Brushing Up and Being a Grammar Nerd

I like being a Grammar Brat.  The more I learn, the less — I realize — I actually know. But that's what progress looks like. Our language is a defiant, mind-boggling fiend, I tell you!

Meh.

We Grammar Brats love the processes of explaining and fixing and teaching . . . even if we ourselves are in the same boat (hahaha, yes, we're hypocrites, a lot of us). The thing is, English Grammar and mechanics are very fluid depending on the style, author preference, country, and even trade being written in. Fiction? No prob. Break as many rules as would give Grammar Professors heart attacks. (They'll be fine, I promise.) The thing to aim for in fiction is the general, updated consensus. Language changes, and those changes become accepted. Knowing the "rules" helps for a pleasing reading experience, and it makes your style strong and consistent, but the rules can be bent. 

As like many Grammar Brats, I couldn't help myself. I went on a help-spree on Skillshare, and I poked some holes in some editor/grammar tips when I noticed incorrect usage and the omission of information on 1) dialogue and quotations, 2) on modification of quotes using brackets, and 3) on a few other very important things which can help writers move from the novice stage to a more expert one.

(If you want some more writing tips that aren't so Grammar heavy, head here, to my free Wattpad book.  Otherwise, skim down for the extra Grammar tips I'd thought might be extra helpful and enlightening.)

Writing Tips

Welcome to My Crazy:

Sorry for being a stickler on grammar, but I want to help ensure your future viewers will have the best learning experience.  There were several mistakes and things not mentioned which I want to point out.  Other than that, you’ve given excellent advice and are quite accurate with most of your stuff.

Okay…

I saw nothing on interrobangs, yet I've seen many writers use them incorrectly.  The question mark always comes before the exclamation point, not the reverse, and only one of each punctuation should be applied, not multiple.

On Video 59:

The quote within the dialogue tag was incorrect on your third example, around the 1:23 time stamp.  The double-apostrophe belongs on the outside, framing set of dialogue tags, and the single-apostrophe signifies within it that the second set is something (said by another person) which is being reiterated by the current speaker. 

The same rule is applied to curved brackets, square brackets, and parentheses (in that order) in both math and English.  Further, commas always go inside of the dialogue tag or quote tag, even if the quote is part of a series of quotes.  It is the same for the period you placed outside of the quotation marks at the very end of that slide.  I believe the British rules allow for some variation in certain places, but in American English, this is the rule.  Clarifying this would help your future viewers greatly.

You mentioned nothing about indented quotes within text, where the quote exceeds a certain number of lines or sentences and must be separated entirely from the paragraph.  In that case, the paragraph ends with a colon, just before the beginning of the long quote.  That long quote is then moved down the document / essay / work.  Then, that whole quote-paragraph is indented, with the proper use of opening and closing quotations.  The first line of that indented paragraph is not given further indentation, either.  Next, ellipses within quotes indicate excess words not valid to the point of your argument, and using brackets around certain modified words within the quote signifies these changes were not part of the original quote itself, and it thus assures readers of accuracy and that there is neither copyright infringement nor plagiarism.

Another important note for quotations is when there are multiple paragraphs of extended dialogue, where quotation marks are treated another way not often intuited by novice writers.  There is no quotation mark at the end of the paragraph if the speaker’s dialogue continues into the next paragraph.  The next paragraph simply picks up a new opening set of quotation marks, and that dialogue runs until the speaker finishes, in which case the ending quotation mark is finally applied. 

On Video 61: In the case of dashes: there are more forms than the one you mentioned.  You used a hyphen where you should have used one of two other types of dashes: the N dash or the M dash.  (Neither are as short as the hyphen.) The N dash is the shorter of the two and the M dash is the longer.  Both N and M dashes serve to replace the same punctuation(s): a single comma gets a single N or M dash; a set of commas will be replaced by a set of N or M dashes; and a set of parenthesis will be replaced by a set of N or M dashes.  Depending upon the rules or common practices of the publisher, the N dash often has a space before and after, and the M dash does not.  A hyphen is not used by every publisher as the standard dash, as it can be too easily confused with something intended as a hyphen.  Visually, it is also an unpleasing differentiation where other alternatives can be used.

