Learn Writing with Uncle Jim, Volume 1

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reph

Re: Deja vu

You guys are right. I wrote it backward. I was thinking forward: "seven, eight, nine, 10, 11, 12, . . . ," but that's not much help, is it? I've edited my post.
 

James D Macdonald

Numbers

Me, I use words for numbers zero through ninety-nine, then numerals for 100 and higher.

Just be consistent, and be prepared for the house style to rule.

On other topics, my two Tom Swift novels were Monster Machines and Aquatech Warriors.
 

tjosban

A Quick Question

I know this has been done before.

I would like to create a reference compilation for my own personal use.

Uncle Jim, do you mind if copy your posts for said use?

Does anyone else object to my copying their contributions where I feel the information is helpful to reference?

I know I have questions and topics I would like to discuss but some topics are a bit spread out and I have lost track of what has or has not been discussed. I would like to condense and categorize everything in a method that works for me.

There is a tremendous amount of information on this thread for people who are (re)discovering how much they love to write. I found this thread when it was 119 pages long and have read it all, loving every minute. Good job everyone for all of your work!
 

James D Macdonald

Re: A Quick Question

I don't mind your making a personal copy for your personal use, TJ.
 

Yeshanu

Re: Deja vu

TJ, I've said this before, but it keeps getting buried so...

I've done just what you propose for the first seventy or so pages of this thread. If you or anyone else would like them, email me at [email protected], and I'll send them out. (Uncle Jim hasn't objected to this activity so far... :p )

Anyhow, one day when I have way too much time on my hands, I'll try and get the rest of the thread done...
 

gp101

grammar for titles

UC, Reph, or any other contemporary, internet-savvy, astute grammarian;

I get confused when writing the names of newspapers, magazines, books, and songs in my prose. One is underlined, another italicized, another in quotes (or is capitalized?). Which works for which? And is the same style for these titles used in both prose AND in non-fiction writing (say...your query letter)?

Part of my problem is that I see various methods for writing any of the aforementioned titles in different forums. I think this is a case of the internet allowing too much freedom--or is it anarchy? Seems even "legit" on-line sites allow articles with these titles framed any way they like. Have the style books been thrown out the window with this subject?

Thanks.
 

stormie267

Italicizing vs.Underlining vs....

Ah, gp, I asked that same question on another writing board and got so many different answers, each one siting a different book on grammar!

I do know this for certain: Titles of articles and short stories are put in quotes.

I do wish SOMEONE could give a definitive answer on underlining or italicizing titles of magazines or books, or maybe there isn't one correct answer?
 

Writing Again

Re: Italicizing vs.Underlining vs....

The best advice for most of this, Stormie, is to first be consistent in your own writing. Do what you are comfortable with and do it the same way all the time.

Second is for submission. When submitting do it the way the editor, publishing house, etc. wants it done.
 

sc211

Re: grammar for titles

I often find myself putting a title in quotes myself, and yes, the internet's speed and lack of editing has really defunked a lot of good grammar.

This is from the Style Guide of Microsoft's "Bookshelf 2000," a good collection of reference stuff I found on sale for $5. It's not the highest source on the subject, but gives a good overall summary.

Titles of Works

In text the title of a creative work—such as a book, painting, or movie—is styled to distinguish it from the surrounding words. Most words in the title are capitalized, and the title as a whole is either set in italics or enclosed within quotation marks.

Capitalization of Titles

Always capitalize the first letter of the first and last word in a title. Articles, coordinating conjunctions, the to in infinitives, and prepositions of less than five letters are lowercase; all other words should be capitalized. A preposition should be capitalized if it functions as part of a verb.

Barefoot in the Park
How to Write Short Stories


In long titles that include punctuation, capitalize any word that follows a punctuation mark, such as a colon used to separate a title and subtitle.

Jackson Pollock: An American Saga

Italicized Titles

The titles of the following works are set in italic type:

&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp books (including poetry collections and anthologies of short stories and essays)
&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp magazines
&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp newspapers
&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp book-length poems
&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp plays
&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp movies (including made-for-TV movies and animated movies)
&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp television series
&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp radio shows
&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp operas and other long musical compositions
&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp record albums
&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp ballets and modern dance pieces
&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp paintings, sculptures, and other works of art


Titles in Quotation Marks

The titles of these works are set in roman type within quotation marks:

&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp newspaper articles
&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp magazine articles
&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp essays
&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp short stories
&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp short poems
&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp television episodes
&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp songs
&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp comic strips


Articles at the Beginning of Titles

If a title begins with a, an, or the and follows a possessive, omit the article to improve the flow of the sentence.

Incorrect: The professor assigned Thomas Paine’s The Age of Reason.
Correct: The professor assigned Thomas Paine’s Age of Reason.
 

Writing Again

Re: Italicizing vs.Underlining vs....

One thing in Gala's favor. If you can point to the Chicago Manual of Style as your source you will never be called "wrong" even if the publishing house you are submitting to does it differently.

