Strong vs Weak Words ~ Part 16 ~ Present Tense of To Be

Tags

books, Overused Words, Strong vs Weak Words, Strong Words, Weak Verbs, Weak Words, writers, writing, Writing Advice, writing tips

“One of the most common stylistic mistakes aspiring writers make is to rely too much on the verb “to be.” ~ EssayForum.com

I wonder what Mr. Shakespeare would say. Isn’t his oft quote soliloquy, “To be, or not to be?”

When I read EssayForum.com’s page on avoiding the verb “to be,” I thought uh-oh. I dashed to my computer to do a quick search, and GUILTY AS CHARGED YOUR HONOR!

But how to fix this “common stylist mistake” was a puzzle. I couldn’t put my hands on concrete ways to avoid the verb “to be,” but found many sites and books with admonitions to keep away from the verb like it is an outbreak of e coli.

You will be getting some tips on the present tense of “to be” today, and the past tense form in the near future. I know you know this, but as a refresher on our new enemy “to be” in the present tense:

I am and I’m

He is and He’s

She is and She’s

It is and It’s

We are and We’re

They are and They’re

You are and You’re

~~~~~

I am making every effort to write well. 

Good for you!

I make every effort to write just like Robin.

~~~~~

He feels Robin’s presence when he is writing.

Like a poltergeist? 

Robin’s annoying voice rings in his head when he writes.

~~~~~

It is odd how often Robin edits her manuscript

Maybe the book is really bad.

Robin edits her manuscript freakishly often.

~~~~~

We are hoping Robin shares more tips on how to use strong vs. weak words.

 Ask, and ye shall receive!

We hope Robin changes the theme of her posts to underwater basket weaving.

Writing Contest – I Did It But Didn’t Win It

Tags

Book Group, books, Novels, writers, writing, Writing Contest

Several weeks ago I wrote about leaping out of my comfort zone and entering my novel, In Search of Beef Stroganoff, in a writing contest. Today I found out that I didn’t win. Happily, I was in the top 416 entries! No matter that only 416 people entered the contest, right?

Oh well. I am glad I entered and wish the nine finalists much luck in the last round of cuts.

Now I’d like to ask you all to wish ME luck on the next daring feat I’ll be performing without a safety net. My book group selected my novel for our May discussion. Yikes.

I’m excited about it and nervous at the same time. I look forward to hearing their feedback and because the book has received positive reviews from other readers thus far, I won’t have to drink myself silly before going to the book group meeting. However, it will be rather unnerving to have the book discussed while I am present.

One good thing about having my book as the next group’s book selection is that I won’t have to burn the midnight oil to get it read in time for the meeting. Goodness knows I can recite entire passages.

Be thinking of me on May 7^th and I’ll let you know how it goes, unless I am hospitalized with a mysterious nervous disorder after the meeting.

The Joy of Books

Tags

Amazon, books, Bookstore, Sean and Lisa Ohlenkamp, Stop motion, writers, writing

I don’t know about you, but I can’t walk by a bookstore without going inside.

For all you book and bookstore lovers, this video is for you! The Joy of Books by Sean and Lisa Ohlenkamp is charming. Have you ever wondered what happens in a bookstore after it closes? The books come out and play.

 Let’s see Amazon do that!

Courage to Move in the Opposite Direction

Tags

books, Einstein, Flipbook, Parkour, writers, writing

“Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius – and a lot of courage – to move in the opposite direction.”

~Albert Einstein

Here is an innovative take on what constitutes a “book.” In the words of Mr. Einstein, the creator of the flipbook moved in the “opposite direction.”

The Near-Demise of Encyclopedia Britannica and Business Cards

Tags

books, Business Card, Cloud, Digital Era, Encyclopedia Britannica, writers, writing

I read about the near-demise of two things this past week and it has me rather blue.

After a 244-year run, the good people at Encyclopedia Britannica announced they are giving it up and will stop print-publishing the hefty reference. They will maintain an on-line presence, but it’s just not the same.

My parents never purchased the Encyclopedia Britannica so I would go the school library and hope another student was not using the volume I needed. Remember how they smelled? Musty and intellectual. My brainiac best friend in junior high had a set in her home. Apparently her parents deemed her education more important than mine did. As a result, she went on to be a doctor and I am a lowly writer.

They say the end of the Encyclopedia has nothing to do with Google or Wikipedia, but I don’t believe them.

The second thing in a declining state because of our digitized era is the business card. With LinkedIn, Smartphones, tablets, and social media, who needs a business card to exchange contact information anymore? I understand it, but I still like a business card. I wonder how the Japanese are adapting to this trend. They consider presenting and accepting a business card a ceremonial rite.

Volumes have been written about the disappearance of books, CDs, and DVDs so I won’t go into that. But I must make a note to learn more about this “cloud” thing everyone is talking about.

Don’t misunderstand me. I’m all for change, but the changes have me a little nostalgic. I’m going to pat the books on my shelves to let them know I still love them. That could take a while.

Permission Granted to Read

Tags

books, reading, writing

I wonder why I don’t give myself permission more often to drop everything and read. Since I love books, one would think that I would be curled up with one every chance I get. Unless I am sick, I feel guilty doing it. Perhaps it is because laundry is breathing down my neck or the garage is giving me the stink-eye because it needs a major cleaning. Maybe it is because my husband is toiling away at work to support my lifestyle and I couldn’t let my thanks to him be my acting like the Queen of Sheba. Who was the Queen of Sheba anyway? An avid reader perchance?

Travel allows me the luxury of reading time. Waiting for a flight at an airport and airplane rides would be torture if not for a book. It made me uneasy when on a flight to Paris, the woman next to me didn’t pass the time reading. She didn’t even pick up the airline magazine or SkyMall catalog. I wanted to hand her my book and say, “read lady!” I didn’t because then what would I do? Stare into middle-space like she had been doing?

It also makes me uncomfortable if I don’t have a line-up waiting for me when I finish reading a book. The result is I have gathered masses of books around me like little friends. They are all wondering when I am going to pick them up.

They say (I wonder who is the “they” is – Ms. Sheba?) that reading helps one to be a better writer. Maybe I should disembark from the “Guilt Train” and think of reading as a way to better my craft, like on-the-job training.

With that . . . I am off to snuggle with my book.