Sunday, February 18, 2024

Creating a plot made easy

 

The 4 elements needed to create a dynamic plot are:

  1. The hero/heroine’s goal (what he/she wants)
  2. The hero/heroine’s issue (the internal conflict that’s keeping him/her from her goal)
  3. Obstacles in the hero/heroine’s path (the external conflict that’s keeping him/her from his/her goal)
  4. The results of dealing with his/her internal issue (change)

 

In summary then, every plot needs a goal, conflict, overcoming obstacles, resolution. Looking close at this list should remind you of the story arc: Introduction, build, climax, resolution. The story arc is the chain on which the pearls of your novel are strung. You can think of story arc as the things that happen—the scenes or episodes—from the beginning of the novel to its conclusion. The story arc—also called a narrative arc—is the same thing as plot.

Sunday, February 4, 2024

Impersonal Verbs

 https://www.grammarly.com/blog/impersonal-verbs/

Have you ever used an impersonal verb? Of course you have, you just didn’t know it.

Impersonal verbs are verbs that do not use a specific subject, but instead use the generic subject it. They’re often called “weather verbs” or “meteorological verbs” because they’re commonly used to describe the weather, like in the impersonal verb examples “it’s raining” or “it’s snowing.” 

Although they’re fairly straightforward, impersonal verbs can be confusing if you don’t know how they work. Below we explain what they are and how to use them, plus we provide an impersonal verbs list so you can learn to recognize them. 

Unlike other verbs, impersonal verbs don’t use what’s called a “determinate subject,” which is a subject that describes something specific, like the person or thing doing an action. Instead, they mostly use the impersonal pronoun it, which does not represent anything in particular. In other words, impersonal pronouns don’t specify who or what does the action, the action just happens on its own. 

Impersonal verbs usually refer to the weather or other general conditions, like light and dark, but they can also be used with certain idioms or common phrases, which we will explain later. 

In other languages, stating the subject of a verb is sometimes optional, but English requires the subject be stated for all sentences except imperatives (commands), which use the “understood” second-person subject. So while in Spanish you can say that it’s raining by shouting “llueve!” in English it’s incorrect to shout only “is raining!” because that’s not a complete sentence. You need to add the impersonal pronoun it as the subject. 

With impersonal verbs, the subject it doesn’t actually mean anything; it’s more like a placeholder because the sentence needs a subject. When we say things like “it’s storming” or “it occurred to me,” the subject it doesn’t represent anything in particular. For this reason, the subject of an impersonal verb is sometimes called a “dummy subject.” 

Some verbs are always impersonal, but sometimes normal verbs can act like impersonal verbs depending on how they’re used. For example, the verbs be and happen can act as impersonal verbs when used to talk about the weather or certain general conditions. 

Why is it so hot today?

It’s darker in here than it is outside. 

It happened to rain during our camping trip. 

The majority of impersonal verbs relate to the weather, but not all. Certain idioms and phrases use otherwise normal verbs as impersonal verbs. 

So it’s come to this. 

Let’s hope it doesn’t come to war. 

Likewise, the verb phrase looks like can act as an impersonal verb when used in a generic sense or when used to talk about the weather. 

It looks like a win for San Lorenzo. 

It looks like a storm is coming. 

The verb occur has one particular meaning that causes it to act as an impersonal noun: when something comes to mind. 

It occurred to them too late that the whole thing was a scam. 

Be careful not to confuse impersonal verbs with their noun forms. For example, the impersonal verb snow can also be used as a noun, in this case the mass noun snow. Although spelled the same, the verb snow functions very differently than the noun snow, so you’ll have to consider the context to tell the difference.  

Why are they called weather verbs?

Impersonal verbs are often called “weather verbs” or “meteorological verbs” because, simply, we use them to talk about the weather. Most impersonal verbs are directly linked to weather, such as rain, storm, snow, and thunder

Some weather verbs are not always impersonal and have other meanings unrelated to the weather. For example, pour can be used to talk about moving liquids, and in this case it is not impersonal and requires a standard subject. 

The scientist poured the acid into a safe container. 

However, when the meaning of pour is “to rain heavily,” pour becomes an impersonal verb. 

It’s pouring outside, so I’m taking an umbrella. 