Come to think of it mine is sooo out of date...
 

shaynexus

Re: Learn Writing with Uncle Jim

Hi everyone, especially Jim Macdonald. I just discovered this website and this thread. So far I've only read up to page 50+ of the 124, but felt an urge to interject a comment, perhaps in the way of a bit of comic relief.
I am enjoying Jim's course and the many erudite commentaries regarding various rules of punctuation, paragraphing, POV, and story-telling in general. Granted, all are important especially when trying to interest a publisher.
But let me recommend BLINDNESS by Jose Saramago to any of you who haven't read it yet. Recall that he won the Nobel Prize for Literature in the last decade.
BLINDNESS is a fascinating work that also happens to flagrantly break every rule of manuscript form. Each chapter is essentially one long paragraph. Punctuation is scant at best and often seemingly inappropriate. Dialogue is seldom tagged and speakers are separated by only commas, so context lets you determine who's speaking. Yet, the story flows because it draws the reader in and along.
As Jim states, "Above all, tell a good story." If the reader is not drawn in, she tends to carp on the mechanics and form of the writing. If she is drawn in deeply, technical errors lose much of their importance.
Despite any fault-ridden technique, you may still win yourself a Nobel Prize for your effort.
(I jumped ahead to comment for fear you folks might end this thread before I caught up with you.)
 

James D Macdonald

Re: Learn Writing with Uncle Jim

As Jim states, "Above all, tell a good story."

And the master rule: If it works, it's right.
 

paritoshuttam

Breaking rules

As the cliche goes, one should know the rules to break them successfully. Else one ends up looking foolish.

Also, once you are famous, you have more leeway in breaking rules.

- Paritosh
 

maestrowork

Re: Italicizing vs.Underlining vs....

Literary fiction follows different rules too... they're more about the language and art and everything, and rules are known to be broken for fine arts -- which literary fiction is.

Commericial fiction, on the other hand, probably doesn't sway too far from the rules.
 

detante

Re: Publishing Seasons

This may have been discussed previously. If so, I apologize. Being a neophyte, I was wondering do novel publishers have seasons? And if so, is there anyway to use the seasons to your advantage? I know there is no magic trick, but does the time of year you submit your manuscript make any difference?

Jen
 

maestrowork

Re: Learn Writing with Uncle Jim

Do you mean publishing seasons (fall, Christmas, Valentines Day) or seasons for submissions?

I know there are certainly seasons as far as the actual publishing and marketing are concerned. For example, in February and March you'll probably see a big push of new romance novels, chick lit, or that sort of things. Fall is a big publishing season.
 

detante

Re: Learn Writing with Uncle Jim

Do you mean publishing seasons (fall, Christmas, Valentines Day) or seasons for submissions?

Seasons for submissions, I think. I know a slush pile is a slush pile no matter the month, but does the date a manuscript arrives make any difference?
 

James D Macdonald

Re: Learn Writing with Uncle Jim

does the date a manuscript arrives make any difference?

Not in book publishing, so far as I know.
 

detante

Re: Learn Writing with Uncle Jim

Thanks, UJ. I'm not sure why, but I find that reassuring. One less thing to screw up.
 

maestrowork

Re: Learn Writing with Uncle Jim

Although I probably wouldn't submit during the holidays... or a cold, depressing, icy February day...
 

tjosban

Re: Learn Writing with Uncle Jim

Uncle Jim,

I just want to say that your comments here and other places have helped me tremendously. I truly appreciate the effort you have made to the Cooler. Truly enlightening.

Thanks so much,
 

James D Macdonald

Re: Sex

Found via the always-amusing <a href="http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/" target="_new">Making Light</a>, this <a href="http://www.saralaughs.com/blog/archives/000497.html" target="_new">discussion of writing sex scenes</a>. Find all ten parts by following various links. The writer here is Sara Donati, author of the Wilderness series.
 

James D Macdonald

On the breaking of rules

We've said before that it's okay to break rules, as long as you do it for a purpose, you know what rule you're breaking, and above all, that it works.

Here, for your delight and edification, are two examples of Rule Breaking from the realm of visual arts.

First, <a href="http://www.gymsm.krefeld.schulen.net/tric/ecrivo/ville_manet.htm" target="_new"> Le Bar aux Folies Bergere</a> by Edouard Manet. Notice that the reflection in the mirror is impossible.

Second, observe <a href="http://www.essentialart.com/acatalog/Rene_Magritte_L_Empire_des_Lumieres_1954.html" target="_new">L'Empire des Lumieres</a> by Rene Magritte. A night scene with a daytime sky, both painted realistically.

Always ask, Does it Work? And notice that both of these artists are technically skilled. Other, lesser, painters wouldn't have carried it off.
 

drgnlvrljh

Re: RE: Working at It

SR, you are the only other person I've ever found that does this. When I write, I invariably end up with a song--could be country, could be pop or classical--that I listen to incessantly while working on the piece. I just completed a quest/adventure novel, and its theme song was "Nirvana Road." Listening to the music was, perhaps, a crutch. But more often than not, it put me instantly back into the story and made it much easier to maintain the all-important discipline of writing each day and getting the thing done.

I'm only on page 58 here, but I had to respond. I do the same. I use music to assist in creating the mood of a scene all the time (I have an extensive collection of music). Sometimes, I will hunt down the lyrics to a particularly apt song, and stick it at the head of the chapter, because it helps with the mood and influence. Of course, it gets deleted before I decide to send it off for publishing ;) But it's just one thing that helps me "find the muse".

btw, Hello, Uncle Jim! I have to say, I greatly appreciate the instruction. It's done wonders! :D
 
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