Category: Writing for Web and Tips

Quick posts and tips that teach you how to write and enhance clean, effective Web content.

If You Want to Write: How to Handle Rejection

On By R. PettyIn Books, Writing for Web and TipsLeave a comment

Unless you have never left your house, you know what rejection feels like. It’s gut wrenching. Your heart hurts. There’s a lump in your throat. And when you’ve poured yourself into a manuscript, only to receive a rejection letter, how do you pick up the pieces and move on?

In this chapter, Ueland shows the difference between what she considers ‘good’ writing and ‘better’ writing. In her opinion, it’s all about the way in which you tell your story. I learned it’s purely subjective. What one thinks is compelling and well-written another may find boring and mediocre.

That’s the trick to overcoming rejection letters. It’s a matter of opinion. It doesn’t mean you’re a bad writer or that your manuscript sucks; it just means your work is not what that publisher is looking for.

“This manuscript of yours that has just come back from another editor is a precious package. Don’t consider it rejected. Consider that you’ve addressed it ‘to the editor who can appreciate my work’ and it has simply come back stamped ‘Not at this address’. Just keep looking for the right address.”

― Barbara Kingsolver

So, what can you do to keep looking? Here are a 10 tips:

  • Never give up. Keep sending, writing, and sending.
  • Remember that a lot of crap and awesome stuff gets published. I bet you’ve come across a book and thought, “I could have done better than this.”
  • Be yourself. Let your natural gifts shine and show passion in what you do. If you’re excited, others will be too.
  • Blog/write about it. Writing about your submission experiences can be therapeutic and help others get through their own obstacles. Be open and honest.
  • Be realistic. Ever heard “Don’t quit your day job”? Follow that advice and don’t expect to become a star overnight.
  • Do your research and get creative. Send it to lesser-known publishers, too. Follow all the rules and guidelines per submission, and have fun. It doesn’t matter who publishes it as long as it’s available.
  • Release it in parts on a blog and build an audience and followers. Readers are loyal, and if they love the story, they’ll stop and read it.
  • Self publish an e-book. Amazon is a well-respected rite. You never know what will happen.
  • Set up a Kickstarter campaign and get the word out. People love contributing to these projects, and I was a small contributor to this one: Apocalypse Now. It was a cool experience and works!
  • If you’re set on going the traditional route, then save some money and contact a publisher. For a fee, they may publish and distribute the book for you.

With these in mind, I’d like to give a shout out to my good pal Kevin who recently published his first novel, Crazy Lucky Dead. It was a great project to work on, and I hope you all will check it out!

Read about how to start your own blog, and share any tips you have below!

How to Use a Semicolon

On By R. PettyIn Grammar and Punctuation, Writing for Web and TipsLeave a comment

GrammarTips

Semicolons (;) are sexy when used correctly. They are so cool, they can not only replace a comma but also an entire word. Many writers often misuse them or use a comma instead.

Some writers discourage semicolon usage in Web writing because they are hard to see, but sometimes you have to use them in order to save space and manage your tone. Periods are often hard stops, and semicolons are a good way to keep the reader reading and keep you from sounding abrupt.

Common terms used in this post:

Conjunction = A word that connects words or groups of words. Eg: and, but, or

Here’s a quick guide to semicolons:

Rule 1: Use a semicolon to join two complete sentences if you want to eliminate the conjunction.

Example: We’ll talk tomorrow; I’ll give you the details.

Rule 2: Use a semicolon between two sentences with a conjunction if the first sentence has a comma.

Example: When I finish the list, I will email you; and you can start your project.

Rule 3: Use a semicolon before introductory words such as however, therefore, and for example, if they introduce a complete sentence. Then use a comma after the introductory word.

Example: I went to the bookstore; however, I did not find the book I needed.

Rule 4: It is acceptable to use either a semicolon or a comma before an introductory word if it introduces a list. Use a comma after the introductory word.

Example: I bought all of my supplies; for example, pens, paper, stapler, and laptop.

Example (with comma): I bought all of my supplies, for example, pens, paper, stapler, and laptop.

Rule 5: Semicolons separate multiple units that have commas within them. Think multiple cities and states. Note the semicolon before and.

Example: We traveled to Chicago, Illinois; Nashville, Tennessee; and Austin, Texas.

