Imagine, if you will, you are looking through a telescope. That couple far away from you appear as a unit. That couple moves as one, sits as one, acts as one. Use the singular forms to talk about the couple as a unit.
On the other hand, the couple near to you are seen very distinctly to be two individuals, not one unit. They laugh, they walk, they stop to sit on a bench. They are a couple, but they are two. Use the plural forms.
This is not a rule of grammar--this is how I see the writing task.
I prefer to read writing that sounds natural or enticing to my ear, even if it is not strictly grammatically correct. This is creative writing after all; not a legal document. If correct grammar is to be enforced, it would outlaw poetry and undermine many bestseller novels.
You said it!
I've struggled with this since college days, when we argued whether we should write "The Athenian Society invite you to their..." or "The Athenian Society invites you to its..." We dang near came to blows.
Well, it goes without saying there was no convincing those idiots. In the years I was in charge of them, I wrote the invitations my way.
All of which is a prelude to my saying I have never come across a rule for this. I tend to write it however it feels right. If it seems like something a person would say that's how I write it.
I think a couple, being two, would call for a plural verb form.
Ben and Judy have been married for forty years. The couple have been in love since high school.
See?
In thinking about this "correct" use of grammar in writing our stories, I thought about how we use "I vs Me" when speaking conversationally in reality or often times in writing. We all pretty much would say "Johnny and I went to school" which would be correct. But we also more often than not will say "Me and Johnny took a trip" which though incorrect grammatically is more the norm than not because it just sounds better to the ear than "I and Johnny." That would also be the case with the scenario presented by Tirz.
So, let's expand this line of thinking into a hypothetical scene about Tirz's character in Plum:
***Me and Binny got into an argument because he washed my drawers with his crotch rot underwear. So, I slapped him silly when I found out and he got mad and jumped in his car. I'm flipping him the bird while he's driving away staring at me scratching my hooch because just thinking about what he done makes me itch like crazy. When he drove into a fire hydrant and it burst, filling his car with water, I'm laughing my ass off which I shouldn't have done, but it at least made me forget about my itching vagina. ***
That's the way I see this debate about "correct" grammar. Take care. Vern
Right you are, Vern. When it's the character telling the story, the 'rules' of grammar go out the window. Use whatever style of language fits him/ her. Just as we vary in our speech mannerisms, so do our characters. That's the ideal, if we want to make them human. Not the rules of grammar.
At the same time, we don't want to throw away the conventions of good language. How can we communicate without accepted standards?
JP
Tense and person are two different things, like mayo and ketchup, and you don't always use them in the same way. (Mustard doesn't apply here.)
Suppose this happened last week, or last month, last year, etc.--use past tense: I was in a hurry. Old lady McMurcher checked everyone's desk at nine o'clock sharp to make sure they didn't cheat the company out of a few minutes. As soon as I saw Binny open his mouth, I flipped him the bird.
Of course, if you're writing the whole story in the present tense, use present tense. Example: I make it into the office just as the clock reads nine.
"Hey, gorgeous--you're late again!" calls Binny across the hall. I flip him the bird, because he deserves it.
BUT you might be writing a story in the past tense when an ongoing condition/ situation that continues to this day arises. So you use both. Example: I saw him open his mouth to yell at me, and I flipped him the bird. I hate that guy. I flip him the bird whenever he needs it. (ongoing situation)
OR I flipped him the bird, because I flip people the bird when they need it. I'm that kind of girl. (ongoing condition)
Now, horseradish...
What's up, you guys?
I tried to avoid the movies I'd used in previous quizzes, so I don't think you've seen these answers before. However, they are all well-known. Here's another one:
#8 Kalifornia (Jack, I think you tried to use this one before, when the answer was True Romance.)
Welcome to the site!
Just checked your portfolio page looking for your story. Didn't find anything there. Are you sure you published it? If not, it remains invisible to the rest of us. It will cost a few points to publish. You need to read a few selections and write a few reviews to earn the points.
(If this is information you already had, please ignore this message. Just trying to help.)
Looking forward to reading your work. JP
Now about the reviewers who just like to read and wish only to review. I'm not against having the opportunity to hear from them. Who knows--one of them could bring me a million-dollar, prize-winning idea!
The only thing I'd like to suggest is that a reviewer's membership be called a Reviewer's Membership. No equivocation, no miscommunication and no misapplication. Sounds fool-proof, doesn't it?
And a reviewing member who does nothing but review is not inactive. He/she is doing just what he/ she's supposed to do! JP
The Basic and Premium Memberships were originally intended to replace the Reviewing and Writing Memberships, respectively. However, I can't tell what the Basic membership is all bout these days.
Last I heard about a year ago (I admit I gave up reading all the hoop-la), the Basic membership would be phased out slowly. Was I wrong in my assumption?
The Basic group's description reads, 'This group is for members who just wish to post their writing and aren't interested in trading feedback with other writers.' Does that mean Basic members are still posting their work on the site? It sounds like they've been told they are neither required nor expected to thank reviewers for their efforts, much less give reciprocal reviews. If I were a new member, that's what I would think.
