Grammar and Writing Tools

GRAMMAR TOOLS

LIE AND LAY

Lie (to recline): She lies quietly. Last night, she lay quietly. For years, she has lain quietly.

Lie (to fib): He lies. Yesterday he lied. Frequently he has lied.

Lay (to place): She lays it there. Yesterday she laid it there. Many times has laid it there. (When lays means "to place," it's always followed by an object, the thing being placed.) 

WRITING TOOLS BY ROY P. CLARK

Play with words, even in serious stories. Choose words the average writers avoids but the average reader understands. 

SOLUTIONS TO COMMON WRITING MISTAKES BY BOB MAYER

#5 Thinking You're the Exception to the Rule

Why this is a mistake: This is where things start to get sticky.

Too many beginning writers want to be artists before they learn the

craft of writing. They think they can do whatever they want because,

after all, it’s “just writing.” They go to the bookstore and see books

published in which, for example, the author uses no punctuation.

So, they believe, there are no rules.

Actually, there are rules. There are rules as far as grammar and punctuation.

There are also rules to craft. There are rules to the business. And

writers, especially those trying to break in, best not believe they are the

exception to the rules (even though, as you will see shortly, there are indeed

exceptions to every rule).

There is a tendency for people to think most artists are overnight

successes. While there are some, they are the exception to the rule. But

you aren’t. Not yet.

The Solution: Learn the rules. Accept that, initially, you’re not going

to be in a position to do much rule breaking. Accept that there

are reasons there are rules. Accept that those people who do strange

and bizarre things to draw attention to themselves, draw attention

to themselves that they really don’t want to have.

Also accept that you don’t know the full story behind the successes

of those people who broke the rules. There is an inside story to everything,

and when you get further into the business of writing, sometimes

you learn that the rule-breakers were successful for reasons other

than the apparent ones.

Whatever type of writing you want to be successful in, accept that you need to work your way up in the craft by learning the basics, the rules. Writing is like any other profession in this way.