Another note on the dashes: both N and M dashes are interchangeable and depend upon the program being used and the publisher’s chosen guidelines—but they must be used consistently throughout a document.  One or the other, not both.  A twice-typed hyphen is automatically converted into an M dash in some programs but not in others, where it must be copied and pasted instead.  And if the copy and paste does not result in the intended N or M dash, simply typing two hyphens, one after the other--and with or without a space before and after the mark--will often suffice.  Again, ensure consistency when deciding whether to apply the space before and after.

Final note on video 61: no comma at time stamp 1:10 on your first example.

So, there you have it.  Some incredibly complex (yet easy to remember once put into practice) rules for beautiful punctuation!  It was very fun to correct another editor, haha!  I hope this was helpful!

Send me a message on my Contact Me form if you'd like to see some more grammar rules, or if I've missed something important!  The form is at the bottom of my home page at https://www.7bloodfire.com/.



And good grief, this would have been a perfect time to have worn my "Because...#Reasons" shirt!  I'd have felt quite smug, wearing that! If you purchase one, it goes toward helping me write more books, create more art, and give more advice. And you'd be my hero!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B084TT5M83?customId=B07536XX75&th=1

Book - Writing TIps

https://www.wattpad.com/story/6000021-writing-tips

Analyzing What You Read or Write

1. Does the summary (also known as the book blurb or jacket synopsis) hint at the story and / or introduce the book's dramatic question?

• A dramatic question is what keeps the story going and keeps us turning pages to find the answer, like "will the hero find the bomb in time to detonate it?" or "will the main character find true love despite everything that happens?"  Some writers call it the spark, or the hook.

2. Is the opening line of the book a strong one that draws interest?  Or does it dip into setting or exposition without hinting immediately (and concisely) that something of great importance is happening, is about to happen, or has just happened?  Is there a point to the actual description, aside from showing us where and when?  If not, it's boring and should not be the actual focus of the first paragraph(s).  In this case, add the setting in small doses between whatever is actually going on, as embellishment to the moving emotional state of the character, or as seasoning to the opening action.  Make sure you never have a static opening.

3. Does the opening paragraph draw interest or curiosity?  Or does it just dive into the "bobbing heads syndrome," where characters are talking and you have trouble relating to them or caring for them for a few pages?  Or, does it begin flopping about like a dead fish with pretty prose or circular, not immediately important, description?  Fix this, or many of your prospective readers will drop your book.  There doesn't have to be action, but reveal tension and apprehension from the very first line / paragraph / page / chapter.  Always consider this: How do I hook a reader from Word One?

• This step gives ideas on how to fix any weak spots in your own works, and it helps you to figure out what type of advice to give on others' works.  AVOID LAGGING IN THE FIRST FIVE PAGES.  The first five pages of a manuscript is one of the most important parts, where agents and publishers accept or deny, and it's where most readers keep the book or drop it.  (Many give only one to three.)  It is just as important as the synopsis on the jacket, and the cover image and title.

5. Does each chapter have some small theme or question that keeps interest and draws you to want to read farther?  Are these questions related in some way to the main goal of the characters throughout the book?  Are they related to or revolve around the big picture for this book?  How do they apply to the questions driving the series?  How do the questions change over the course of the book as the characters and situations change?

• Themes are things like "good versus evil," "rags to riches," "racial issues," "the bonds of family love," etc. Themes are one of the things agents and publishers look for, and they are one of the ways in which readers relate to the books they read.  You want your story to have high impact, right?

5. Do the descriptions need some extra work?  Suggestions for improvement?  Is it excessive in the wrong places?  Does it make your scenes lag in bad places?  Do the descriptions have undertones of tension or micro tension (as described by Donald Maas in his Writing 21st Century Fiction)?  I recommend that book highly, by the way.  It'll make things clearer for you than ever before.

6. What was your favorite / least favorite part of the book?  How can it be improved?  How can you turn it on its head?

7. How far did you write before it became difficult?  Or, if you are a reader analyzing a work, how far did you read?  The end?  The middle?  Do you think you'll continue reading this author, or writing this book or series?  Why?  What makes you passionate about it?  What is the work trying to say about life in general?