What is valency?

In grammar, the valency or valence of a verb refers to how many elements in a sentence depend on that verb. Let’s look at transitive and intransitive verbs as an example. With an intransitive verb like sleep, only the subject is connected to the verb, so the verb has a valency of one. With a transitive verb like give, both the subject and the direct object are connected to the verb, so the verb has a valency of two, and when there’s also an indirect object, it has a valency of three. 

Impersonal verbs, however, have a valency of zero. That’s what makes them special. The only reason they take a subject at all is because English grammar rules require it.

Writing with impersonal verbs

Aside from their subject, impersonal verbs work like every other verb. You can still use impersonal verbs in different tenses, like the present perfect or future continuous, and you can use them with modal verbs, like can or might. Just look at these impersonal verbs examples below: 

It snows all the time here. 

It has snowed every day this week.

It will be snowing all month. 

It can snow as long as the temperature stays cold.  

As you can see from these examples, impersonal verbs use the third-person singular conjugation to match the subject it, no matter the tense, even when used with the contraction it’s

It’s snowing outside. (It is snowing outside.) 

There is only one exception to this rule, which we will address below. 

As mentioned above, some normal verbs can act impersonal depending on their usage. These include some irregular verbs or expressions that use irregular verbs, such as the idiom go without saying or the verb get when used to describe the weather or general conditions. Even when acting as impersonal verbs, irregular verbs still use their same unique conjugations. 

It goes without saying that smoking is dangerous. 

I thought it went without saying, but I guess not. 

In summer it gets dark in the late evening. 

Why has it gotten dark already?

While nearly all impersonal verbs use the impersonal pronoun it as their subject, there’s one common impersonal verb phrase that doesn’t. The impersonal verb phrase they say uses the impersonal pronoun they instead of it. This phrase refers to common knowledge or popular adages, so in this case, they doesn’t actually refer to anyone or any group in particular. 

They say all that glitters is not gold. 

They say spring is a time of new beginnings. 

Note that with the impersonal pronoun they, the verb takes the third-person plural conjugation rather than the third-person singular conjugation that all other impersonal verbs take.

Impersonal verbs examples

Luckily, there aren’t many impersonal verbs, so you shouldn’t have too much trouble using them. Here’s an impersonal verbs list, featuring the most common ones in English. Words and phrases with asterisks mean that they are not always impersonal, depending on the meaning. 

  • be*
  • blizzard
  • come to*
  • darken*
  • drizzle*
  • get*
  • go without saying*
  • hail*
  • happen*
  • look like*
  • occur*
  • pour*
  • rain
  • say*
  • sleet
  • snow
  • storm
  • thunder

Impersonal verbs FAQs 

What are impersonal verbs?

Impersonal verbs are verbs that do not use a specific subject, but instead use the impersonal pronoun it as a generic subject. 

How do impersonal verbs work in English vs. other languages?

Because English sentences almost always require a subject, impersonal verbs must use a generic subject, like the impersonal pronoun it. In some other languages, subjects are optional, so this rule does not apply. 

Why are they sometimes called weather verbs? 

Impersonal verbs are often called “weather verbs” or “meteorological verbs” because they are used to describe the weather, such as the verbs rain, snow, storm, and thunder. Even other verbs can temporarily act as impersonal verbs when discussing the weather, such as the verb be, as in, “It is cold today.”

 

Wednesday, January 3, 2024

January is "Thank You" Month

 

According to Mayo Clinic, when you feel and express gratitude, you may enjoy improvement in your sleep, mood, and immunity, as well as a reduction in depression, anxiety, chronic pain, and the risk of disease. 

And it’s the gift that keeps on giving, to others and to yourself. Research substantiates that actions conveying gratitude have a greater impact on our health than simply feeling grateful, per Positive Psychology. Furthermore, extending acts of gratitude creates a “self-renewing, feedback loop”: The more you practice thankfulness, the more your well-being and resistance to negativity increases, making it easier to sustain that feeling of gratitude.

Thursday, August 17, 2023

Basic Punctuation

Punctuation is to writing as gas is to a car: you can’t have one without the other. Sure, you can try writing without commas, apostrophes, or periods, though there’s only so much you can do. Before long, missing punctuation leaves readers dazed and confused without enough context, clarity, or structure.

