Regarding Grammar

Grammar is the backbone of writing. It is what we all work with to insure that the reader knows exactly what we are talking about. As someone who is not only an English major, but someone who teaches English, I am always pushing to see quality grammar in writing. For those of you in the writing community, I always find it funny that one issue continues to show up time and time again.

AVOID PASSIVE VOICE.

This is something that countless English teachers drive into our heads when we are in school. "To make your writing stronger, NEVER write in passive voice. This rule is often clumped in with other rules such as: "Never start a sentence with because." or "Fragments and Run on sentences are bad."

The problem here is that there are a ton of exceptions to the rules in grammar, and especially, when writing fiction, these issues will arise. Since we use dialogue in our writing, our characters will use these "improper" forms of grammar more often than not.

Let me take the time first to define the concept of active and passive voice. This information is coming from the 7th edition of A WRITER'S REFERENCE by Diana Hacker. This is my "go to" text for all things writing. I know a lot of people think Strunk & White is the best, I have found that

Hacker really does an infinitely better job of talking about grammar.

When using Active Voice, the subject of the sentence is the initiator of the action - The surge of power destroyed the pumps." In the case of Passive Voice, the subject of the sentence is acted upon by the verb - "The pumps were destroyed by a surge of power." (Hacker 156).

Now, this is where I want to really go to Hacker. She notes, "Although you may be tempted to avoid the passive voice completely, keep in mind that some writing situations call for it." (Hacker 157)

The problem many writers face with grammar is that we can make things grammatically correct, but if the fluency of the writing is not there, that grammar is going to be counter-productive to what the writer is trying to achieve. In other words, sometimes writing in passive voice is going to sound better than writing in active voice.

Just because something is written in active voice does not always, as the definition implies, make the writing stronger. The strength of your writing comes from how you craft your sentences, how you use your words and how you make the characters jump off the page.

So, what should we take away from this? First of all, grammar, punctuation and spelling do matter when we write. We want to have the cleanest piece of writing possible to showcase our stories to the editors and agents. Secondly, we do not want to overly obsess about the grammar. If your attention is all on the grammar and you aren't thinking of the story, you will have nothing more than a grammatically correct piece of garbage. Finally, remember that your characters may use this grammar that would make English Grammar Freaks cringe. So what? That is how your character talks.

Hope this relieves some of your tension.

Grammar Tip For A Wednesday - The SEMI-COLON

I am someone who really loves this punctuation mark. The semi colon ROCKS! as far as I am concerned. Unfortunately, far too many people have no idea how to use the semi-colon, and I fear, this is one of the reasons why so many editors try to get people to avoid using it. Not that it doesn't work in the writing, but the editors simply don't want to spend the time teaching the writers how to use it correctly. I will also add that if you are someone who seriously uses your grammar checker, MSWord frequently recommends using a semi-colon when it is probably not the right place.

So, for all of you, here is your brief grammar lesson for the day.

Let's begin with the basics. If you notice, a semi-colon is made up of a period and a common. This is important for the first part of the usage.

When we use a period in our writing, we are separating two sentences. The same goes for a semi-colon. You have to insure that the phrase before the semi-colon is an independent clause (i.e. a sentence) and the phrase after the semi colon is also an independent clause (also a sentence). This means that there is a subject and predicate on either side.

The second part of the semi-colon is a comma. This means that it is connecting together two ideas that need to be combined. This, however needs to be more than simply a connection of the same topic. This is an idea concept. I always like to think that there is a relationship between the two ideas and separating them with a period simply weakens the thought, but bringing the ideas together really enhances the message.

Now, here is one more twist. The second clause after the semi-colon may or may not include a transition word or phrase. I am personally someone who believes if you are going to use a semi-colon, you add the phrase to show the connection between the two thoughts. These can be things such as however, on the other hand, furthermore and so on. As I said, though, you can just skip the phrase, but personally, if you are going to do that, I would simply recommend using a period.

It is this last point that the grammar checkers tend to recommend putting in a semi-colon. The programs sees words in the sentence that seem to suggest a subject and a predicate in the beginning and a subject and predicate in the end of the sentence. Remember, though, the computer cannot read so it has no idea if those are connected together.

If you feel your writing is choppy due to a lot of shorter sentences, using a semi-colon may add to the fluency of your writing.

Hope this one helps! If you want more information on these, check out my favorite grammar book, A WRITER'S REFERENCE 

When A Great Story And Bad Grammar Collide

As an agent, I am always frustrated when I hear a great pitch from an author, or the quick query letter gets me totally exited about a story, and then, when I read the project, things just fall apart. In simple terms, the writing totally sucks! What we are talking about here is the simple fact that so many writers are simply weak when it comes to basic grammatical conventions.

I know where this problem stems from. Public education simply does not teach grammar anymore. This stopped in the late 70's and early 80's with what educators called the "Whole Language Movement." The idea is that students would learn to write by writing. Today, we have a focus that apparently students will learn to write by reading literature (although they do very little of this).

To complicate matters, so many authors have fallen into the trap of believing, because they have their computers, the grammar checkers and spell checkers will catch things. We have two problems here. The first is that for most people, they are pretty much computer illiterate and don't realize that programs such as MS Word are only looking for roughly one third of the grammar issues. Unless the user goes in and intentionally makes adjustments to the program, they are missing out on so much.

