10 Grammar Rules (To Avoid)

This is a list taken from the book, My Grammar and I (or should that be ‘Me’?), and I just want to share it with you all because I think it’s really great. 🙂

1.) Verbs has to agree with their subjects.

2.) Remember to never split an infinitive.

3.) Parenthetical remarks (however relevant) are (usually) unnecessary.

4.) Never se a big word when a diminutive one would suffice.

5.) Use words correctly, irregardless of how others elude to them.

6.) Use the apostrophe in it’s proper place and omit it when its not needed.

7.) Eliminate unnecessary references. As Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “I hate quotations.”

8.) Who needs rhetorical questions?

9) Exaggeration is a billion times worse than understatement.

10.) Last but not least, avoid clichés like the plague.

Hope you found that as amusing as I did. Thanks for visiting, and I plan to write again, soon!

Top 10 Best Websites For Writers

So for a long time I’ve had a ‘Top Ten’ page at the top of this blog, always ‘Under Construction.’ Well now I finally have a list to put on there! And as you can see, it’s a list of websites for writers. But let me just point something out to you all: this top ten list is very much incomplete; there are many other websites out there which I’m sure are helpful and easy to use. I’ve just listed a few of the best, either because I came across them whilst on the hunt for good websites, or because I use them myself. So then, let’s get cracking. N.B. This list is not in any particular order. Rather, it is simply a record of ten different websites, none of them any better than another.

Top Ten Best Websites for Writers

1.) Seventh Sanctum (www.seventhsanctum.com): This is a brilliant little site, and I use it fairly regularly when planning a story or novel, and even when I’m half-way through a project. It is a site which has several ‘generators’, ranging from serious lists such as “Fantasy Military Unit Generator” to silly ones such as “Questionable Anime Attacks.” Whatever you need, it’s likely they’ll have it there. If you’re looking for something extra special, there is also a “Writing Challenges” generator – perfect if you’re bored and fancy a little writing assignment.

2.) Daily Writing Tips (www.dailywritingtips.com): A website for the grammatically-inclined, Daily Writing Tips has a wide range of subjects, some involving grammar and correct uses of words, others to do with writing fiction and how to find an agent. Overall, a good site which has many useful tips.

3.) Write SF (www.writesf.com): Of course this site is for all the science-fiction writers out there (including me), and it’s written by Jeffery A. Carver, but there is a good chunk of information in here that can really help develop your story even if you don’t write in this genre – perhaps this site could also help fantasy writers to create and stabilise their own hand-crafted world. I refer back to this site often, and every time I learn something new.

4.) Writer’s Digest (www.writersdigest.com): An obvious one, perhaps, but one that is worth a mention nonetheless. This is Daily Writing Tips but on a grander scale, with far more articles about self-publishing and writing competitions. There are also magazines, but you’ll have to pay and subscribe to get hold of those.

5.) Write to Done (http://writetodone.com): Crammed with articles on a variety of topics, Write to Done gives tips to both the rookie and seasoned writer.

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6.) StumbleUpon (www.stumbleupon.com): Running out of ideas? Want to start a short-story but need some information? Or are you just interested in finding new things? Whatever your reason, StumbleUpon is the right website for you. Simple join up (it’s free) and tell the website your interests – click everything you can, if you want. Once you’re done, just click ‘Stumble’ and the website will show you another random website about one or more of your interests. I use this a lot, and I receive regular emails with StumbleUpon‘s own recommendations for me. Great stuff.

7.) Creative Writing Prompts (http://creativewritingprompts.com): A very simple site with only one purpose – to give you hundreds of…well, creative writing prompts. Merely highlight one of the prompts with your mouse and give the challenge a go. I found this site trying to find the best sites for you guys, so this is just as new to me as it is to you. I shall be using it again.

8.) Babynames (www.babynames.com): There’s not much to tell about this website. IT GIVES YOU NAMES.

9.) Phrases (www.phrases.org.uk; www.phrases.net): Two different websites, both just as good. I know I’m cheating a bit here having two websites in one go, but they basically do the same thing – find a articular phrase and then learn of its origin. There are also quotations and conversions to be had on www.phrases.net, but I think it’s www.phrases.org.uk that has the edge.

10.) Writers FM (www.writersfm.com): I recently discovered this site, also because I was looking for ones to put on this post. It’s a live 24/7 radio station (although only available on the internet) created by writers, for writers, and I’ve been listening to it for about fifteen minutes every day. They do interviews with authors such as Bernard Cornwell and play music. If not for the witing tips, then listen to it for the sheer entertainment value.

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What do you think should be the 11th website on this list? Comment below!