Perils of the Pantster.

My desk during editing. If you write by the seat of your pants, you’re a pantster, as opposed to those who write a story from a structured plan; they’re plotters. Both methods have upsides and downsides, and both have devotees, some of whom can be unnecessarily scathing of those in the opposite camp. I’ve been …

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Finding the Write #Words? Last in the Series.

Some of the books on the list. Each week since October 2019 I’ve been posting ‘reviews’ of books on my shelves that deal with the English language, its use, and the opportunities to find and employ different words to express yourself in speech and/or writing. The complete list of books is listed below with link …

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The Birthday of the Infanta, by Oscar Wilde: #BookReview.

Very definitely a story of its time. It’s intended for children, but I seriously doubt many modern kids would read this. There are moral lessons buried here, but they are largely lost in the unnecessarily detailed descriptions of the riches of the royal family featured. Some of these are effectively lists of luxury items and …

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Finding the Write #Words? No. 38: Usage and Abusage

Completing the description of books on words and the English language listed in the introductory post, which you’ll find here. Book 38: Usage and Abusage Paperback, 380 pages. Published in 1947 by Hamish Hamilton and reprinted many times. I own the 1978 Penguin edition, which I bought for the princely sum of £1.10. There’s a …

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Creative #Writing #Contests Table Updated

On the 1st of the month I remind followers here that the creative writing contest table has been updated. (I update it several times each month and I’ll be adding more details in the next few days, but this reminder is posted just once!) If you’d like to be reminded by email, please click the …

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Finding the Write #Words? No. 37: The Synonym Finder

Continuing the description of books on words and the English language listed in the introductory post, which you’ll find here. Book 37: The Synonym Finder Hardback, 1355 pages. Published in 1979 by Rodale Press, which is the edition I own. I don’t recall what I paid for it, as it was part of a collection …

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Finding the Write #Words? No. 36: The Slang Thesaurus

Continuing the description of books on words and the English language listed in the introductory post, which you’ll find here. Book 36: The Slang Thesaurus Hardback, 280 pages. Published in 1986 by Elm Tree Books/Hamish Hamilton Ltd, which is the edition I own. I can’t now recall what it cost me. The 1985 edition is …

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Silent Heroes, by Patricia Furstenberg: #BookReview.

What do you know about the war(s) in Afghanistan? This remarkable story of courage, extremism, intolerance, loyalty, betrayal and love will tell you so much.The ‘silent’ heroes of the title are the sniffer dogs employed by American Marines in their hunt for IEDs (improvised explosive devices, if you didn’t know). But this story is about …

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Finding the Write #Words? No. 34: The Oxford Spelling Dictionary

Continuing the description of books on words and language listed in the introductory post, which you’ll find here. Book 34: The Oxford Spelling Dictionary Hardback, 299 pages. Published in 1986 by Oxford University Press, I own a BCA edition published in 1987, which I bought as part of a bundle offered by a book club, …

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That Moment of Epiphany.

Yesterday, I spent around 40 minutes talking to a stranger online. It changed my attitude. It changed my life. I had what Gabriela Blandy calls ‘an Extraordinary Conversation’ with her, online. Gabriela is a writer’s coach, among many other things. The experience was good right from the start. This is a woman who understands how …

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Today’s Pictures: 2 June 20

The sun is overhead now at midday, giving the forest an air of mystery as the sunlight streams through the dense canaopy. The idea here is to brighten the day for those people isolated indoors during the Covid-19 pandemic. One of my writing friends, having seen some of this series, sent me a poem, which …

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Creative #Writing #Contests Table Updated

On the 1st of every month I remind followers of this blog the creative writing contest table has been updated. (I update it several times each month and I’ll be adding more details in the next few days, but this reminder is posted just once!) If you’d like to be reminded by email, please click …

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Finding the #Write #Words? No. 33: The Oxford Manual of Style

Continuing the description of books on words and language listed in the introductory post, which you’ll find here. Book 33: The Oxford Manual of Style Paperback, 1033 pages. Published in 2002 by Oxford University Press, this is the edition I own. I bought it as part of a bundle offered by a book club, so …

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Finding the #Write #Words? No. 32: The Oxford Dictionary for Writers and Editors

Continuing the description of books on words and language listed in the introductory post, which you’ll find here. Book 32: The Oxford Dictionary for Writers and Editors Hardback, 448 pages. Published in 1981 by Oxford University Press. There was a revision in 2000, producing a second edition, with 416 pages. A used copy of that …

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Finding the #Write #Words? No. 31: The Little Red Writing Book

Continuing the description of books on words and language listed in the introductory post, which you’ll find here. Book 31: The Little Red Writing Book Paperback, 160 pages. Published in 2007 by Writer’s Digest Books. This is the edition I own and I can’t recall what I paid for it. You can buy it new …

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