The second problem is that the computer cannot read. It is taking guesses with what you are writing. It is looking for patterns. And, when it comes to checking for spelling, it is not looking at the words in context. Therefore, I could write, "He ran too his friend." there is technically no problem. All of the words are spelled correctly.

We also have the issue that, I do believe, many authors believe that if the story is good, then the publishers will have people clean up all of their pathetic mistakes. In reality, that story will never make it there because the grammar is so bad, the editors and agents will likely reject the story before it even makes it to contract.

Please understand, I am not saying that writers need to understand the nuances of dangling participles, but the basics of grammar including fragments, run-ons, comma splices, basic punctuation and certainly word choice need to be in place. When we read a query letter, or see a manuscript with obvious mistakes in it, we are immediately turned off. We may over-look some small mistakes, but too many will equal a rejection letter.

What we are talking about here is a basic communication concept of semantic noise. This is defined as: "a type of disturbance in the transmission of a message that interferes with the interpretation of the message due to the ambiguity in words, sentences or symbols use in the transmission of the message."

If grammar is not your cup of tea, then maybe (and I know this will sound harsh) writing is probably not the business you need to be in. Readers are expecting you to present a story that demonstrates quality writing, not just in the story-telling, but in the actual writing.

What Gooder Grammar Says About You As A Writer

I read a ton of submissions this last weekend and I was shocked at the number of "authors" with amazingly poor grammar. In all honesty, when I see query letters with mistakes like those I saw, I have to ask myself "What will the author's story look like?" I don't care if you have been out of school for a while, good grammar is important! This is not just for writers, but for anyone out there.

In a 2012 article in Forbes Magazine, Susan Adams pointed out:

When you speak, you project your level of intelligence and thoughtfulness. You also demonstrate how organized you are, in your thoughts and in your intentions. If you can get your sentences straight before you say them, you’re promising that you’re more likely to master tasks at work.

We talk a lot in writing about the principle of "show and don't tell." For writers, this is drilled into their heads as they craft their stories. But, for some reason, when it comes to those submission packets, I see and hear from far too many authors who seem to believe "it really doesn't matter." I am sorry to say this, but it does matter. Your use of correct grammar and punctuation "shows" the reader you have an understanding of what it takes to be a writer.

I know I have said this before on this blog, but I have two quotes I love to return to. The first is the Head and Shoulders commercial that states "You never get a second chance to make a first impression." The second is Hallmark that states "When you care enough to send the very best." Because we are living in a digital age, that email you send out IS your first impression. What does this say about you? And, when you do send something out with that poor grammar, this shows us "how much you care."

Maybe these issues are due to the editors and agents out there who claim they "don't really read those cover letters." I am always shocked when I hear this coming from people who are professionals in an industry revolving around the written word.  If they truthfully aren't reading those letters, then they are missing out on one of the easiest tools to get through that stack of submissions.

When I look at those cover letters, I get a sense of who this author is as a person. I can see the professionalism. I can see the dedication to the craft of writing. Does this mean the story is going to work? Not always, but, it does tell me if the story and the project is not going to work.

I would also warn the authors out there that a reliance on technology to insure the grammar is correct is probably the worst mistake you can make. The computers cannot read. The computers also are not checking for everything. Finally, the computers only suggest there may be an issue, not that there is really an issue. It is up to you to check that grammar mistake and not just "hope for the best."

If you think I am making a big deal out of this, think about the times when you have read a novel and found errors. Readers are always ranting about books with errors. Now, if you are one of those people who are complaining, think now about what you are sending out.

For those of you who are still puzzled about the grammar issues, I personally recommend the Diana Hacker and Nancy Sommers' text A WRITER'S REFERENCE. While this is a book that has an emphasis on academic writing, the grammar information is priceless.

I do recommend, if you are honestly thinking about writing as a career, take the time to learn that grammar! There are no excuses, especially in this industry.

Grammatical Pet Peeves

In the last couple of weeks, I have read query letters that clearly have demonstrated a lack of understanding, or maybe blatant abuse of basic elements of grammar. I have to say, this just frustrates me to no end. When editors and agents see grammar errors in things such as a query letter, this makes us question what the entire manuscript is going to look like.

Now, I do understand, there are many times in writing when we can successfully use grammar incorrectly. Hemingway did it all of the time. Joyce did it in Finnegan's Wake.  In poetry, we had ee cummings. The point though, is these authors knew what they were doing and why they were doing it.

For me, I really struggle with 4 mistakes that feel like fingernails down the chalkboard: Long, rambling 1 sentence paragraphs; fragments; run-ons and comma splices; and finally, the infamous semi-colon. I'm going to take some time today to talk about the issue and what you can do to fix the problems. Consider this Grammar 101 for the Holidays!

LONG RAMBLING 1 SENTENCE PARAGRAPHS
I get it. You have a lot you want to say and you are trying your best to pack all of that information into that query letter. But we have to remember the basic definition of a paragraph and why we use it, It is a block of information around one main idea (note I did not use the word topic). We also have to understand that we use it to make things easier for the readers so they can understand what you are talking about.

When we read something that goes on and on in a single paragraph, it makes us have to stop and probably re-read things. You have simply given the reader so much information, we can't hold on to it and remember it. It also creates a situation where the writing lacks fluency.

