Accidentally put this in Premium. Probably belongs here.
The following site could be useful to anyone who thinks grammar rules is the same as grandma rules!
http://grammar.yourdictionary.com/
3,576 2016-01-03 20:11:55
Topic: useful grammar site (0 replies, posted in Writing Tips & Site Help)
3,577 2015-12-28 18:34:39
Re: -ing vs -ed verb forms (26 replies, posted in Writing Tips & Site Help)
Based on the discussion, I need to reduce my use of -ing. As Janet Reid has said, I think there's a place for them. Variety, spice of life, etc.
*gets ready to duck*
Thanks to all.
Dirk
3,578 2015-12-27 22:37:59
Re: -ing vs -ed verb forms (26 replies, posted in Writing Tips & Site Help)
Janet, what makes the -ing verb preferable on this example?
3,579 2015-12-27 05:42:55
Re: -ing vs -ed verb forms (26 replies, posted in Writing Tips & Site Help)
Charles_F_Bell wrote:
Norm d'Plume wrote:Why?
The same reason an author will avoid passive verbs and useless, vague, or weak adverbs. It weighs down the narration.
The very same reason an author actively will surely clearly avoid using passive verbs that come to his imagination when writing, weighing down the ongoing narration, making for his reading audience a boring lot of superfluous information, crunching out facts, and sweeping tidbits of floating debris washing overboard a Titanic, sinking fast, and on and on, ad infinitum till one falls off into sleep under the hypnotic power of same-sounding -ing words.
LOL. I can't tell if you like them or hate them. However, I freely acknowledge that the preceding sentence doesn't need the first instance of "them."
I can just feel the royalty checks rolling in.
3,580 2015-12-27 00:40:25
Re: Listings of new stuff (13 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
At a minimum, it couldn't hurt to do what Sol suggested, which is to rename the label to New Book Chapters.
3,581 2015-12-26 21:32:30
Re: -ing vs -ed verb forms (26 replies, posted in Writing Tips & Site Help)
Why?
3,582 2015-12-26 19:41:04
Re: -ing vs -ed verb forms (26 replies, posted in Writing Tips & Site Help)
Anyone?
3,583 2015-12-25 21:48:58
Re: I saw SNOW!!!!! (48 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
Imagine the size of the snowplow. 8-)
3,584 2015-12-25 15:18:37
Re: I saw SNOW!!!!! (48 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
io Saturnalia, pagans!
3,585 2015-12-25 15:00:32
Re: Merry Christmas (2 replies, posted in Spirituality & Religion)
Thank you, Janet. Have a happy holiday!
3,586 2015-12-24 23:40:14
Re: Listings of new stuff (13 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
While we're at it, can you change the number of displayed new works published by our connections from 7 to 10? Most of the other new listings are ten.
3,587 2015-12-24 22:40:04
Re: Listings of new stuff (13 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
SolN wrote:
How about New Book Chapters?
Good idea.
3,588 2015-12-24 05:33:12
Re: next series (1 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
Then I better get back to reading it, otherwise I'll have to pay for a copy. :-)
I've been watching your posting rate, BTW. Mind-blowing. Very impressive.
3,589 2015-12-23 04:39:29
Re: Acts/ Dictates/ Mandates/ Mantle - Amy's Thread (1,905 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
During the Carter years, mortgage rates were so high, one couple was featured eating cat food just so they could make their payments. Of course, I don't remember those years personally. According to Amy, I'm much too young for that.
3,590 2015-12-23 01:56:18
Topic: -ing vs -ed verb forms (26 replies, posted in Writing Tips & Site Help)
One of my reviewers has recommended that I avoid verb forms that end with -ing and write the sentence using -ed verb endings.
Here is an example with -ing verbs:
As each remaining ship’s shields failed, it dove down at the palace at maximum thrust, plowing into the superstructure,
and setting off enormous fireballs that shook the bunker.
Here it is with -ed:
As each remaining ship’s shields failed, it dove down at the palace at maximum thrust, plowed into the superstructure,
and set off enormous fireballs that shook the bunker.
Verb police, please weigh in.
