Writing tips for nonwriters

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jst5150

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Good stuff, here: http://www.scalzi.com/whatever/004023.html.

One of my favorites:
Learn to friggin' spell: I'm not talking typos here, because everyone makes them, and I make more than most. I mean genuine "gosh I really don't know how this is spelled" mistakes. This is particularly the case with basic spelling errors like using "your" when you're supposed to be using "you're" or "its" for "it's" (or in both cases, vice-versa). Here's a good rule of thumb: For every spelling error you make, your apparent IQ drops by 5 points. For every "there, they're, their" type of mistake you make, your apparent IQ drops by 10 points. Sorry about that, but there it is.

 

Jaoman

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My god! By this method, my collective IQ should be somewhere in the range of -245! I'm the anti-genius.
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FolkloreFanatic

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I LOVE IT!

I'm a grammar/syntax authoritarian. Typos are one thing. They are excusable. Repeated, sloppy errors are another thing entirely. On writing forums, I stop reading people's comments when they can't be bothered to at least make an *effort* at legible text -- I consider it a common courtesy in internet conversation.

This will sound callous, but why listen if they don't care how they appear? It's like attending a job interview in sweatpants and a dirty t-shirt. They obviously don't take the vocation seriously, and the more defensive they become about it, the most I feel justified in promoting the accepted standards of conduct.

The more you practice at good prose, the more it will show in your writing, and vice-versa. Laziness isn't acceptable, because you'll probably expend more effort on arguing an indefensible stance than you would just writing correctly in the first place.

That said, can you tell I feel verbose today? Oi. XD
 

reph

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FolkloreFanatic said:
The more you practice at good prose, the more it will show in your writing...
But how do you get someone to practice at good prose who doesn't know what's good and what's not? Some posts on AW seem to have come from people who could read Atlanta Nights without knowing which parts were the jokes.
 

scribbler1382

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"internet" should be capitalized and "the most I feel" should be "the more I feel"


You asked for it. ;)


"I was . . . an extraordinarily bad speller and have remained so until this day."
- Agatha Christie
 
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Saanen

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scribbler1382 said:
"internet" should be capitalized and "the most I feel" should be "the more I feel"

You asked for it. ;)

From the link above:

5. Grammar matters, but not as much as anal grammar Nazis think it does: The problem with grammar is that here in the US at least, schools do such a horrible job of teaching the subject that most people are entirely out to sea regarding correct usage. It's the calculus of liberal arts subjects. But grammar need not be stupendously complicated; in the final reduction the point of grammar is to make the language as clear to as many people as possible. Frankly, I think if most non-writers can manage to get agreement between their verb and their subject, I'm willing to spot them the whole "who/whom" conundrum.

Sorry, couldn't resist. :)
 

MattW

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WuT iF EyE tAwK lYk DiS? KaN j00 StYl NDRsTanD mE?

Whew! It takes effort to sound that ridiculous...
 

Yeshanu

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Matt,

The sad part is, yes, I did understand what you wrote. :tongue


Personally, I think some of us go too far in asking beginning writers for proper grammar and spelling. Yes, when it comes time to submit, spelling and grammar are important. But in the beginning, when someone is starting to put ideas down on paper, those things don't count at all, and over-emphasis on grammar and spelling at the expense of content leads to one of two things -- grammatically correct, perfectly spelled pap, or even worse, nothing at all.

As a reader, I'd rather read error-ridden stuff that's creative and exciting than perfectly correct drivel. The mistakes can be corrected. The drivel, no matter how many corrections are made, will remain drivel.
 

Shadow Otenaki

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I have to agree with you there, Yeshanu. And if you guys really want something you can't read, well.. get p|23p4|23|) f0r 4 |_177|_3 l33t. =P




Translation: "prepared for a little leet". :p
 

Aconite

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Shadow Otenaki said:
I have to agree with you there, Yeshanu. And if you guys really want something you can't read, well.. get p|23p4|23|) f0r 4 |_177|_3 l33t. =P
Why assume lots of people here can't read l337? Around this place, it's like posting in French and thinking no one can read it. :p
 

Avalon

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Why assume lots of people here can't read l337?

