Palindromes are words, phrases or number sequences that read the same way in both directions. Palindrome derives from the Greek for ‘running back again’. Both the Greeks and Romans are known to have enjoyed palindromes. The Greeks also published palindromic poetry. Common words that are palindromes include: civic eye level nun pop radar Some famous … Read more
Every writer who has browsed the pages of the Writers Market is familiar with notations like this one: Publishes 25-30 titles a year. Receives 5,000 queries and 1,500 manuscripts a year. Since more books are written than published, what can you do to improve your chances of publication? No guarantees are offered, but you can … Read more
Our calendar has changed a lot over the years, but in early Roman times there were only ten months. It was not until 700 BC that the last two months were added by Nuna Pompilus, Rome’s second king, and the calendar got a further shake up in 46 BC when Julius Caesar reformed it, changing … Read more
Today I found a plastic bag on my front door. A yellow sticker identified it as a bag for the Scouting Food Drive. Being a writer and a grammar nazi, I never just glance at things like this. It is my curse to read labels in their entirety. In small print I was instructed to … Read more
In a previous article we looked at generalisation as opposed to specialising in specific subject matter. We looked at the pros and cons of each, and it provoked a lot of feedback from our readers. One question that popped up involved the amount of knowledge one should attain in order to be considered a qualified … Read more
I am pretty sure that you already considered if you should be writing the abbreviation of electronic mail as email or e-mail (or as something else yet). The same confusion applies to the abbreviations of electronic commerce, electronic book and so on. In reality there is no universal rule. If you read the Wikipedia entry … Read more
If you’re writing a script, one way that you can bring it to life is to let your characters speak in current street slang. That’s the advice from the creators of Raindance, which promotes independent film in the UK. They have suggested a number of current slang phrases to give your characters some street cred. … Read more
“Daily writing tips…” a student may be reading wistfully. “Oh, I’d be happy if my main need was tips for improving my writing. But I have to write a paper for school, and I don’t even know what to say. I can’t even get motivated to start.” This kind of writer’s block – the lack … Read more
A knack (năk) is a specific talent or ability. It can refer both to natural and acquired capabilities. Some dictionaries also propose that a knack usually is a talent “difficult to explain or teach.” She’s an irreverent columnist with a knack for getting people off the couch and into the gym. (Washington Post) The FA … Read more
Here are four frequently misspelled words that your computer Spell Check won’t catch. A rite is a ceremonial act. Ex. Catholics celebrate the rite of the Mass. A boy’s first haircut is a rite of passage. The form write is the present tense form of the verb to write. Ex. Please write me a letter. … Read more
Writing doesn’t always have to be a serious business. Though it’s wise to make sure that you write correctly, there’s a lot of fun to be had when playing with words. Two emails that landed in my inbox the other day made me chuckle. The first was called Humor for Lexophiles. I won’t reproduce the … Read more