If you think punctuation only matters to English majors, think again. Good writing, including correct grammar and punctuation, helps you communicate effectively no matter your profession. Proper punctuation will take you far, whether you’re writing an email to a client or submitting a college application. That’s why it’s worth learning more about what punctuation means, common and uncommon punctuation, typical mistakes, and related questions. 

 

What Is Punctuation?

The best way to understand punctuation is to think of punctuation marks (like question marks, apostrophes, and periods) as writing tools. Punctuation refers to the use of these tools to add structure and definition to writing. For example, a sentence isn’t a sentence without a final touch, like a period or exclamation point.

Punctuation can also be used to change the meaning of a sentence without changing the words. For example, replacing one punctuation mark for another completely changes the meaning of the following text:

 

My Uber is here.

The period in this sentence indicates a statement or a fact.

 

My Uber is here?

When replacing the period with a question mark, the validity of this statement is called into question. The same words are used to indicate disbelief or potential confusion. This is one way that understanding the basics of correct punctuation can take your writing to new heights.

 

Common Punctuation

If you’ve ever wondered, “What are the basic rules of punctuation?” you’re not alone. Learning about the most common punctuation marks and their uses is an excellent first step. Here are some you’ve likely already seen, plus how to use them.

 

Period

Periods are used to finish a sentence or express a neutral tone. While the same dot is used in other forms of punctuation like an ellipsis (…), it’s not a period unless it stands alone.

 

Comma

Commas separate ideas or indicate pauses. For example, they’re found in lists in a sentence or to express a verbal break. Commas are one of the most common types of punctuation, though they’re also prone to misuse.

 

Apostrophe

This punctuation mark is associated with possessive nouns (like Abdullah’s house) or in contractions when two words become one (like won’t). It’s also applied to shorten dates (like ’22 instead of 2022) but not for plural nouns (CDs). Much like commas, apostrophes are a popular form of punctuation, though they are often misunderstood in practice.

 

Uncommon Punctuation

Semicolons and colons are slightly less common punctuation marks. They’re also somewhat similar to each other and sometimes mistakenly reversed. Here’s how to use both correctly for better writing.

 

Semicolon

A semicolon is a cross between a comma and a colon, hence its name. It’s also less common than a colon.

Semicolons are used in a number of ways, such as to link two independent clauses. (A clause is part of a sentence that could also be its own sentence, grammatically speaking.) They’re also used to separate items in a list when the items are already separated by commas. 

For example, “I plan to visit New York, New York; Baltimore, Maryland; and New Castle, Pennsylvania.”

 

Colon

The colon is used as an introduction before lists, explanations, or longer quotes. (Shorter quotes are preceded by a comma.)

For example, “You need a few ingredients: eggplant, tomatoes, cucumbers, and feta.”

Colons are also used in between independent clauses if the second explains the first. 

For example, “I can’t make it tomorrow: I have a doctor’s appointment.”

 

Common Punctuation Mistakes

Punctuation marks are used in a number of ways, which can sometimes create confusion. Here are a few of the most common punctuation mistakes and how to avoid them.

 

Commas

Commas are used to separate transitional words or introductory phrases from what follows. Here’s an example of a missing comma.

However she was only five minutes late.

Here’s how to write it correctly:

However, she was only five minutes late.

As you can see, the comma separates the transitional word or introduction from the rest of the sentence.

 

Apostrophes

An apostrophe’s placement in a word indicates whether something is singular or plural. For example, when describing two people, here’s how an apostrophe is used incorrectly:

My parent’s house is a block away.

In this case, placing the apostrophe after parent indicates one person (i.e., one parent).

Here’s what it should’ve been:

My parents’ house is a block away.

In this case, the apostrophe placement indicates a plural noun instead of a singular noun (i.e., parents instead of parent). As you can see, correct apostrophe use requires precise placement within a word.

 

The Importance of Punctuation

Punctuation is as important to writing as the letters of the alphabet. Unless you’re writing something as elementary as “SOS,” you’ll need punctuation to add context and form to your text.

