Reviews for Prose Mistakes that Amateurs Make

Reviews For: Prose Mistakes that Amateurs Make

WritesWithPoisonInkAndBlood 2008-08-09 ch 1,	abuseAh, you give some very good advice, I thank you (or should I say I almost thank you :P) I love the way you have written this as well, a very witty way to get your point across. The bit about scattering limbs deliberately and methodically made me cry with laughter ^^ Thanks for the advice, it is very much appreciated, valued and I will certainly keep it in mind. God Bless Holli x
ADSpencer 2008-07-30 ch 1,	abuseVery interesting essay. Oh, I know my sins: "2. Quantifiers." "4. The –ing Mistake." "15. Words like ‘just’, ‘even’ or ‘almost’ when used like ‘He just stood there’" Granted, I don't commit these writing sins as often, but I find them in my fiction. This amused me: "3. ‘At random’. In a real, published book (Robert Newcomb’s ‘The Fifth Sorceress’) I found the sentence ‘severed limbs were scattered at random’."
Written 2008-07-25 ch 1,	abuseI swear I'm not a crazy stalker or anything, but I love you. especially this: [but because of the inference that somehow, somewhere, there are severed limbs being scattered deliberately and methodically.] the sad thing is, no matter how many times these simple things are pointed out to me, I go and do it again later. AS YOU MIGHT HAVE NOTICED. Er. Caps lock. Sorry. I hope you keep on writing and editing. You're excellent.
Narc 2008-06-01 ch 1,	abuseThis is a nice, straightforward guide to some of the most common problems. I think most of these things every writer has been guilty of at one point in their development (or still are).
Kasita Aco 2008-05-25 ch 1,	abuseWow, i was searching through forums, ran across your authors page, and the title really caught my eye. I find it unusual that someone would write something like this, but knowing that no matter how skilled you are, you can still learn something new (and boy do i need to learn). I definitly agre with you. I've made most of those mistakes in the past, and some I made but didn't really think about at the time. This is very helpful for someone like me who doesn't really have anyone to proof their/my work. Thanks for the eye opening insight ot better writing.
The Grey Detective7 2008-05-18 ch 1,	abuseWell, I disagree in a lot of these. I also become a good write by mistakes as well, but this isn’t always everyone’s formula. If they want a teen as a protagonist or an antagonist, why not? That’s a little unfair there. I seen many good stories with teens, children, or babies as the antagonist. It’s as good , sometimes better, it really just depends on the writer themselves. I agree with a couple, but the rest, not so much.
fatbird33 2008-05-18 ch 1,	abuseahh yes. i throughly enjoyed 6.5. and 12, well, i think we've all suffered through that one (running!)AHH!H!H!
Equilibrium 2008-05-18 ch 1,	abuseWell, I found the advice you gave me in your review extremely accurate, so I thought I'd check this out... and I'm SO not disappointed. I like the humour you scattered through this, especially "Otherwise, they don’t make the reader feel excited, they make you sound sugar-high." And... oh, I think I make that preposition mistake a lot. wince This little thing really made me smile. I guess it's because I see the exact sort of things you point out in my own work and on FP every day. Thanks for the tips. They really help.
Kenny's Friend 2008-05-15 ch 1,	abuseGreat stuff, this. I like the way you think, seriously. The bit about the exclamation points was so freaking true. The use of unnecessary punctuation is an all-too-common writing flaw that I can't stand.
painted.music 2008-05-15 ch 1,	abusekonban wa Ah, I agree with you one hundred percent... of course, I often make similar mistakes, I'm sure. I love how you incorporated your lovely sense of humor into the essay as well: "It seems this is to assure the reader they are not walking backwards." "Every so oftne I saw a guy's head being ripped off." "...but because of the inference that somehow, somewhere there are severed limbs being scattered deliberately and methodically." For number five -- Wrong Word -- don't forget college and collage. And loose and lose, of course. That drives me insane. I never knew that those were so difficult to grasp, ESPECIALLY collage and college. They SOUND different! You can tell which word has which letter! 8. You know, I think I hate the word "evilly." It just should NOT be a word. Does that sound like a word? How do you pronounce it when you already pronounce the "l" in evil? Evil-ly? It's just such an ugly word. :P Come to think of it, though, I don't know if I completely agree with you on that one. Sure, don't spoonfeed the reader... but that doesn't mean you have to completely wipe this out of your stories. I'll write "She gave a sinister chuckle" or something of the sort. 11. You know what cliché bothers me? "He felt as if the whole world rested on his shoulders." I don't know why that more than any other, but I can tell you that whenever I read it I get turned off of the story somewhat. shrug Hm, I think this ends a bit abruptly, though I did love what I read. Again, love your sense of humor. :D Ha det -Shan-
Amertie 2008-05-15 ch 1,	abuseYou have a wonderful sense of humor. "What is 'almost quickly?'" was probably my favorite. I hope I'll see less stories with 'sugar-high' writers. The exclamation points really ruin a story. Thanks for writing this.
Rose Warne 2008-05-15 ch 1, anon.	abuseHe he. I'm noticing a lot of my writing traits in this... especially #4 and #12! And #3? Classic! The dramatic build up really made me laugh. Thank you. You probably have helped amateurs like me everywhere recognize their symptoms and give them a smile too.

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