I can't. I confess, I have no idea what the heck you're talking about.
 

jst5150

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Way off the beaten path, but since I'm beatin' it ... Radio L33T!

Some friends and I used to do a sports-radio show in Portugal for the American military audience there Saturdays. Big fun. I have audio snippets if you're interested. Hee-larry-us.

However, one of the outgrowths of the show was encapsulating some of the best moments in L33T form.

It helps if you play EVerquest, World of Warcraft or have read anything by Tolkien. It also helps to know that one of the hosts was a huge Yankees fan, another a huge Red WIngs fan and another got deployed to Iraq about three months into our show's 14-month run.

It's below. Enjoy (if you can)

The W4t3r8oyZ in L33t 5p34k



By Jason Tudor



*** Intro starts and the mics cue up

Jason has logged in

Josh has logged in

Ryan has logged in

Pete has logged in

Josh: “I pwn u n00bs!”

Jason: “Sif”

Ryan: “Yank33s pwn!!!!1!”

Pete: “Sif. ****, Raiders will pwn!!1!!”

Josh: “Ask teh questions!”

Jason: “STFU!”

Ryan: “Sif!!11!! Do Yank33s rulz??!!”

Pete: “OMG!!! Yank33z own!”

Jason: “D0dg3rz, fooz!!! W00T!!”

Ryan: “Do0z 0h1o St4te SUxzor?!!”

Pete: “USC pwns!!!”

Josh: “PWN!! Chex0r out their d3fnze! PWN!”

Ryan has ignored Josh

Steve has logged into the server

Steve: “Looking for p0rt 2 faydark! 50PP”

Jason: “Wrong server, foo!”

Steve: “Wtf?!/111”

Steve has left the server

Ryan: “Camp!!!”



***Segment about intramural football begins

Josh: “CE clan suxzor! We would kick their a55 on PvP!”

Pete: “Sif!! We PWNED joo on all PvP, L0z3r!!11!”

Josh: “wtf?!11! we r the best! We rulz yoo n00bs!!11! We r L33T!!!!”

Jason: “Josh, stop!! CE’s too high lvl!!”

**JOSH IS BROADCASTING HIS IP ADDRESS!!!!

Admin has converted Waterboys server PvP

CE Orc logged into the server

CE Orc logged into the server

CE Orc logged into the server

CE Orc logged into the server

CE Orc logged into the server

CE Orc logged into the server

CE Orc logged into the server

Josh: “OMG!!!! TEAMS!!”

Pete: “U r going 2 b PWNED!!!!111!!”

Pete has logged out

Jason: “FFS!! Too many! Wtf josh!11???”

Ryan: “?????? Screw teamz!”

Ryan has logged out

Pete has logged out

CE Orc [hammer] Josh

CE Orc [hammer] Josh

CE Orc [hammer] Josh

CE Orc [hammer] Josh

CE Orc [hammer] Josh

CE Orc [hammer] Josh

CE Orc [hammer] Josh

Josh [shield] CE Orc (failed)

Josh has 3 hit points

Josh: “****!!!!!”

Jason: “Fall back, foo! Run!!”

Josh runs toward Jason

CE Orc runs toward Jason

CE Orc runs toward Jason

CE Orc runs toward Jason

CE Orc runs toward Jason

CE Orc runs toward Jason

CE Orc runs toward Jason

CE Orc runs toward Jason

Jason: “WTF!!!!!! TRAIN!!111!!! OMG!!”

Jason casts Mass Charm Monster (successful)

CE Orc moves out of fighting range

CE Orc moves out of fighting range

CE Orc moves out of fighting range

CE Orc moves out of fighting range

CE Orc moves out of fighting range

CE Orc moves out of fighting range

CE Orc moves out of fighting range

Admin has converted Waterboys server to non-PvP

Jason casts Heal Massive Head Wounds

On Party Member (Y/N)?

Choose Party Member (Josh/Ryan/Pete/Steve)?

Jason casts Heal Massive Head Wounds on Josh

Jason has leveled up!

Jason: “W00t”

Josh: “wtf!!”

Pete has logged in

Ryan has logged in

Ryan: “wtf?!11!”

