| Worriedly hurriedly |
[28 Jun 2009|04:10pm] |
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mood |
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 cheerful |
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Reb, Abelina, markperk and Slayme.
Especially and likely I don't likely very much, but they sort of slide along, but Worriedly! and Hurriedly! They tear a big gouge in the page. You're lulled into the storyworld, you're wondering, when is Spike going to get laid and SCREECH there is worriedly! No, it just cannot be tolerated.
Categorize is an okay, if somewhat stuffy word. Why not "sort." A plain, household sort will to the job most of the time. I'd rather have categorize any day over ---- signalize. There's a nasty word if ever there was one.
As for a substitute for worriedly, good writing is the substitute. If you want to show that Spike is worried, have him fire up a cigarette or three, have him pace around the crypt and pull his hair. Have him say, "Bollocks, I'm worried."
I don't know what got my panties in a bunch today, but there it is.
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| Adverb abusers you know who you are |
[28 Jun 2009|12:45pm] |
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mood |
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Spikez_tart stamps her foot, pulls out her hair, screams, pouts and breaks into heaving sobs. WORRIEDLY IS NOT a WORD!!!!!
Hurriedly may be a word, but if you use it, you should be spanked.
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| doozies |
[27 Jun 2009|05:21pm] |
Quick doozy for today, submitted by ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) maryperk73703 who found the following mix up:
cowered (v - cower) - cringed,shrank away from Xander cowered in front of the angry demon, hoping he could keep it talking until Buffy showed up to kill it.
coward - a person who is afraid Xander was not a coward, but he was very aware of his own human vulnerabilities when squaring off against super-powered beings.
A few reminders:
bare - naked, to uncover or expose
bear - to endure, tolerate, carry a weight and so on.
That is all...I am idealess today.
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| post rec |
[23 Jun 2009|07:58am] |
Here's a link to an entry in workerbee73's journal that talks about betas and the value of having and being a beta. Very well done and mentions some things I may or may not have brought up before. Definitely worth a read (or worth an anonymous passing on to someone you think could use the advice...) It can be found here:
http://workerbee73.livejournal.com/30071.html#cutid1 or, if that doesn't work, just click on her name above and scroll through recent entries for the one about betas.
ETA: one thing she talks about is the importance of having some sort of compatibility between author and beta. Not something I have mentioned, but very important. If you don't like the same kinds of fic, if your writing skills are not more or less equally competent, if you just don't get along, chances are the relationship is going to be short and unhappy. You don't have to be BFF, but you do need to respect each other and be in agreement on a lot of important issues. She says it better - read and be informed. :)
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| doozies |
[18 Jun 2009|06:27pm] |
here are some things to think about:
every day means each day "Every day I come over here, and every bloody day, you try to act like you don't expect it."
everyday - adjective - means daily, ordinary Spike showing up at the Summers home was becoming an everyday occurrence.
everyone - pronoun - every person "Come on, everyone! Let's go!"
every one - pronoun - each one "You're all crazy. Every single one of you."
These distinctions are common for many other words also. Anyway, any way, anything, any thing, anyone, etc. It's important to think about the context of the word and what you are actually trying to say in order to know whether you want the compound word or two separate words.
As usual, posted in a hurry with little or no proofreading. Let me know if I've typed something embarrassing. :) (or, something that would be embarrassing if it weren't becoming such a tradition that I have some sort of boo boo in every post here...)
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| A grainy doozy for you |
[16 Jun 2009|09:42am] |
I've seen this far too many times and I just spotted an example of it again today.
Barely - (adverb) meaning only just or scarcely.
The sword swung and Spike barely managed to jump out of the way before it cut off his head.
Barley - (noun) a type of hardy cereal, used as food and in malt liquors (such as whisky).
"Would you like to try the special today?" the waitress asked. "It's vegetable barley soup."
This might be a case of misunderstanding where to put the 'e' when adding 'ly' to a word to form an adverb. In any case, I've come across several writers who constently use barley when they clearly meant barely.
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[15 Jun 2009|09:26pm] |
Doozies –
quit – kwit (short “i” as in it)
quite – kwite (long “i” as in white)
quiet – kwy-et - (long “i”, two syllables)
To quit means to stop or give up - Spike didn’t know when to quit when it came to teasing Buffy.
quite – is an adverb that means completely or whole; it is also used to indicate the extent. “That is quite a right hook you’ve got there, Slayer,” Spike said.
quiet – little or no noise, hushed “You don’t seriously expect Spike to be quiet, do you?”
Had a request for your/you’re/yore – but surely we don’t’ need to cover those???? Your request for a story from the days of yore will prove that you’re serious about learning more. I think I just did them the other day, didn’t I?
Crap, I had another one, but now I can’t remember what it was. *sigh* Old age sucks…
Haven’t had very many replies to the question of “floor” vs “ground” the other day. Shall I assume (based on the responses I did get) that calling outdoor surfaces “floor” is just a weird kink some people have and not a common expression used in the UK? If that’s the case, then it can become a doozy –
Floor is used to refer to interior surfaces – the floor of a multi-storied building, the floor of a house, the floor of the basement and so forth.