For those punctuation nerds out there, check out the 13 little-known punctuation marks. My favorite is the sarcmark; what’s yours?

Sources: The Blue Book of Punctuation and Grammar, my brain

How to Change Passive Voice to Active

On By R. PettyIn Grammar and Punctuation, Writing for Web and Tips2 Comments

GrammarTips

Recently I have noticed an increase in passive voice, and many people don’t know how to correct it. Passive voice is not grammatically wrong, but you usually want to avoid using it because the quality and clarity of your writing may suffer. This is especially important in articles and other nonfiction writing when every word matters.

What the heck is passive voice? Passive voice is an indirect way of writing something. Once you learn the differences and how to spot it, you can easily edit sentences into active voice.

Common terms used in this post:

Subject = Performs the verb and usually comes at the beginning of the sentence

Verb = the action of a sentence

Object = the thing the verb was done to, often at the end of a sentence

How to spot passive sentences:

The subject of the sentence becomes the object, or it is dropped entirely.

The object becomes the subject.

There is often a ‘to-be’ verb or the prepositions ‘of’ or ‘by’.

Examples:

1. The population of the city grew by more than 20 percent this year.

2. The award was won by the school system.

3. Rodgers has been throwing the ball at his coach.

4. The store was not open.

Now, look at the above sentences and ask, “how can I rewrite that in a more straightforward way?” This rewrite may change passive to active. Many times if you switch the current subject and object in the sentence, the sentence will be active (example 2). Also, making the subject possessive may work (example 1), and if you are ambitious, try to replace two or three words with one (examples 3, 4).

Here are the rewrites:

1. The city’s population grew by more than 20 percent this year.

2. The school system won the award.

3. Rodgers threw the ball at his coach.

4. The store was closed.

If you’d like to practice editing into active voice, try these tests. They will even grade them! 🙂

Towson University

English Club

Sources:

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/539/02/

http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/passive-voice/

http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/passive

If You Want to Write: The Creative Mind

On By R. PettyIn Writing for Web and TipsLeave a comment

“… The more clear, tranquil, and unstimulated you are, the slower the ideas come, but the better they are.”

The human mind is a complex and beautiful thing. We process so much information so quickly, sometimes I am amazed that our heads do not literally explode. I know I have felt like mine wanted to.

In Chapter 4 Ueland discusses ideas, inspiration, and creativity in relation to the mind. She states, “Inspiration comes very slowly and quietly.” The inspiration she refers to isn’t that light bulb that goes off and then the words just pour on a page; she describes inspiration in the sense of our ideas and the quality of what we write.

You Don’t Always Have to Be Busy

Ueland explains that we do not always have to be energetic and active in order to have good ideas or write. Instead of wracking our brains and expecting the ideas to flow, we should sit and reflect for a short time. Use this quiet time to clear your mind and find your own voice.

I admit I thought this was bad advice at first. She wanted to me to sit in front of my laptop and try to get a post idea without doing anything? That seemed nuts, but she was right. I took some me time, cooked dinner, and did not think about my post, and it all came together. Maybe resting the mind is needed for good creativity.

There is a fine line between laziness and reflection though. If you lay around and watch TV or read, you are still doing something. You are being lazy. It’s not always a bad thing, but if you need and want to do something and are watching a movie instead, you should think about how that movie accomplishes your goal. That, my friend, is procrastination.

Other Tips About Creativity:

— Be your own critic. Do not worry what others will think.

— Stay away from stimulants and/or drugs that cloud your mind and judgment.

— Be happy with your work. It is more important that you love and are proud of your product. And I bet, if you truly love it, others will too.

— Don’t stress writer’s block. Instead, use that time as your quiet time and jot down ideas or notes. Even those will help you develop thoughts and processes.

We place so much pressure on ourselves, we forget that our minds work at their own pace. We can beat our head against a wall, and nothing good will come out. You can’t force a good idea. I also recommend yoga for exercise and reflection. I have had some of my best ideas come to me about work, family, and for friends in meditation. And it only takes five minutes. We can all work in five minutes and rest our brains.

I hope these tips help those who are struggling with ideas or projects. Sometimes the best thing to do is sit in front of the screen and look out the window. If you have any tips on how you relax or stop thinking, feel free to share below!