Have you ever wondered, “How do you memorize punctuation rules?” The good news is you don’t have to. While you may need to look up a few rules or examples initially, you’ll start to remember them through repetition.

 

 From: Editor World

Saturday, August 12, 2023

Paradise Burns

Our climate crisis aches for action

(Photo by Patrick T. Fallon)

Another dateline of destruction. 

Another lament for lives lost. 

Another calculation of our climate’s crisis.

The images and stories out of Hawaii represent the latest horror in a summer when it has become increasingly clear there is little that can be considered normal about our aching planet — other than that increasing chaos is our new normal. 

Hawaii has been hit by drought that scientists say is exacerbated by a warming planet. The islands’ forests are not accustomed to fire. They evolved amid a period of relative climatic stability. That is fast disappearing.

And that makes them especially vulnerable, just like us. 

We have no choice but to face a threat that is pervasive and elusive. Weather always fluctuates, but higher global temperatures exacerbate these atmospheric conditions. We and our planet get pushed into new extremes. 

The science is clear: Earth is warming, and our species is much to blame. People are suffering and dying as a result. Legions of plants and animals hurtle toward or have already tipped into extinction. And this process is accelerating. 

What is less clear is how bad it will get, how quickly and how resilient we can become. Part of this uncertainty reflects the complexity of natural forces that we struggle to model. But the best available evidence shouts that the kind of world our descendants inherit is up to us. 

Will we mend our ways? Will we innovate? Will we better understand?

Unfortunately, we are unprepared, not only in what we know and our ability to adapt but also in our tragic lack of will. History has shown that humans tend to react more decisively to immediate danger than to long-term challenges. We frequently tend to be selfish, short-sighted, and obstinate. We need to cultivate a spirit of collaboration and coordination among peoples and nations. Such efforts have too often proven illusive. 

Our challenges would be daunting even without those who deny reality. Those who would do nothing, who bury their heads in the sand even as the sea levels rise, should be treated with the same seriousness as those who believe the many conspiracy theories rocketing around the internet. Both are a threat to our health and security. And with climate change, the danger will accelerate across the generations to come. 

In Hawaii, we see charred memories and devastated families where there was previously abundant life. A historic town is burned to the ground; our past goes up in smoke as we catapult into a wavering future. 

We don’t know what lies over the horizon, but perhaps we can take some lessons from the ancient Polynesian voyagers who were the first to inhabit this isolated volcanic archipelago. They understood the rhythms of nature and used them as a guide across thousands of miles of open ocean. They found ways to live in harmony with the limited resources an island had to offer. They understood that change is itself a constant.

If you have ever had the good fortune of visiting Hawaii, you know the resourcefulness of the people and their strong sense of community and family. They are already vowing to rebuild and reimagine. But this is a journey we have no choice but to join in together. There are no islands when it comes to global climate — just one small, precious, precarious planet.

Wisdom urges us to be guided by our better nature, by our intellect, and by a love for our Earth — and each other.

 

Thursday, July 6, 2023

How to Write a Biography

 

How to Write a Biography: A 7-Step Guide [+Template]

From time to time, nonfiction authors become so captivated by a particular figure from either the present or the past, that they feel compelled to write an entire book about their life. Whether casting them as heroes or villains, there is an interesting quality in their humanity that compels these authors to revisit their life paths and write their story.

However, portraying someone’s life on paper in a comprehensive and engaging way requires solid preparation. If you’re looking to write a biography yourself, in this post we’ll share a step-by-step blueprint that you can follow. 

How to write a biography: 

🤓 Obsessed about someone's life enough to want to write their biography? Here's how you do it in 7 steps. 

 

Click to tweet!

 

 

FREE RESOURCE

Biography Outline Template

Craft a satisfying story arc for your biography with our free template.

Sunday, June 4, 2023

Writing Forums

 

 Writing Forums is a non-profit community managed writing environment. We provide an unlimited opportunity for writers and poets of all abilities to share their work and communicate with other writers and creative artists.

We offer an experience that is safe, welcoming and friendly, regardless of participation level, knowledge or skill. There are several opportunities for writers to exchange tips, engage in discussions about techniques, and grow in their craft. Participate in forum competitions that are exciting and helpful in building skill level! There's so much more to explore!

https://www.writingforums.com/