Ground is the word to use when referring to outdoor surfaces. You leave the floor of a building, and go outside to walk upon the ground. Does that make sense?
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| Where are your feet? |
[14 Jun 2009|08:41pm] |
Again, from a discussion on the forum at the Bloodshedverse, we have the floor/ground debate. Here's the basic sitch:
ground - used to mean dirt, grass, whatever is under your feet outside. Not sure I would include concrete sidewalks, tarmac, etc in that...
floor - what's under your feet when you are indoors.
Okay, the discussion was - how can people possibly confuse these? My contribution, based on the first time I ever heard someone use "floor" for ground and on where I've seen it used since, is that it is a British thing.
So, UKers, is that common terminology in the UK? Or have I imagined seeing it used like that only from British writers?
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| Doozy! |
[13 Jun 2009|09:26pm] |
From the Bloodshedverse forum (where there is an ongoing discussion sparked by alwaysjbj's post about "a" and "an", BreathesStory commented on the often incorrect use of "silently" vs "quietly".
Silently means - one would think quite obviously - that there is no sound. So to write Buffy leaned over and said to Spike silently,"Let's get out of here and go kill something." would be to indicate that they were communicating telepathically. :) She might whisper to him quietly, however...
ETA
Also mentioned in the forum responses were than/then, defiantly/definitely, site/sight/cite, and your/you're/yore. (those last two have an extra word added by me). I'm positive these are all in the memories, and probably in the word usage tags, but just in case...
than - a conjunction and a preposition, it is used to introduce the second part of a comparison (I am fatter than you are) or to introduce an exception or contrast.
then - adverb - used to denote time (I will go on a diet, then I won't be fatter anymore.)
Definitely should always be spelled definitely - unless you are trying to be deliberately defiant by spelling it defiantly - which would be wrong.
site - to place something in a particular spot/or to be a particular spot. ( I have a website. Have you found a site for your new house?)
sight - having to do with vision. (You are a sight for sore eyes. My eye sight isn't what it used to be...)
cite - to quote as an authority (Giles cited the Council's Slayer Handbook when teaching Buffy about demons)
Your - not my or their (Your hair is messy; here's a comb.)
You're - contraction of you are (You're a twit!)
Yore - olden times (days of yore)
PS: I'm drugged and sleepy. Holler if you see something wonky about the post.
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| A and An |
[13 Jun 2009|09:08am] |
'A' and 'an' are something I regularly see mixed up, usually with people erring on the side of 'an' and giving us an vampire when we really should have a vampire.
'A' is used in reference to one of something, unless that particular something starts with a vowel sound...so in order to get an 'an' it doesn't have to be a vowel, just a vowel sound.
For example: we would have an hour because, although hour starts with h, it is silent so the word starts with a vowel sound.
And of course, because we all come from different parts of the world and have different accents, it can't always be that nice and simple--which words are preceded by 'a' or 'an' will vary in some cases depending upon where you come from and how the words are pronounced. One example of this (and I'm sure there will be others, this was the only one I could think of) is herb. For those of us who pronounce the 'h' it would be a herb, for those who use a silent 'h' it would be an herb.
ETA: As pointed out by gillo: And "u" when pronounced as "you" doesn't count as a vowel sound - so I would never say
an unicorn
.
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| Let's talk smut... |
[08 Jun 2009|05:20pm] |
Okay, not me, personally talking smut, cause...um...you know - undignified for a mod. :) But here are some links to amusing or helpful sites. ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif) weepingcock ( http://community.livejournal.com/weepingcock/profile) is a community for posting (and reading) short, funny smutty things. Entries come from everywhere - published books, fanfic, whatever. Anything that sparks snorts and giggles rather than the intended heat is fair game. I took a peek at it and giggled once or twice.
The other is an essay, originally written ten years ago (according to the author) and reposted recently. Here's the link: http://dashakay.livejournal.com/136107.html She talks about writing smut, getting started, common pitfalls and so on.
Thanks to 51stcenturyfox for these two links. :)
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| You'll be what? |
[08 Jun 2009|12:16am] |
Spotted on a real estate listing:
"This house has a cozy, I'll be it, large and spacious design."
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| doozies |
[25 May 2009|06:40pm] |
We all know that the names of people being addressed are to be set off with commas, right? Do we all know that the rule includes nicknames and other forms of address? Luv, whelp, pet, bloody stupid git - all require being set off with commas if they are aimed at the person being addressed. And, by "set off", I mean including those that occur in the middle of a sentence. "Shut up, whelp, or I'll pop you one." "Come on, Spike, I want to go home now."
That's it for today. I just saw a fic that was written by someone who obviously knew that a name at the beginning or end of the sentence should be set off; but for some reason, he/she didn't think it needed to be if it was in the middle somewhere. It was driving me crazy; I had to vent. She had some other comma issues too, but that one was so frequent as to be impossible to ignore.