The solution for this is pretty simple. Return, at some level, to that formulaic writing of elementary school. This is when you had a paragraph that contained: a topic sentence, concrete details, commentary and a conclusion. Yes, this is pretty basic, but if you think of every paragraph in this fashion, you might find yourself with paragraphs that are easier to understand.

The second solution is to use that grammar checker on your computer. There is a setting on there to look for excessively long and wordy sentences. USE IT!

FRAGMENTS
Fragments are some of the most common mistakes we see in writing. The difficulty in fiction writing is that we do speak in fragments in real life. That part is fine so I don't have a complaint about that one when the characters are speaking this way. The concern comes when the author is doing it in the 3rd person narratives and certainly in the query letters and synopses.

The definition of a fragment is simply a group of words pretending to be a sentence. To be more specific, a fragment is a "sentence" that lacks any of the following:

1. A subject - what the sentence is about
2. A predicate - what the subject is doing
3. A subject AND a predicate
4. Incomplete subject and/or predicate - missing things such as a helping verb

You have three solutions for this one.
After you have found the fragments, because you are using your grammar checker or having someone else edit it for you, or you read it out loud and it sounded terrible:

1. Add the missing subject, predicate or helping verb.
2. Combine it with another sentence. 
3. Completely re-write it using new words.

RUN-ONS AND COMMA SPLICES
Run-ons and comma splices are often associated with our people in my first pet peeve. These are also people who just let the grammar checker fix the problems for them without knowing what it is doing.

These two mistakes can be grouped together into a common category of fused sentences. These are simply situations where the author has combined two or more sentences together into one sentence. The difference between the two is how the writer has done it. For example:

RUN ON: Air pollution poses risks to all humans it can be deadly for asthma sufferers.
COMMA SPLICE: Air pollution poses risks to all humans, it can be deadly for asthma sufferers.

In other words, the only thing the person did on the second one is to combine the two sentences by using a comma.

We have four solutions for this one:

• Make the two sentences into individual sentences.

Air pollution poses risks to all humans.  It can be deadly for asthma sufferers.

• Use a comma and a coordinating conjunction. You have seven coordinating conjunctions to pick from (FOR, AND, NOR, BUT, OR, YET, SO)

Air pollution poses risks to all humans, and it can be deadly for asthma sufferers.

• Use a semi-colon, colon or hyphen - I will talk about the semi-colon below.

Air pollution poses risks to all humans it can be deadly for asthma sufferers.

• Re-write the sentence completely

Although deadly to asthma sufferers, air pollution is harmful and poses risks to all human.




THE SEMI-COLON
Semi-colons rock! I love this punctuation mark because of the flexibility of it and what it can do to add to the complexity and depth of a piece of writing.

A semi-colon functions both as a period and a comma at the same time. In other words, the group of words on either side of the semi-colon are complete sentences. This is why this can be an option to fix those run-on's and comma splices. However, it also functions as a comma. When it does this, it is telling the reader these two sentences are carrying on the same thought and are much stronger when blended together. It tells the reader these two ideas are similar in theme and message - not just in topic.

Now here is where the pet peeve comes into play.

When we use a semi-colon to fix the run-on/comma splice problem, I personally feel if you want to make the two sentences sound like independent sentences, then use a period. If you do want to combine them, I personally recommend adding a transitional word or phrase (but not a coordinating conjunction).

Air pollution poses risks to all humans; however,  it can be deadly for asthma sufferers.

Too often, I can see authors using the semi-colon simply because the computer and their computer recommended it. Use it properly!


Just remember, using poor grammar says a lot about who you are as a writer. If you find you are getting a ton of rejections from those queries you are sending out, you might want to check the grammar. This might have a lot to do with it.

When Poor Grammar Gets In The Way

I know this might seem like a pretty common sense idea, but if you have poor grammar in your query letter, in your synopsis and in your manuscript, the reader will simply not get your message and will likely give up on you pretty quick. This is certainly not the result you want when you are sending a project to an editor or agent and it is their first glance at what you can do.

There seems to be this thought floating around out there that editors and agents are pretty lenient when it comes to the grammar. I do believe writers think that if the content of the story is good, the editors and agents will then take care of the grammar on their end. While this is partially true for the published authors who do have the benefit of copy and line editors, this is NOT the case for authors sending projects out for the first time. I would also add that if you are a published author sending in stories that are huge grammar messes, do not expect to see another contract very soon. You are just too lazy and making too much work for the people on the other side.

Let's start with a basic concept of communication called semantic noise. While this is often a concept found in speech and communication classes, it can equally be applied to the work we do in writing and publishing.

Semantic noise in communication is a type of disturbance in the transmission of a message that interferes with the interpretation of the message due to ambiguity in words, sentences or symbols used in the transmission of the message.

When we are talking about a disturbance in the transmission of the message, it is simply talking about how we understand what you have written. If a story has huge issues of grammar, spelling or other convention errors, it takes far too much work to get to the real heart of the story. The reader spends so much time dissecting the grammar and trying to figure out your sentence construction, that we end up missing the really good stuff about the plot and the character.

No, I am sorry to say this, but you cannot blame the poor grammar on "creativity." Yes, we understand that in dialogue, the characters may speak in fragments, but in the narration and the part of the story where YOU as the author are talking, we shouldn't see this. Yes, we understand that poor grammar might be a trait of the character you have written (for example Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn) but that is not an excuse for anything outside of that character.

