heard the instruction: “Show don’t tell.” It’s so often said, it’s almost meaningless. Except it shouldn’t be. Because if actually understood, being able to show and not tell can make the difference between a humdrum story and a tale that comes alive.

“Show don’t tell” is classic writing advice, and for good reason. Imagine the difference between reading, “she’s angry,” and reading, “her hands tightened into fists; her fingernails pressed so hard against her palms that blood surfaced to her sensitive skin.” Okay, maybe I made that up really quickly, and it’s not the most eloquent of lines. But you see what I’m going for. There can be a named emotion, and then there can be the reality of it that a reader can be pulled into.

Misplaced Modifiers & Lost Buttons — Misplaced any language lately?

Misplaced Modifiers sound like items lost in the laundry. Somehow, you always lose a button and a darn modifier ends up in the wrong location. No? Let’s try this again.

Grammar terminology intimidates for some reason. Why, I’m not quite sure, but it may go back to strict English teachers in our formidable years. Misplaced modifiers are actually quite simple to understand. A modifier is a word or phrase that modifies (or describes) something. A misplaced modifier is when that descriptor seems to be describing the wrong thing.

That sounds silly, right? Sure. But it happens ALL THE TIME.

Glistening in the morning sun, the fisherman cast his line out to the water. (Did you catch the misplaced modifier? The “water” is “glistening in the morning sun,” not the “fisherman.”)

The hunter crouched in hiding waiting for a deer to come along with a bow and arrow. (Wait… Who had the bow and arrow?)

Misplaced modifiers can be subtle, confusing, or just plain funny, but be careful with your language. Of all the things we misplace, our ideas shouldn’t be one of them.

Writing Tip 86: Dear Abby: Where to Put Commas with Greetings

Commas, colons, the vocative case… Who knew a simple hello was so complicated?

It’s not actually. How to punctuate a greeting is really quite easy to remember–never mind if your email inbox argues otherwise.

Remember “dear” is not a greeting like “hello.” Dear is an adjective, a modifier of the name that follows. “Dear Abby” is no different from “My dearest Abby,” “Darling Clementine,” or some similarly old fashioned but enchantingly romantic greeting that has faded out of favor. (Who wants to bring it back with me? Anyone? … Anyone?…)

If you’re beginning a message with “Hi,” “Hello,” “Good morning,” “Hola,” or any other greeting, however, you should include a comma before the name of the message’s recipient. We learned about the vocative case in middle school (maybe), which directs writers to use a comma before a person’s name when they are being talked to.

Throw me the ball, Peyton.

Hi, Mr. Manning.

It’s the same form.

Lazy punctuation has become pretty widespread on this one, though. Do you use commas correctly in your greetings?

Writing Tip 85: Avoid the Blackout Comma

I’ll admit it: I’m an Oxford comma groupie. But there’s a methodology to my comma zealotry. There’s a difference between correctly comma-ing and looking like you may have had too much to drink. (And yes, “comma-ing” is a word. I just made it up, but I’m claiming artistic license.)

In my book (i.e., my opinion, not my actual book), there is pocket dialing, drunk texting, and what I dub “the blackout comma.” Why are they there? What is the logic? It’s a mystery that only the writer once knew. And they may not remember now.

Comma reminders:

Do not use commas with lists of two.
Do not use commas between subject and predicate
Do not use commas around “essential people”
Do not use commas between adjectives of size and/or color

Sure, we all slip and have one comma too many on occasion. It happens to the best of us. I just feel like I’ve seen a lot of intoxication lately. Maybe it’s just the season for beers at backyard barbecues and tropical drinks at the beach. Consider me your punctuation sponsor. It’s all about moderation, people.

Writing Tip 84: “Into” vs. “In to”

Dylan Thomas told us, “Do not go gentle into that good night.” But something as simple as a space would confuse the meaning of a famous line, wouldn’t it? Are you one of the many who muddle “into” and “in to”?