3,591 2015-12-22 15:38:11
Re: RM Matthew's thread (56 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
amy s wrote:
Maybe I'll just use the alphabet that K loves so dearly when naming characters.
I thought I was the only one who loves using the alphabet to name characters: Ensign Ecks (X), Dr. Ess (S), and Lady Kay (K).
3,592 2015-12-18 14:51:17
Re: I saw SNOW!!!!! (48 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
janet reid wrote:
Just had the first snow for the year. Well, what I call snow. I don't even think it was half an inch and it's already starting to melt, but it was AWESOME. I was a kid again today. I've touched snow twice in my 42 year existence before today. But I have never ever ever seen snow falling from the skies. It was AWESOME. At first, I thought, nah, it's slush. But then it became real snowflakes. And then it started to cover the roofs, lawns, streets, and everything. Everything is covered in white right now. Just in time for Christmas too!!! I'm super excited.
I also ate snow. It tastes like cold water!
We're still planning to go snow hunting a couple of times over the next 2 weeks over the school holidays. Proper snow, measured in feet, not inches. With sleds, we're going snow hunting and then we're going to have fun. With sleds. whooo-hoooo! And build a snowman. We have to, right?! *high 5*
Have I mentioned how AWESOME it was?!!!!!!! It was. I'm enjoying the feeling while it lasts.
Ha' ye been drinkin' a wee barrel o' mead, lass?
Enjoy.
3,593 2015-12-08 20:26:40
Re: The Sorcerer's Progress (1,528 replies, posted in Fantasy/Magic & Sci-Fi)
How about not knowing if the end of the book is going to blow up in my face? :-)
3,594 2015-12-01 05:56:50
Re: New writer (8 replies, posted in Spirituality & Religion)
Join christianforums.com for research purposes. There many people there who ask/answer questions. It's beeb very helpful to me as I am writing a similar book. Also, post your questions in this group, and someone will probably help you. Also, the obvious source is the Bible. My story characters prefer the King James version, which is primarily due to my preference for that version. There are also good books for and against Christianity at Amazon that helped me a great deal in defining a conservative Christian world.
3,595 2015-11-29 19:45:16
Re: Suggestion for inline review points (69 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
Although this thread has gone off the rails, I'm in the mood for fun. This may have already been suggested, but points could be proportional to the number of comments left. No minimums, no maximums. If you do a detailed review, whether regular or inline, you get more points than the lazy drive-by reviewers looking for a few quick points. That being said, I've only ever had one reviewer come in, leave five comments at the beginning, then bail saying that he had no helpful feedback to give. Had he left before leaving the fifth comment, I could have respected that. In my case, I've found reviewers who are very helpful to me and work hard to keep them. Since they do better reviews than I do (not for lack of trying), I reciprocate by reading more of their work than they do of mine.
Fire away.
Dirk
3,596 2015-11-25 09:43:04
Re: Self-made flyer (4 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
Perhaps if you said book *signing* events, then it would be obvious. Better yet, include Kindle pricing somewhere on the page.
3,597 2015-11-25 09:40:27
Re: Self-made flyer (4 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
I'm looking at it from my cell phone (Moto G). Everything seems cramped. Also, I'm surprised at the high price of the books. That must be for the printed copies. I didn't notice an explanation of pricing on the page, although it may be buried in all that red ink which I didn't read fully. Back to have another look...
3,598 2015-11-25 03:43:23
Re: Places to find reference reading (32 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
I read a few. These should prove useful for getting oriented in a field of study so as to at least be able to ask intelligent questions. Nice find. Thanks, NJC.
3,599 2015-11-24 14:22:39
Re: Word processor compatibility with foreign language characters? (12 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
It would probably require rebuilding online reviews from scratch to work with pdf files.
3,600 2015-11-23 01:49:16
Re: Word processor compatibility with foreign language characters? (12 replies, posted in TheNextBigWriter Premium)
Charles_F_Bell wrote:
. . . like I said. For you do to that in fiction, in anything other than for something instructional, would be more than annoying.
Thanks for the info, Charles. I appreciate it.
Should I put you down for one annoying copy or two? ;-)
Dirk
