How to Edit a Friend’s Writing

Unless you’ve managed to keep it a secret, the people closest to you know that you use writing as a tool of expression. Maybe you specialize in poetry, original stories, or articles for niche websites, but the bottom line is you know how to write. You know all the rules to follow and how to break them, and you know how to edit your own work.

If that’s the case, then a friend of yours will inevitably ask you this question: “Can you look over my writing for me?”Continue reading

NaNoWriMo: The Aftermath

The time was 11:58 AM, the date November 30th. My contacts had dried in my eyes a few hours ago, but there had never been an instant to take them out. I had to stay focused on the computer screen in front of me, on the words my fingers were rapidly typing as the minutes flew past, careening towards the 11:59 AM cut-off point. Most importantly, I had to submit my NaNoWriMo word count for the final time.

If you read my last article, you’ll know that NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month, is an annual event that pushes writers to compose 50,000 words during November, with a goal of 1,667 words per day. You’ll also know that this year I decided to participate.

So how did I do?Continue reading

It Lurks, It Creeps: NaNoWriMo Approaches!

October 31st is often hailed as the scariest day of the year, but that may be because you don’t know about November 1st.

To writers across the country–and beyond–November 1st ushers in one of the most grueling, challenging, and rewarding writing exercises ever invented: National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). Like its name implies, the event takes place for all thirty days, and the terror only grows with each passing day.

Why is that? What is NaNoWriMo?

Well, a small group of people began it in 1999: write a novel that’s 50,000 words long and submit it by 11:59 PM on November 30th. Sounds simple, right? Considering that NaNoWriMo had over 200,000 participants in 2010, many people seem to think so.

But it’s much more challenging than you think. Continue reading

Sad Comma Is Sad: End Comma Abuse Now!

“Do I… put a comma here? Did I do it before? No, wait, crap.”

Odds are, someone somewhere is looking over a piece of writing and wondering about the mystery of commas. Or wishing they could kill them with fire.

People tend to misuse commas the way they misuse body spray: it’s either too much or not enough. Worse still, people tend to notice both, and their first reaction is to get away from the offending party as soon as possible, even if said party is the nicest person or has the most well-crafted argument on the planet.

But when something stinks, it stinks, and nothing short of a purge–of either the showering or editing variety–can salvage the situation.Continue reading