What people fail to realize is that the rules of grammar are simply the rules of the road. Punctuation marks and all of those other conventions are there to tell us how to read the story and not how you write the story.

As an agent, when I receive a query letter, I am already making a judgement call based on how you have written that letter. While I will likely still look at your synopsis and partial, the odds are I have already made a decision that I am going to pass on a story, IF the author has a pathetic sense of grammar and spelling.

Yes, we can over-look a small error, but let me get this straight, we are talking 1 or MAYBE 2 small errors that could be attributed to being a typo. Of course I might be the exception here. Maybe other editors and agents are willing to teach you the basics of grammar and spelling we learned in the 4th though 7th grade, but I for one am not someone who will do this.

If you are going to call yourself a writer then you need to show you can demonstrate the basics of being a writer. If you really don't know these basics, you have a couple of choices: A) learn those skills before moving ahead with this career; B) find someone who is willing to do all of this work for you before you send it out; or C) find another career.

Scott's Horse Has A Word About Grammar

This is Sharper Eagle, here. I have taken over the blog today because I need to vent about things. BTW, I hope you love the selfie I took. Grabbed Scott's phone when he wasn't looking. Anyway, I am off the point here.

I took over today to vent about the poorly written stories, queries and synopses you have been sending to Scott. My bet is you are punishing a lot of other editors and agents with this same stuff. No, this is not necessarily a complaint about the stories you have written. I am complaining about the grammar and the fundamentals of writing.

I am sure you have no problem telling people you are a writer, but I have to say, in far too many of these submissions, you are simply not proving it and it all comes down to the grammar. Look, just because the publishers out there have copy editors and line editors looking over you work, this does not give you permission to simply disregard the basic rules of grammar.

You do understand that Scott is an English major. You do understand that he still does teach the basics such as English 101. So, when you send him a project with mistakes such as:

• Fragments
• Run - on's
• Comma Splices
• Subject-Verb agreement issues
• Misuses of basic punctuation such as semi-colons and commas

...you are not making a good impression.

To add to this, the formatting is atrocious.

You should be submitting your queries in a business letter format. There are styles for both e-mail business letters and snail mail business letters. You need to follow those formats. This is what a professional writer would do.

I have heard Scott make the comment before that writers need to "Care enough to send the very best." I think he said something about Hallmark using that line. I don't know who, but it is right on the money. If you are not clear on those basic rules of grammar - the stuff you were learning starting in the 4th grade - then maybe this isn't the business for you. If you do want to be a professional writer, then maybe it is time to start taking some courses in grammar. Heck, my bet is Scott will teach a session for you. I'd even give him up for a weekend so he can come to your writing group and teach a full weekend of grammar. Just ask him.

Maybe you should consider this. If I can write this post today, without fingers and only my hoofs, and I am doing this remotely using the Wi-Fi from my stall and typing it all using the keyboard on his phone, then I am sure you can do just the same with just a few resources:

• Read grammar books
• Go back to school if you have to
• Know how to really use your spell checker and grammar checker
• Proofread things before you send those submissions out

Who knows? Maybe you might reduce the number of rejection letters you are getting.

Now, if you will excuse me, I have an itch that needs some serious scratching and some hay that needs eating.

Writing Skills Are Universal

In the past, when I have mentioned to people that my "go to" grammar and writing guide is the Diana Hacker and Nancy Sommers text, A Writer's Reference and not the Strunk and White text, I am frequently faced with the same criticism. "You know Scott, that information is good but that is for academic writing and I do fiction writing (or insert any other form of "creative writing"). I have to say, I am very frustrated when I hear this. 

As someone who spends a lot of time with writing and grammar, I simply have not seen any book out there that says elements of grammar differ in one form of writing to another. Basic elements such as paragraphing, parts of speech, punctuation and so forth simply do not differ from one form of writing to another. Yes, we do know that we can use fragments correctly in cases of dialogue. We know in poetry, we can play around capitalization and punctuation. But when it comes to grammar, the rules are pretty much standard.

I bring this up because I see far too many submissions that seem to miss the mark. Now I do understand some of these people might not understand the rules of grammar and, for these people, we have a different issue to contend with. But, for those other writers, submitting projects with errors like this simply send the wrong message to editors and agents. 

Yes, we are very much aware of situations with a typographical error now and then. With the grammar, however, there is no excuse. There is a wealth of material out there to assist writers with the grammar. If anything, there is always the grammar checker if they know how to use it. 

We have to remember that sending grammatically incorrect documents is not going to get you to that happy place of being published.

And one final note. If you are someone deciding to pass on the traditional approach to publishing where there are editors and copy editors that might catch those mistakes, you need to be extra cautious. Hire someone if you have to!

Why A Demonstration of Strong Grammar and Punctuation is So Important In Submissions

I get it! Not everyone out there understands dangling participles or split infinitives. I get that the argument between passive and active voice can send people into tailspins. But, with that said, submitting a project to editors and agents that demonstrates poor grammar, or misuses of punctuation is a sure sign that you'll be seeing a rejection letter sooner than you want.

When I talk to writers about submissions, I always find myself returning to Hallmark's commercial and slogan, "When you care enough to send the very best." In the business world (and yes, I am including publishing in this group), we expect to see material that is well crafted and is pretty close to being free of those basic errors. Why? Because we often make a judgement or decision based on that initial perception. We will often ignore all of the good that person or company might have to offer if we see errors that should have been fixed before pushing print.