Hyphen Help with Words

On By R. PettyIn Grammar and Punctuation, Writing for Web and TipsLeave a comment

GrammarTips

As we discussed in Hyphen Help, there are specific rules for using hyphens with words. And the dictionary is your friend.

This week, I’m going to cover the rules of hyphens with one word. Should you use a hyphen or combine the prefix and root word? It depends.

Common terms used in this post:

Prefix = comes at the front of a word (two to four letters)

Suffix = comes at the end of a word (two to four letters)

Proper noun = A particular person (being) or thing, capitalized

Vowel = a, e, i, o, u, sometimes y

Root word = a word within a word that has a prefix or suffix

* Most times it is okay not to use a hyphen. If in doubt, look it up or go without. The following rules are when to use a hyphen with a word:

1. Use a hyphen when a prefix comes before a proper noun. As you can see combining them would look a little odd because the proper noun is capitalized.

Examples: un-American, non-Baptist

2. Use a hyphen if a prefix ends in a or i and the root word begins with the same letter.

Examples: semi-intoxicated, ultra ambitious

3. Hyphenate all words that begin with self. The only exceptions are selfish and selfless.

Examples: self-addressed, self-supporting

4. If the prefix is -ex, use a hyphen.

Examples: ex-husband, ex-Marine

5. If the prefix is re-, only use a hyphen when re- means again and not using a hyphen would create another word.

Examples: re-sort vs. resort; re-creation vs. recreation; re-covered vs. recovered

When to not use a hyphen and just combine the parts to create word:

1. When a prefix ends in one vowel and a root word begins with a different one, combine them.

Examples: antiaircraft, coauthor, preamble

2. If you get a double e or double o, combine the parts. However there are exceptions, so be sure to look it up if you are not sure.

Examples: cooperative, proactive

Exceptions: co-owner, de-emphasize

(The only reason I could see these being exceptions is because they would look odd without the hyphen. If you know the rule, or have another opinion, I’d love to hear it!)

Sources: The Blue Book of Punctuation and Grammar, merriamwebster.com, my brain

Hyphen Help

On By R. PettyIn Grammar and Punctuation, Writing for Web and Tips4 Comments

GrammarTips

Good grammar and punctuation can make or break a post. It can make or break a chance for a job interview, promotion, or even getting a date. Good grammar and punctuation show attention to detail and how much you care about your work.

I spend a lot of time explaining grammar rules. It’s especially important for professional writers and editors to know the rules, so they can improve their projects and offer good feedback. For this first grammar tip post, I chose hyphens because I’m asked more questions about them that any other type of punctuation.

Hyphen (-)

Hyphens, like commas, are tricky and have several rules. A hyphen is used to combine words to form one idea. Here is a breakdown of the rules for compound words. A later post about single words, like co-owner, will follow soon.

* An important hyphen tip is to first look up the word in the dictionary. If you can’t find it, then read these rules to see what fits.

Common terms used in this post:

Compound = two words combined to create one idea

Noun = A person, place, thing, or idea

Verb = A word that shows movement or action

Adjective = Words that describe a noun or pronoun

Adverb = Words that modify everything else (verbs, adjectives, adverbs, etc.)

 

1. Is the compound noun one word or two? If you can’t find it in the dictionary, make it two words.

Examples: eye shadow, ballpark, hot dog

2. Verbs are two words, nouns and adjectives are one.

Examples: clean up (verb) vs. cleanup (noun)

3. Compound verbs either have a hyphen or are one word.

Examples: downsize, upshift, to air-condition the house

4. Hyphenate two or more adjectives when they come before a noun. However, if you can use the word ‘and’ in between the adjectives, use a comma.

Examples with hyphens: family-friendly, reddish-brown, funny-looking

Examples with commas: tall, smelly (tall and smelly); cute, sexy (cute and sexy)

5. When compound adverbs that do not end in -ly come before a noun, use a hyphen.

Examples: well-known, much-needed, top-notch

6. Hyphenate numbers twenty-one (21) through ninety-nine (99)

7. Hyphenate all spelled out fractions.

Examples: one-third, one-half, seven-eighths

 

If you have special tips or want to share more examples, do so in the comments section below!

Source: The Blue Book of Punctuation and Grammar