I need help with grammar!
Tags: Help Me Out

Here's my problem, I have trouble with being grammatically correct (is that how you spell grammitcally?). I'm really close to publishing a book, and I need some help. I either would like somebody to go through each part of Special Truth and pick out the bad errors. Or if someone could help me with little tricks to figure it out.

Thanks!

Post Soon,

Pure in Heart

Where are you writing this on? Do you have microsoft office? It points out any gramatical errors and even helps you find things like passive voice, wordiness, and verb confusions. What company are you planning on printing this up with?

Here's a quick tip. I noticed some of your dialog isn't punctuated in the usual way.

Most writers end a quotation with a comma (unless its a question or exclamation). Then end the little "he said" or whatever with a period (unless there's more). The other person's response usually starts the next paragraph. For example:

"I used to know your sister," she said.

That surprised me. "Seriously?" I asked.

"Oh yeah, really well," she told me, twisting a lock of hair in her fingers. "Before you were born."

Hope this helps.

You may wish to consider, "Stylewriter" by Editor Software in the UK. It goes beyond the others.

Thanks everybody!

Levana, I do use Microsoft Word. But they don't help me with half my problems. I always spell check, but reviewers give me 3s and 2s for star numbers.

Eddie, thanks so much that is very helpful. But when someone starts talking do you start a new paragraph? People on RF tell me not to, but I look in books and that's what everyone does.

Joel, I will defintly check it out.

-Pure in Heart

Hi Pure in Heart,

I was taught to always start a new paragraph whenever a different person starts talking, but that it is OK to have some thinking or narration, and then the person say something at the end of the paragraph, like this. When the next person answers, start a new paragraph, like this:

We were all freezing. We stood around in the dank morning fog for an hour before the bus arrived, and then there was a rush to get on. Beside me, somebody yelled, "Quit pushing!"

"Excuse me," I said, not too sincerely.

Hope this helps,

Eddie

Thanks soo much, Eddie! That's how I tend to write. Starting a new paragraph when someone starts talking. Got anymore ideas?

-Pure in Heart