As an agent, when I see errors in query letters, or a synopsis, my next thought becomes, "So, if this smaller document has problems, what will I likely see in the 400 page manuscript this writer wants me to read?"

What are these errors that I find most often? Don't worry, I am not going to get hung up on effective use of fragments, or even run-on's or comma splices if the sentence makes sense. I'm talking about the basics here:

• Paragraphing
• Spelling of basic words
• Business letter or business email formatting
• Subject-Verb agreement
• Pronoun confusion

These are issues that I feel are pretty darn basic, and, can more than likely be fixed with actively using your spell and grammar checkers sitting idly on your computers.

I personally struggle when I hear editors and agents say they will over-look these grammar and spelling errors. I cringe when I hear a rejection will not come from typos. Now, maybe they are saying the same thing that I am. They won't reject for this but the odds are they will find issues in the manuscript. Still, sending the message that we will ignore the grammar and the spelling because, "in the end, it is all about whether or not I like the story" doesn't work well with me.

Grammar and spelling are the "rules of the highway" in written and oral communications. I do get that we will sometimes "accidentally" type something wrong in the computer. We may say "tot he" instead of "to the." We might miss the apostrophe "accidentally" and write "its" instead of "it's." I will give people that, the same way that we as readers are willing to ignore the one or two typos we find in a published book. Some accidents do happen!

But, when we have a clear lack of understanding, then I for one, cannot ignore it.

Please, Please, Please Edit

I find it interesting, when I teach writing in an academic setting, the only editing that takes place is usually basic grammar and "wordsmithing." When I work in the creative writing setting and publishing, writers spend all of their time editing content. Now, while this element is certainly important since writers are telling a story, not taking the time to edit for the basics of grammar, punctuation and spelling is a huge red-flag for editors and agents. This is especially the case when we look at the query letters, emails you send to us and the synopsis of your story.

Please understand, we are not completely inhuman with our obsession over grammar. In the end, we too are simply looking at the story, but, when the grammar mistakes are obvious, and certainly mistakes that a basic understand of writing would have fixed, then we simply cannot over-look these mistakes.

Fixing this is very easy, especially with the tools available to you within most writing processing programs. For example in MSWord 2010 using the grammar and spell checker can find an amazing amount of the problems. You might not get all, but at least you will get close. It goes like this:

 

You opening screen will look like this. We will move our mouse up to the tool bar section where you have the buttons for FONT, PARAGRAPH and so forth. When you get you mouse up there right click on it and you will get a screen that looks like this...

 

 

You will want to move down to the pull down tab to Customize the Tool Bar. This will get you to some amazing things you can do with your computer.

 

In this menu, go over to the PROOFING tab. This will get you a screen that looks like this. What you want to look for is the box in the third grouping that says something about check for GRAMMAR. Click on the button that says settings. This will get you a screen that looks like this.

 

 

What most of you will notices is that if only the GRAMMAR Button is clicked, then you are only looking for about 1/3 of the problems. By clicking GRAMMAR AND STYLE, you will get all of the boxes clicked (with the exception of first person). Once you have done this, you will find when your run your manuscripts through the grammar checker, a ton of the problems would have been found.

 

Now, I do have to stress again that you cannot rely 100% on the technology to save you. It still comes down to you knowing the proper grammar and checking it over for yourself.

 

I should also add that this includes properly formatted and structured business letters and business emails. Demonstrate you have the skills as a writer.

 

In the end, remember that "You never get a second chance to make a first impression." You just don't want to give the impression to the editor or agent that you don't know how to write.





A Little Bit of Grammar For A Thursday

I always laugh when I see judges in writing contests going balistic over some grammar issues. Now don't get me wrong. Grammar is VERY important and I am someone who does indeed focus on grammar when I read submissions. Inaccurate grammar usages does show that either the writer rushed through the submission, or simply is lacking the basic skills necessary. But, what I want to talk about today is some of the more controversial topics.

Before I go any further, the information I am talking about here comes from Diana Hacker's A WRITER'S REFERENCE (link for those of you obsessessed with having me put it here - CLICK HERE!)

Let's start with that whole issue of PASSIVE vs. ACTIVE verbs.

According to Hacker, a writer should try to "choose an active verb and pair it with a subject that names a person, or thing doing the action. Active verbs express meaning more emphatically and vigorously than the weaker counterparts - forms of the verb be or verbs in the passive voice." O.K. this is the rule that some of the hard-core grammar freaks will live on. Are they wrong? No. It is indeed true that active verbs do pack more of a punch than those in passive...but...

You have to read further...

Hacker goes on to note that the "passive voice is appropriate if you wish to emphasize the receiver of the action or to mimimize the importance of the actor."

In other words, there is indeed a time and place for both the active and the passive voice. Writers simply can't stick to one rule and obsess over this wording if it simply doesn't work in that case. Again, according to Hacker: "Although you may be tempted to avoid the passive voice completely, keep in mind that some writing situations call for it."

I like what she says later on in the text as well. When it comes to our writing, especially in fiction, we have to continually think about the fluency of the text as well as the entertainment factor for our reader. If the writing is dragging, we have to do something about it. Again, let me return to Hacker: "Not every be verb needs replacing. The forms of be (be, am, is, are, was, were, being, been) work well when you want to link a subject to a noun that clearly names it" but "if using a verb makes the sentence needlessly dull and wordy, however, consider replacing it."