No wonder we're not hearing from them! Intentionally or not, they've been given a free pass, and paid no fee. And don't expect them to comb through the forum threads for our opinions! I was a member for several months before I started reading the forum posts.
Very clever--I thought the Basic group was for reviewers only. I do still see stories that don't give credit for reviewing, but I thought that was because they had been posted in non-point groups. Silly me--there I go assuming!
There's something Basically insulting to Premium members here, don't you think?
Jeez, did he pay his admission fee?
Why? Is there a three-ring circus in town?
Well, I guess that's the last we'll see of him! *dusts hands*
Thanks.
Hi, Sol--
I just entered my story, but didn't see a list of entrants. Will that not be available this time? It's been a while since I entered a contest.
Also, on the off chance that others haven't yet entered, how do they access the contest? I see no link from the contest page, nor from my portfolio page.
Thanks. JP
Okay, here's a free answer:
#11. You Only Live Once (1937)
You tell 'em Marilyn!
When I went to his page to review his work, I found--nothing. No prologue, no Chapter 1. I guess he saved me some time. JP
p. s. Please, folks, don't let this degenerate into another discussion about reciprocation. We got the point last week!
Don't feel bad. We've all messed up our posting. I don't know what it is--maybe it's the idea that we're making our work public for the first time. Strangers are going to see our stories and tell us what's wrong with them. It gets a person rattled, and we miss the cues that direct us in our posting. I've seen this happening a lot lately, and I don't know if it's deliberate.
There are two things that could be happening:
1) In the event that you've re-posted the same chapters (or story), you're paying unnecessary points. You could delete one, but I don't think you can remove (delete) a work and keep the reviews. It's best to deactivate them, as Suin says. You'll be the only one able to read them, so you can still see the reviews.
2) If your book's chapters are appearing as individual postings rather than parts of a whole, you've missed a cue. From the drop-down menu (under your name) at the top of your home screen, select your portfolio DON'T select 'Add new content.' Select the title of your book. A little drop-down menu will appear at the right. Select the option that says 'add chapter.' Then follow the directions.
I hope this helps. If not, someone else will have what you need. JP
The definition of a thriller novel is a novel that uses suspense, excitement, apprehension and exhilaration to tell a story.
http://www.yourdictionary.com/thriller-novel
I don’t read a lot of thrillers, but of the few I have read, these stand out in my mind: Frederick Forsyth (Day of the Jackal), John Grisham (all of them, even the kids’ books)
Going by the definition above, I wouldn’t classify Michael Connelly’s and Lee Child’s books as thrillers, and I’ve read all of theirs. Connelly’s cops are too methodical to be ‘edge of your seat’ characters. Lee Child’s Jack Reacher is more of a knight errant, and there’s never a doubt that he will triumph. Plus, he’s kind of a lovable teddy bear, always sensitive to the plight of others.
I do like the Scandinavian mystery writers, like Jo Nesbø (The Snowman) and Stieg Larsson (The MilleniumTrilogy). Have you read The Boy in the Suitcase?
A little bit different this time. I name the actors (the lovers), and you name the film. Have fun!
1. Nicolas Cage, Laura Dern
2. Billy Bob Thornton, Cynda Williams
3. Jeff Daniels, Melanie Griffith
4. Martin Sheen, Sissy Spacek
5. Matt Dillon, Kelly Lynch
6. David Carradine, Barbara Hershey
7. Keith Carradine, Shelly Duvall
8. Brad Pitt, Juliette Lewis
9. William Atherton, Goldie Hawn
10. Kentucker Audley, Kate Lyn Sheil
11. EXTRA CREDIT CLASSIC: Henry Fonda, Sylvia Sydney
ANSWERS
1. Wild at Heart (1990)
2. One False Move (1992)
3. Something Wild (1986)
4. Badlands (1973)
5. Drugstore Cowboy (1989)
6. Boxcar Bertha (1972)
7. Thieves Like Us (1974)
8. Kalifornia (1993)
9. Sugarland Express (1974)
10. Sun Don’t Shine (2012)
11. You Only Live Once (1937)
Interesting idea to request critique of an outline. I always thought the outlining phase would be private, but getting help at the outset could be a good thing.
I'm usually so eager to start writing the story my outlines are pitifully brief. I build the characters and story as I work, incorporating details (and keeping notes) as I go. Sometimes I change my mind about the direction of a story--the bad guy becomes the hero, or the killer is not the person I originally suspected.
Would working with a detailed outline inhibit my writing? I don't know. It's possible having other people critique my outline might sway the direction of my story. I might wind up writing your story instead of my own.
Just my thoughts. As Jack has said, to each his own. Below are some articles on outlining. There are tons of these on the internet--use with caution.
