Virgil, the great Roman poet, wrote "Practice and thought might gradually forge many an art." From this we can assume that practice comes before thought, and so it is with present day writers.
What must be practiced? If one is to be a successful writer then one must be able to practice good grammar. In order to practice good grammar, a writer must know the rules of good grammar and therefore must study the rules of good grammar. Most editors reject quickly those writers who do not know how to construct a proper sentence with at least a subject and predicate.
Besides knowledge of a simple sentence, a writer must use compound sentences, complex sentences, and compound-complex sentences. In order to perfect the ability to use these sentences, one must practice their use until it becomes second nature.
Once a writer-through practice-has mastered the sentence then it is time to work on the paragraph. Again, composing a unified, effective paragraph requires practice so that it has unity, coherence, rhythm and acceptable syntax.
English syntax can only be learned by practice, particularly the practice of reading. A "wannabe" writer must be a reader-one who reads voraciously and eclectically so that good syntax will come naturally. However, this reading must be done studiously with awareness of the writer's style and composition, because syntax is the way in which one puts the words together. Now the writer must practice and develop his own style of syntax.
This brings us to the next practice: the use of the dictionary and thesaurus-not the dictionary and thesaurus that are found with most word processors. Although they are helpful, they are not as beneficial as a complete and unabridged dictionary or thesaurus. If a writer depends completely on the dictionary and thesaurus found with most word processors, one's writing will be full of mistakes.
Finally, but not the least, is punctuation. Although most punctuation is a personal preference, there still are basic rules that should be learned and practiced.
In all case of grammar, vocabulary, punctuation, and syntax, the writer must know the rules before he breaks them. Moreover, the only way to become proficient in their use is by continual practice.
Once the basics are acquired, then the writer can proceed to writing fiction or non-fiction in poetry, articles, essays, short stories, etc., again practicing until one has develop a personal voice or style.
Charles O. Goulet has a BA in English literature and has written several novels that are available through Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, and other online bookstores.
His website is: http://www.telusplanet.net/public/go1c
Wood Dale Chicago prom limo .. Lockport Chicago limo O’HareMaking Money from Freelance WritingIt's the question that every aspiring... Read More
Almost everyone could profit from enhancing their writing skills. From... Read More
So you're one of 20 million Americans who want to... Read More
For several years before I left teaching to write full... Read More
Anyone who has read any of my articles on the... Read More
I'm in the process of moving from one computer to... Read More
So, you want to freelance as an editor, writer, copy... Read More
The Blogfest 2005 Writing Contest has only been running for... Read More
11 Secrets from an Experienced InterviewerOne of the unwritten rules... Read More
You are the only one who knows what being a... Read More
Are you ready to abandon your short stories? Before you... Read More
One of the nice things about being an author is... Read More
There is no specific formula for children's fiction. There are,... Read More
Not long ago, I took stock of my unrealized desire... Read More
Welcome to the zany ideas of a productive writer. My... Read More
You are far more likely to successfully write and publish... Read More
All the famous writers I heard of could paper the... Read More
As a student of Spanish, my goal was to think... Read More
Agents and publishing houses have their best interests at heart,... Read More
It's a good idea to use TextPad because all opt-in... Read More
If you are like most writers, you're constantly searching for... Read More
Clustering, also called Mind Mapping, is a great way to... Read More
Some writers are just too kind.They hate to put their... Read More
Have you ever had a student write to tell you... Read More
People familiar with the Myers-Briggs Personality test know that the... Read More
Antigo wedding limo ..More and more good authors are turning to the Internet... Read More
Charles Dickens was born in Portsea, England, in1812. His father... Read More
When you read a letter from someone, we are immediately... Read More
Creative Writing Tips ?When an idea comes to us for... Read More
William Faulkner, the great Mississippi writer, said, "The tools I... Read More
Characters in a good novel really carry the story along... Read More
Everybody knows writing a story is not easy. Like the... Read More
Any article, report or book which is bought or sold... Read More
(This excerpt is taken from my new writing workshop Writing... Read More
When I first started tracking the information preferences of people... Read More
Les Edgerton writes in his book, Finding Your Voice, that... Read More
The rejection letter says: "Your story, on the surface, appears... Read More
At some point, every serious writer is forced to sit... Read More
Prolific authors write; they don't just dream about it. A... Read More
Reading through a writer's notebook or journal is like discovering... Read More
Remember back in the dark days of your school years... Read More
Based on the feedback that I have been getting from... Read More
Dave, I just got a contract for a book... Read More
By far, I have found that the lack of discipline... Read More
Recently I was watching the Oprah show and it was... Read More
One of the biggest problems that inexperienced writers have is... Read More
Balance your life ... Read More
Authors need to write their book according to their target... Read More
As writers, we initially tend to be either more cerebral... Read More
No matter what you are writing, the first priority is... Read More
Writing |