“Do not go gentle in to that good night” just doesn’t make sense, as if you’re “going gentle” for the reason of doing something vague and badly worded to the night. And you know what else doesn’t make sense? Your recent Facebook post when you meant to use “in to” instead of “into.” I kid. But I don’t.

A simple reminder, if you’re unsure whether you need to use “into” or “in to,” ask yourself the question, “where?” If your sentence answers that question, you need “into” – the preposition. Otherwise, maybe you just happen to be using these two words (“in” and “to”) next to each other. Maybe it’s a short version of “in order to,” or maybe it’s not. But if it answers “where,” it should probably be just one word.

Where should you not go gentle? Into that good night.

Where should dirty laundry go? Into the hamper.

If the “where” question doesn’t make sense with your sentence, you probably don’t need the preposition.

Rage, rage against the dying of the proper grammar. In my own little way, I try.

Writing Tip 83: Where to Use Semicolons (a.k.a. “This Semi-colon Kind of Life”)

I want something else
To get me through this
Semicolon kinda life
Baby, Baby…

I’m thinking my version works—a “Schoolhouse Rocks” for ‘90s kids or the ‘90s nostalgic. I figure we need something new. No one seems to know how to use semicolons. They’re the misused and abused punctuation mark, thrown down without much thought. But they should have some dignity.

Semicolons should only be used in three situations:

Separating complete sentences. Always make sure that you have complete sentences on both sides of the semicolon here. You can combine two or more complete sentences in this way; there’s no real limit. (e.g., Third Eye Blind was a ‘90s standard; I never realized that song talked about doing meth; you’re looking up the lyrics now, aren’t you?)
Separating items in a complicated list. The definition of a complicated list is any list that has commas within it. (e.g., Some of the biggest Third Eye Blind songs that come to mind include Semi-charmed Kind of Life, released in 1997; Jumper, released in 1997; and How’s It Going To Be, also released in 1997.)
Winky faces 😉

Please stop using them where dashes or simply commas make more sense.

Doo doo doo, doo doo-doo doo…

Darn it, now that song’s in my head. Anyone else?

Writing Tip 82: Who vs. Whom

Lots of people treat the word “whom” like that crazy wife in the attic, knowing her secrets but not uttering her name. Are you one of them? Or have the differences between “who” and “whom” never really been explained to you?

First things first, how on earth have I gotten all the way to Writing Tip #82 before tackling the proper use of “whom”? Avoidance? Neglect? A master plan for grammatical suspense? No matter the reason, it’s definitely overdue.

Are you one of the few who know when to use the proper pronoun? Did you know “who” and “whom” are considered pronouns?

Understanding the usage of “who” and “whom” is easiest if you understand the difference between subjects and objects in a sentence. If your eyes just started to glaze over, I’ll make it even simpler. Think about where you would use “he” versus “him” in answering a question. “Whom” ends in “m”; “him” ends in “m.” Use it as a reminder.

Q. Who was at the door? A. He was at the door.

Q. Whom did you go with? A. I went with him.

Q. Who let the dogs out? A. He let the dogs out.

Q. Whom do you believe? A. I believe him.

It’s not really as complicated as many seem to think.

Don’t be a victim of grammatical snobbery (or evasion). Command your “who” and “whom” with pride.

Writing Tip 81: Peak vs. Pique vs. Peek

Here’s one that might peak your interest. Or is it pique your interest? This is one people often feel really confident about—that is, until they realize they’ve always been wrong. If your interest is rising, “peak” makes sense, doesn’t it? Maybe. But it’s not the correct usage in this case. A “peak” is a high of some sort, real or metaphorical; however “to pique” is the correct usage for this specific phrasing. It’s from a French word meaning “to prick” or in this case “to excite.” If your curiosity is piqued, you’re interested. If your curiosity is peaked, I wonder if it’s really all downhill from there—the passing of some sort of obsession. And I can’t wrap up this post without a little shout out to the final alternate spelling of “peek,” as in to look when you’re not supposed to. “Peeking your interest” definitely doesn’t make sense. Please don’t write it. Got it?