8. How highly do you recommend this book to other readers?  Scale from 1 to 5, if 5 is the highest.  How is your own work like this one?  How is it different?  Where do you fail where this one succeeds?  Where do you succeed where this one fails?

• This is a useful tool if you are doing reviews or want to revisit a work later for more analysis.  You can thumb through some of these notes in order to remind yourself what to strengthen.

9. Does the ending satisfy you?  How?  Is it because enough of the underlying questions were answered? (Like "Did the vampires find him?" or "Did she get the guy?" or "Was the world saved?")  Did you get the ending you expected?  Did it blow your expectations in a good way or a bad way?

• If you're writing - Alter your original ending.  The first ending you choose can be very, very wrong because likely, it will be what the reader predicts.  Even if you choose to stick to your original idea, how can you add a new twist to it?  What did the endgame cost?  What has the character had to sacrifice in order to finally achieve his or her goal?  And, how does that character apprehend this change?  A twist like this, under the skin of everything else that is more obvious, will give the story even more meaning.

10. Does the story feel too short or too long?  Can you explain what you feel is missing or what is too much?   If you read through the story during edits or other revision processes, are there places that you begin skimming over or have trouble focusing on?  Can you pair down anything that is excessive, circular, redundant, too purple (as in purple prose--look it up if you are not sure), or not focused enough?  Are there places where only one goal is obvious, or one single risk, and nothing else?

• Cut anything that meanders off point--like excessive sub plots that don't ultimately affect the book's main plot, but which are in there anyway because they were awesome.  (Save those for another story!  Or use them for free short stories to boost traffic to your stuff that is going to be on sale.)  Cut excessive backstory or exposition.  If you want exposition, create some side reading for readers who are interested, and publish those separately.  Detailed maps, concept art, genealogies, histories, etc.  Don't bog down the progress of your story by delving into a bunch of information that will only serve to get the reader to forget what is currently happening in the book.
• If it is too short, add more.  Go more in depth.  Begin asking "What If?"  Always imagine the worst.  Throw your character through a physical wringer as well as an emotional one.  Give the hero goals that contradict one another, and needs that make achieving those goals almost impossible.  Make the hero war with himself.  Turmoil and conflict.  Use it.
• Look at what happened in Chapter Eight; begin weaving hints of what is coming earlier in the book, like, say, Chapter Two.  Shift some of the character's ideas / morals / goals.  Make their original internal compass completely the opposite.  This will make change more difficult, more interesting, and more wrought with turmoil and conflict.  This is how you insert micro-tension and contrast, both of which are gold nuggets for writing.  The two convey change and motion even when there really isn't any.

11. What do you think were some other themes throughout the book, aside from the main one earlier?

12. What do you think the main dramatic question might have been?

• Sometimes this can be guessed by the genre, as Romances are often about whether or not the woman and / or her lover can conquer that which threatens to keep them apart .  In a Thriller, it may instead be: Will John diffuse the bomb in time to save the city?

13. What genre do you think this book belongs to, and in what age group?

• Does the story's tone and the writer's voice appeal perfectly to that age group?
• Is the writing too mature?
• Too old in style?  (Easy fix here, just pair down, simplify, and modernize your phrases and words a bit.  Only retain hints of the older style, and it will come across as archaic while also remaining understandable.)
• Too technical?  Tone down the jargon, but make sure your facts are right.
• Too immature?  (I'm sure that if you've ever been on Wattpad, you will have found books containing adult characters who pout and huff and stomp their feet like children, or who think the first kiss is the ultimate "encounter" of any relationship.  Ever.  And that once the first kiss is given, a character is ruined, becoming a pariah to all chaste beings everywhere, and numb to all other advances or proclamations of love.  Although some of them can have a first kiss with another character that is just as "amazing.")

If you guys want a more extensive list of questions to consider while you are reading or writing, let me know and I will compile a more comprehensive one for you.  This was kind of basic.

If you really want to know the ins and outs of every successful commercially published bestselling work of fiction, I still recommend Donald Maas's Writing 21st Century Fiction.  It is very, very informative.  Click the link below to find it on Amazon.

Writing 21st Century Fiction