The Snowflake method. Seems overly complicated at first glance.
https://www.nownovel.com/blog/understan … ke-method/
The four story structures. Dismisses the prologue as useless.
http://www.writersdigest.com/writing-ar … ate-novels
Plot templates to follow when outlining a story. I haven't tried them but they look interesting.
http://www.darcypattison.com/writing/pl … templates/
Congratulations, Jack! JP
I remember worrying about how to write a review. The advice given above could be invaluable to new reviewers, but judging from my own experience, the maze of opinions presented in the forums would be the last place a newbie would look for guidance. In a few days all this helpful knowledge will be buried in a haystack of political, social and professional opinion. Not to mention the just plain goofy.
Would it be too difficult to add a section to the 'Reviewing Work and Providing Feedback' portion of the 'Help' page?
It could be called Suggestions for New Reviewers or something similar. It could encourage new members to give their impressions of such areas as Effective Title, Action, Mood, Characters, Story, Setting, etc. I think anyone could do this without previous experience.
Any thoughts?
Does anyone successfully use Facebook for marketing your books?
Thanks.
Dirk
Nope.
A few years ago, social media was being touted as the be-all and end-all for writers to get their work into the public eye. After reading a few books and articles pushing the idea, I set up accounts on Facebook, Twitter, even Pinterest (where I posted quotes from my books, along with photos of movie stars I 'cast' as the characters), to name a few. Aside from the fun element for me, I observed no positive response.
Those who insisted that a writer needs to have a base of fans held captive on the internet are no longer writing books. I quit fooling around with something that takes hours away from writing time. I extrapolated this from what Steven King had to say on the question of agents--if nobody knows your name yet, why would they look for you on social media?
Save Facebook for your friends and family. I have a website under my real name, but it's strictly for posting news about my extended family. When your book goes big, then you can hire someone to keep your fans up to date on Facebook, et al. Right now--not so much.
I consider my time better spent on the three R's--reading, research, and writing. JP
I've been reviewing a lot of new members' work, as well, with nary a reciprocating review. I thought it was helpful--I remember being thrilled at my first reviews--but maybe not everyone feels the same.
I agree that on tnbw the reviews are honest, sometimes painfully so. But that's what I'm looking for. Some other 'writing' sites seem more like chat rooms. If that's what a person wants, I don't think they'll find it here.
There's a book called 'The Rainbow Fish' that is read to youngsters across the country in the early grades. In the story, a fish with sparkly scales is asked to share his sparkle. Every time another fish asks, the rainbow fish gives away some of his sparkle, until at last they are all equally drab. Take that, Rainbow Fish! Why would you teach little kids that all they have to do is ask for something, and it's theirs? (I don't think that was the author's intention, but that's how it comes across.)
That's the thinking among some people--writers included. Write something, and wait for sparkling reviews. When they're not forthcoming, the faint if heart go somewhere else. They don't want to rewrite, change and make corrections. Let them go--it's just a pity we have to waste time meting out the truth.
It's a pity, too, that they're not reading 'The Little Red Hen' to kids in school anymore. You remember it--that's the story that teaches us if you don't work, you don't eat.
Good one, Jack. I think the article's author was mildly critical of Booker.
I found this website a long while back, and while I don't exactly agree with all of it, it does make a handy reference guide. Actually, it's a discussion of a book, The Seven Basic Plots, by Christopher Booker.* I summarized for my own use. You can probably think of examples, once you have the basic information. JP
http://www.how-to-write-a-book-now.com/basic-plots.html
The Seven--No, Make That Nine--Basic Plots
1. Overcoming the Monster—a hero must destroy a monster (or villain) that is threatening the community. Usually the decisive fight occurs in the monster’s lair, and the hero has some magic weapon at his disposal. Sometimes the monster is guarding a treasure or holding a Princess captive
2. Rags to Riches--involves a hero who seems quite commonplace, poor, downtrodden and miserable but has the potential for greatness.
Variation 1—Failure=the hero fails to achieve his goal
Variation 2—Hollow victory=the goal is achieved but the hero fails to resolve his inner conflict
3. Quest—the hero embarks on a journey to obtain a great prize that is located far away.
4. Voyage and Return—the hero journeys to a strange world that at first seems enchanting. The hero comes to feel trapped and must make a thrilling escape to the safety of his home world. He may experience personal growth. Or he may leave behind his true love or other opportunity for happiness.
5. Comedy—
• Classic definition—any story that ends happily
• A story which is humorous or satirical
• New Comedy or Romantic Comedy—a drama about finding true love (usually young love, traditionally ending in marriage
6. Tragedy—usually defined by its ending
• The Story Goal is not achieved (outcome=failure)
• The hero’s inner conflict is not resolved happily (judgement=bad)
7. Rebirth—During the course of the story, an important event forces the main character to change his/her ways, often making him/her a better person.
8. Mystery—an outsider to some horrendous event (such as a murder) tries to discover the truth of what happened
9. Rebellion against “the one”—a hero rebels against the all- powerful entity that controls his world until he is forced to surrender to that power.
• In some versions, The One is portrayed as benevolent
• A common variation is to have the hero refuse to submit and essentially win
Here's one place to get the book. https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss … her+booker