The point of this small grammar lesson is simple. THINK as a writer. Find the wording that works the best to convey the meaning of the story. If it requires passive voice then please, ignore those freaks who yell at you that passive should never be used. The odds are, these same people also believe that paragraphs have to be exactly 7 sentences in length and that a paragraph must begin with a topic sentence in every situation.

Scott

Passive Vs. Active Voice - A Little Grammar For Tuesday

I wanted to spend some time this week to look at some specific issues when it comes to spicing up your writing. No, this is not about putting those hot scenes in between your hero and heroine; these are issues dealing with some specific writing strategies. I do have to stress, however, that just using these techniques will not make your story 100% ready for press. In other words, just using techniques properly does not replace quality writing, story development, character development and so forth.

So let’s start with the issue of passive vs. active voice.

I have heard a lot of writers complain about getting nailed in contests for writing in passive voice. For some reason, it has been drilled into our heads that passive writing is wrong (not simple weak) and active writing is the only way to go. This is far from the case.

Daily, we use passive voice all of the time. We speak in passive voice. We write in passive voice. Sometimes there is simply no other way to write it other than in passive voice. Still, understanding the differences and determining how we can make shifts in our voice to strengthen our writing is always important.

 Let’s start first with some definitions. I am going to go to my favorite grammar resource, A WRITER’S REFERENCE by Diana Hacker. Honestly, if you want the ultimate guide to everything grammar, this is the place to go to. Although the material deals heavily with an academic writing style, the strategies are still the same. By the way, I am using the 6^th edition today simply because my current 7^th edition copy is not with me.

 According to Hacker, “In the active voice, the subject of the sentence does the action; in passive voice, the subject receives the action” (151). So what does this really mean?

 In simple terms active and passive voice comes down to the structure of the sentence. For example, we can talk about Nora Roberts and her writing. In active voice, the sentence would look something like this:

            Nora Roberts wrote a novel.

If we shift the same idea to passive voice, the sentence now looks like this:

            The novel was written by Nora Roberts.

Now, I do have to stress that when we talk about “the subject” of the sentence, we are focusing more on the idea of who or what the sentence is about instead of the actual grammatical subject. In the case of the first example, Nora Roberts is both the grammatical subject that the main ideas/subject of the sentence. In the case of the second sentence, the grammatical subject is the novel and yet the main idea/subject of the sentence is Nora Roberts.

That’s the idea in a nutshell.

 But why do we tend to focus more on using active voice instead of passive voice? The idea stems from the intensity of the idea. With active voice, the idea is expressed more energetically than in passive voice simply because using the helping verbs (often the form of be) tends to weaken the point. Along the same lines, by moving the main idea further back into the sentence, it becomes an idea that, grammatically, could be eliminated from the sentence and it still will make sense.

The other reason we will want to look to using more of an active voice simply revolves around the idea of word choice. This is your chance, as a writer, to find those “killer” verbs that have a stronger connotation that the simple verbs you would have used with the helping verbs and likely a stack of adverbs. For example.

The tree outside Adrian’s room was viciously struck down by the bolt of the vampire’s spell.

Not bad. We get the idea of what is going on here, but if we bring this to a more active tone, and move the vampire to the forefront, we are forced to think of verbs that really say what we want.

The vampire’s spell shredded the tree outside Adrian’s room.

The idea is simple. Replace those verbs that require helping verbs with something a bit more impactful and meaningful for your writer.

Do you have to do this for every sentence? Absolutely not! As I said in the beginning, active or passive writing is not something that will make or break your writing. But, if you find passages that seem to sit there like milk toast, you might want to consider making some grammatical changes. If you tend to get responses from editors, agents and contests that your writing is a bit flat, you might want to explore your verb use.

Scott

I Don't Need To Know No Stinkin' Grammar...

My brother, when he was in Kindergarten commented to his teacher that he really didn't need to know spelling. He said that when he grew up, he would have a secretary that would do all the spelling for him. While this comment was funny at the time, it is, unfortunately an attitude that many people around the world have taken. We even see this in the K-12 education system where we teach to the standardized tests and have completely thrown out the old grammar lessons. But I digress on that point.

Writers in particular seem to think that understanding grammar is not necessary because of all the resources they claim to have at their disposal. They have their grammar checkers, the proclaim they have their resource texts such as STRUNK AND WHITE or A WRITER'S REFERENCE (which I personally believe is the best text). The problem though, is that for many of you out there, your grammar checkers are not looking for all of the mistakes you have. You haven't even set it to look for 80% of the problems. As for the books, you will only look at that text if you happen to realize you have a problem.

Now, let's take it to a new level. There are also those out there (including some agents I know) that feel that focusing on the content is the most important because the publishers have copy editors to take care of the problems. Tsk, Tsk, Tsk. The issue here is that, while I agree content and having a great story is crucial, if the story has grammar mistakes, the image the manuscript is giving to that editor is someone who doesn't understand the basic rules of written communication.

Grammar, including spelling, punctuation and sentence construction are the rules of the game we all play by. Yes, grammar is difficult to learn. Yes, many of you haven't had grammar training in a long time. But, this is no excuse. You have to know it and you have to understand it.