I had a word, too, but it's escaping me ATM. *sigh*
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| miscellaneous stuff |
[11 May 2009|05:21pm] |
Some interesting stuff today:
First, the ever helpful shakatany has provided the following link to an amusing article about the dash and semi-colon. http://www.standpointmag.co.uk/dashed-bad-form-may-09-counterpoints?
Then, in today’s Washington Post Style Section (www.washingtonpost.com), Hank Stuever has a fun article titled “The Trouble With Quibbles”. Not only might it be of interest to fans of various shows/movies/books, (it’s a bit of a Star Trek tribute and a review of the new movie) but some of the lessons can also apply to fanfic. Fun and interesting, with some thinky stuff about the restrictions that fans can put on the creativity of artists trying to rework someone else’s story and how those restrictions can sometimes ruin a movie. I think some of the ideas can be tied into the several discussions going on lately (my LJ, Rahirah’s, gabrielabelle’s, shaping_light’s) about writing canon fanfic. I’m particularly fond of his final words – something he calls “the basic law of forward motion in pop culture” -
“If you love something, they will remake it. But if you reallylove it, you will set it free and let them.” (of course, he’s talking about making movies from popular books or TV shows, but to some extent….)
Also in today’s Post, but in the Sports section, is Sally Jenkin’s wonderful tribute to Bud Shrake. Shrake was a writer for his entire adult life, and although her column is a tribute to the man she knew growing up (and a lovely one), there is lots of writerly stuff in it. One of the quotes she included that really resonated with me is attributed to Mark Twain: “The difference between the right word and almost the right word, is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.”
I apologize for not having direct links to the two articles. For some reason the computer at school wouldn’t allow me to copy the urls. I’ll try again at home before I post.
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| Writer Con 2009 |
[07 May 2009|09:09pm] |
Okay, Writer Con is asking people to sign up for the workshops they want to attend this year. As I have before, I'd like to attend (in addition to anything that I don't want to miss) those that will be of interest to this community. So, take a few minutes to look over the WC schedule of workshops and let me know what you're interested in hearing about in my post con reports.
Here's what I know so far:
"Inner Lives: Discovering Story Through Exploring Character", led by Herself_nyc
"The Big Picture: Writing Larger Story Arcs", led by Anaross
"Writing Relationships Without Sex", led by Anaross
"Tell It Like It Is: Review Writing", led by Neadods
"Writer's Salon", led by Mosca
"Sharks Vs Jets: Writing Fight Scenes", led by RM
"Backwards and Forwards: Writing from Unconventional Places in the Narrative" (still staffing)
Just so you know, right now I'm leaning towards Review Writing, Relationships without Sex, and either The Big Picture or Inner Lives. Have no idea how many will be in conflict with each other, but I'll find that out soon I suppose.
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| Wretched retching |
[07 May 2009|01:19pm] |
Wretch - an unfortunate person. The beggar child held out its hands, but William hurried away to avoid the little wretch.
Wretched - unhappy or miserable, of poor quality, ill or unwell. Buffy woke up from her night of drinking and kitten poker feeling absolutely wretched.
Retch - attempting to vomit, dry heaving, the motion of vomiting. The smell in the alley was so awful, William began to retch.
Retched - past tense of retch. William retched from the horrible smell in the alley.
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| Doozies |
[05 May 2009|08:10pm] |
I don't think I've done these yet -
whet - sharpen the blade of a tool or weapon; arouse or stimulate someone’s interest or desire Spike was able to whet Buffy’s appetite for violence by following it up with mind-blowing sex.
wet - not dry
Here’s a funny one from shakatany
I found this in New Scientist:
“Fancy hairstyles for computer bosses
Have we just been denied the sight of dazzling new haircuts on the heads of IBM executives? Before the recent purchase of Sun Microsystems by the software company Oracle, David Malarkey read in a newsletter from IT Pro: "IBM specifically still appears keen to open up its coiffeurs and make a play for Sun..."
I saw another doozy this week, but now I can't remember what it was. Oh well, it'll happen again, no doubt. :)
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| Soulful |
[02 May 2009|12:36am] |
I think most people in the Buffyverse have this one covered, but sowewhere recently I noted that a writer had used "soul" when they meant "sole".
So,
Soul - that thing that Spike and Angel have.
Sole - the bottom of something (ie, a foot, a shoe). Also, the only one, as in "Buffy was the sole Slayer". It can also mean something like, belongs only to, as in, "Buffy held the sole responsibility for slaying". It is also a type of fish.
Seoul - a Korean city ;)
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| new writing community |
[30 Apr 2009|07:38am] |
Snagged from the wonderful source of all things newsy, petzipellipingo:
Community pimpage : Writing_Buffy : This is a community for writers, beta readers, and just plain readers of fanfiction related to Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel: the Series. AUs, comicverse, strictly tv canon... It's all good here.
This is not a place to post fanfiction. It is, however, a place to get fired up about it. Think of this as a support group to discuss the process of writing: inspiration, mental blocks, different approaches to characters, and such.
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