Quote of the Day
October 9, 2015
“You might not write well every day, but you can always edit a bad page. You can’t edit a blank page.”–Jodi Picoult
Author: Alan Rutkowski
Wokulski’s Sacrifice
October 9, 2015
He fashioned an altar And placed upon it a fantasy To which he sacrificed his reality And traded his carnality For the celibacy of expectation
Killing Adjectives
October 8, 2015
Mark Twain once wrote, “If you catch an adjective, kill it.” It’s good stylistic advice, although Twain was exaggerating, of course. We couldn’t very well kill off all adjectives. “What color was the dog that bit you?” “What?” “The color of the dog?” “Uh…” But using too many adjectives (and adverbs) is a common mistake … More Killing Adjectives
Quote of the Day
October 8, 2015
“We’re the most aggressively inarticulate generation to come along since, you know, a long time ago!” ― Taylor Mali
Crow Theology
October 8, 2015
I feed crows. I am definitely not alone. People have probably felt a need to feed crows from time immemorial, but recent documentaries on crows and crow behaviour have certainly increased their admirers. Crows are very intelligent. There is a video of a crow fashioning a straight metal wire into a hook that allows it … More Crow Theology
Active and Passive Voice
October 7, 2015
Anyone who has to do much writing needs to understand the difference between active and passive voice. Look at the following sentences: Gloria parked the car under the bridge. The car was parked under the bridge by Gloria. The car was parked under the bridge. The first sentence is in the active voice; the second … More Active and Passive Voice
Quote of the Day
October 7, 2015
“A physicist friend of mine once said that in facing death, he drew some consolation from the reflection that he would never again have to look up the word ‘hermeneutic’ in the dictionary.”–Steven Weinberg
Say What You Mean
October 6, 2015
Once on a bus I overheard a couple of teenagers having a conversation that sounded something like this: “So, I’m like… and she’s like…So, I go…” “You didn’t! So, she’s like….. and you’re like…” “Yeah, no kidding!” “Get out!” No one could accuse these kids of being wordy. The staccato phrases were accompanied by facial … More Say What You Mean
Quote of the Day
October 6, 2015
“If people cannot write well, they cannot think well, and if they cannot think well, others will do their thinking for them.”–George Orwell
Orwell Again
October 4, 2015
George Orwell’s Rules of Good Writing Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print. Never use a long word where a short one will do. If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out. Never use the passive where you can … More Orwell Again
No Harm Spilt 