When I read query letters and submissions, that grammar really sets the tone for me. Seeing someone with huge issues tells me there is a great chance the content might also be struggling. This is going to be a huge time suck as we try to sell your story.

So what am I saying? Figure it out! Learn that grammar and make sure you use it all correctly. No, I am not saying that you will be rejected with a dangling participle. We aren't that mean. But I am saying it may be a factor that is leading to that rejection letter.

Scott

On The Subject of Grammar

I have to say, I get very frustrated (and I say this lightly) about writers, (and agents and editors) that don't value grammar. There seems to be a belief that if we can craft a great story, it really doesn't matter on the grammar.

In my humble opinion, this is a bunch of garbage.

Sure editors have copy editors dealing with the technical side of things, but I am sorry, there needs to be a heavy focus, early on in the submission process with the grammar. Agents who only deal with the content and worry about the surface level of the grammar need to focus on this just as much as the copy editors. Now, as for the writers, this is a must.

Writing professionally involves much more than simply telling a good story. If this is all that you want to do, then take up the profession of storytelling and go back to the oral tradition. If you want to write, then it is an imperative to know your grammar and to be able to use it effectively and properly.

When I read a submission, I look at the usage of grammar and punctuation carefully. This tells me a great deal about the ability of the writer to produce a well crafted project. Sure, dialogue may have run-ons and fragments, but the narration, the scene building should not have any of that.

I think of the line (and I often use it here) of the Hallmark commercial - "When you care enough to send the very best." This is what we are dealing with when it comes to grammar and writing.

Now, if you are someone that wants to place the blame on other people such as:

• I have been out of school for a long time.
• My English teacher didn't teach me #^%$$$!
• My spell checker and grammar checker is busted.
• This is just not my thing.

I strongly suggest you fix the problem! Admitting you have a problem is the first step to recovery. Now do something about it.

I do want to say, that I don't want people to think that having any mistake is a problem. Things do slip through the cracks and that is why we have copy editors. They will catch those small mistakes. But for those of you that blow the system off saying it doesn't matter - I shake my head at you.

Please people. For the sake of the English language, learn that grammar. If you have no idea how to do that, invite me to your writing group. I'll take a full day (or more if necessary) and help you all out! Tell your conference coordinators to "get of the stick" and help you out on this one.

Scott

(Sorry but the English teacher in me is coming out).

Let's talk Dashes Today

Dashes are used for three reasons:

• To set off material you might put into a parenthetical expression but deserves more emphasis.

"Everything that went wrong -- from the peeping Tom at her window last night to the my head-on collision today -- we blamed on our move" (Hacker, 2007).

• To set off nouns or noun phrases that rename the earlier noun

"In my hometown, the basic needs of people -- food, clothing and shelter -- are less costly than in a big city like Los Angeles" (Hacker, 2007).

• To set up a list or a dramatic shift in tone

"Along the wall are the bulk liquids -- sesame seed oil, honey, safflower oil, maple syrup, and peanut butter" (Hacker, 2007).

or

"Kiere took a few steps back, came running full speed, kicked a mighty kick -- and missed the ball" (Hacker, 2007).

Yesterday we mentioned the em-dash. What we are referring to here is using 2 hyphens ( --). Most computer programs already have this in the formatting. If you have ever noticed when you put in a hyphen and then move on, how it increases in size. This is the em-dash.

It should be noted that in the case of the list, using a colon would be the better choice.

Scott

Time for some GRAMMAR!

This one is going out to all of you writers that seem to think the semicolon is the worst punctuation mark out there.

First of all, I am very much aware that the publishing world shys away from these little beauties. I do think the reason stems around the "readability level" of the material going to print. Remember that when calculating the readability level of a text, one element is the length of the sentence and, obviously, using a semi-colon will create longer sentences. Still there is a great power in this punctuation mark.

Let's start first with the definition. According to Diana Hacker (2007) "The semicolon is used to connect major sentence elements of equal grammatical rank." In other words, if you have two sentences, or equal strength, but kept separate are weaker, you would want to find a way to bring these together with a semicolon. This also adds an element of increased fluency to the sentence. Instead of two short choppy sentences, grammatically, you can blend the two together with the semicolon.

Now, there are three rules for using a semicolon...

RULE #1 Combining two sentences together and using a transitional expression to connect the two. These transitional expressions may be words such as anyway, however, specifically, and so forth. You might also use phrases such as: at the same time, as a result and so on.

In this case, you would start with sentence #1, add a semicolon, add that transitional phrase and then follow it up with a second sentence.

Niles relished the thought of being in complete command of his business; however, he far from relished the thought of being commanded by a woman, especailly Claudia.

In this case, both of the sentences tell something about Niles but become stronger because it shows the internal struggle he was facing.

RULE #2: This is the same as #1 but we eliminate the transitional expression. For many of you, I find authors using a hyphen instead.

Niles relished the thought of being in complete command of his business; he far from relished the thought of being commanded by a woman, especailly Claudia.

In this case, we get that same struggle, but the tension of the situation he has with Claudia becomes even stronger.

RULE #3: This one you may not use in writing but I figured I would cover it anway. In this case, you "use a semicolon between items in a series containing internal punctuation" (Hacker, 2007). In this case, when you have a list of items that you would normally separate with a comma, but one, or more of those items contains commas, you would use a semicolon to break up the list to prevent confusion.

Here is the example from Hacker:

Classic science fiction sagas are Star Trek, with Mr. Spock and his large pointed ears; Battlestar Galactica with its Cylon raiders; and Star Wars with Han Solo, Luke Skywalker and Darth Vadar.

Now you know and now you don't have to be afraid.

Scott

On Grammar...

I am pretty picky about grammar. Hey, when you have taught grammar and writing for 20 years, seeing mistakes becomes second nature. I wanted to bring this up today to stress that, as a writer, it is up to you to get that grammar of yours up to speed. No, I am not talking about figuring out some of those strange rare cases, (dangling participles) but I am stressing the need for that basic understanding.

But Scott, why do we need to? If we sign with some agents, they have outside readers to fix our problems and certainly the editors have copy editors?

Well, that is correct. There are resources in place to remedy that. But the grammar issue becomes key during the early submission phase. I like to think of the Hallmark commercial and their slogan "When you care enough to send the very best," as a model. Sending along a submission that demonstrates little or no grammatical knowledge is a BIG red flag! The first thing that goes through my head is: "If this person can't put together a basic business letter or query, what will their story look like?"

If you are a person that struggles with grammar, then how do we fix it?

Some people like to spend money on paying someone to edit their work. While this sounds great, the odds are, in most cases, but not always (I am doing this to prevent people from saying "But person X does it this way)... Let me do that again. The odds are the person is just using a grammar and spelling checker. You can do the same.

Go to the settings and adjust it to look for grammar and style. Then re-check it. If you don't understand it, ask the grammar checker to explain. You can also use a great book to check this. I personally recommend, Diana Hacker's A WRITER'S REFERENCE.

You can also take grammar classes at the local college.

I don't care what you do, but let's get it figured out.

Scott

But they have a copy editor?

Grammar is one of the most important tools any writer can have in their writer's toolbox. Actually, I should say a knowledge of good grammar. Remember, it is the grammar, the knowledge of spelling, punctuation, sentence construction and the like that controls what and how we read your stories. In the end, it doesn't matter how well developed your story is, if the grammar is detracting from the story, you will not make a sale.

Now, I should say that many agents, and even editors might night have a 100% grasp on all elements of grammar. In other words, they might miss those dangling participles, but they do have enough knowledge to see if a writer is missing the point. I for one can also tell if the only knowledge of grammar is that which comes from the use of a grammar and spell checker.

Let me say, that there is nothing wrong with either of these computer tools. Both have their benefits, if (A) the writer knows how to use each properly; and (B) if the writer has set the computer properly to cause both of the checkers to work correctly.

"What is that you say, they don't work correctly?" That's right. You have to understand how each works, and actually set each to do what you want them to do. This is especially true with the grammar checker. For most computers, the grammar checker isn't checking for all of the items that could potentially create problems. The default setting is pretty basic.

Along the same lines, the grammar checkers only state if there is a potential problem. It is your job to check and see if that is really the case. When writing fiction, this can be a serious problem considering your characters may speak in fragments or broken grammar. Still if the narratives and the other major elements of your story have problems, this is a sign to the editor and agent that you might not be fully ready for publishing.

I should also add that when I see poor grammar, or a lack of structural knowledge from a writer in the query letter or the packaging of the material sent to me, I have pretty much already decided that I won't sign that person. First impressions mean a lot and the issue with grammar and spelling is a huge red flag.

Sure, the publishers have copy editors but they are not there to fix the mistakes that you as a writer should have known and understood.

So, what is the best solution? If you are a writer that finds grammar and spelling to be difficult, it is time to start learning. This may include taking classes at the local college. I know that many of the community colleges offer basic grammar classes. Audit the class. Take it for a credit/no credit option. If course work is not your "cup of tea" then find a resource that would help. Personally, the best source I have found is A Writer's Reference by Diana Hacker. It is published by Bedford/St. Martins and I haven't found a question that can not be answered by this book. I know many look at this and say it doesn't deal with fiction, but I have to break it to you, there isn't much of a difference. I'm not talking about creating the story, I am talking about the basic rules of grammar that do not vary from one genre to the next.

I'll also throw this offer in. If you are a writing chapter and interested in a full day grammar workshop, I could put something together for you. Just let me know.

Now, go out their and get gooder with your speling.

Do you know your grammar and spelling?

When was the last grammar class that you took? How is your spelling? I ask this because there are many of you out there that have no clue about what you are doing when it comes to the basic conventions of the English language. What makes it worse, is that for many, you are out there advising others on these rules.

Please, STOP!!!!

Essentially, what you are doing would be the same as me trying to tell someone how to fix a car. I have no idea what I am doing, and I certainly am not an expert.

I want to take this one step further. Many of you are using grammar checkers and spell checkers to fix your errors. Again, this is a big mistake, especially in the case of grammar checkers.

Grammar checkers are only looking for things that might potentially be a problem. This does not mean that it is in your case. Along the same lines, they only suggest possible solutions and you have to know the grammar to understand how to fix the issue. Again, you need to know what you are doing.

I bring all of this up because of late, I have had a ton of manuscripts submitted to me that were full of HUGE grammar issues. Now, although I am looking at the story and I understand there are some things that we can fix once I sign a writer, these errors simply tell me the person is far from ready!

Remember also, you only get ONE shot. If you screw it up, unless an editor or agent tells you that you can re-submit, you just lost that one chance.

Please, make it count!