Jason: “******* n00B! Almost ki11ed me!”

Pete: “PWNED!!! You suxzor!!”

Josh: “CE still suxzor! We w00d kick their a55 on PvP server!”

Pete: “Sif!!!111!! We win all! PH34R THE CE!!!!1111”

Jason: “OMG, shut him up!!!11!! Orcs will hear, n00B!”

Air Force logs in as admin

Air Force: “Josh!!111!! Sup? D3zert quest wit uz on new =====((B4GhD4D))===== PvP svr???? U wi11 pwn! All will Ph34R the W4rh3rooo0!11! Wanna go?”

Josh: “OMG! T0tal Pwnage Quest! Woot! Woot! L8, guyz! U guyz suxzor!111!Hahahahahah!! L8r, foos!!11!”

(Josh has been poisoned)

Josh changes screen name to W4rh3rooo0

W4rh3rooo0 has left the server

Air Force has left the server

Pete: “wtf?!”

Ryan: “****** Camp!!111!!1111!”



*** Segment about baseball begins

Ryan: “Yankees pwn!!!1!”

Jason: “Dodgers pwn!!”

Pete: “B4s3ball suxzor”

Ryan: “Sif!”

Jason: “Bonds takes roids!”

Ryan: “OMG! N00b! Bat speed!”

Pete: “Totally bat speed, n00b!”

Steve has logged into the server

Steve: “A/S/L?”

Jason: “N00b!”

Ryan: “Oh FFS!”

Pete: “OLOLOLOL!!!!!1! The fat PWNS him!!1!1!1!!!”

Pete [hammer] Steve

Jason: “pwnd!!”

Ryan: “W00t!”

Steve has left the server

*** Story bout Ken Caminiti’s death hits the wire

Jason: “T00 many Roidz, like B0ndz, foo”

Pete: “wtf?! Leet! No roidz!”

Ryan: “OMG! Cam total n00b, foo! Roidz rager!”

Steve has connected to the server

Steve: “Caminiti wuz n Astro!!!111! Pwn!11!”

Pete [hammer] Steve

Steve: “wtf!!11!??”

*** Pete makes comment that Steve doesn’t hear

Steve has left the server

Ryan: “OMG!! Packetloss!”

Pete: “Pwn3d!!”

Jason: “W00T!!”

Ryan: “Camp!!!”



***Segment about hockey begins

Pete: “FFS, camping”

Pete has camped

Ryan: “wtf?!”

Jason: “R3d Wingz pwn!!1111!”

Steve has connected to the server

Steve: “Avalanche pwn!!11!!”

W4rh3rooo0 has remotely connected to server from =====((B4GhD4D))=====

W4rh3rooo0: “R3d Wingz pwn!!11!”

Ryan: “we sed that, foo!”

Jason [private chat Ryan]: “Can u h4xzor his conn3t1on?”

Ryan: [private chat Jason]: “OMG!!11 T0tal1y!”

Ryan [broadsword] connection

W4rh3rooo0 has been disconnected from server

Ryan has leveled up!

Ryan: “DING!11!!! PWNed!”

Jason: “yoo rulz!”

Steve: “W00t!”

Pete has finished camping

Pete [hammer] Steve

Steve: “wtf?11! u all suxzor! L8”

Steve has left the server

Ryan: “LOLOLO!! Avalanche pwn!11!”

Pete: “Hockey suxzor”

Pete has camped

Ryan: “Camp!!11!”



***Segment about NASCAR starts

Jason: “OMG! Racing pwns!!”

Pete: “Racing suxzor!”

Ryan has camped

Pete votes to change map to Movies

Votes 4 of 4 required

Map changes to movies

Pete: “PWNED!!!1!1!!!1111! U can’t handle the troooth!”

Ryan has finished camping

Ryan: “N00b. Movies suxzor!”

Jason: “Star Wars PWNS!”

Pete: “I have c33n all teh movies!”

Ryan: “Sif! Movies suxzor! Yank33s!1!11”

Pete: “Sif!!11!! You r foo!11!”

Steve has connected to the server

Steve: “…”

Pete [hammer] Steve

Steve has left the server

Jason: “wtf, Steve????”

Ryan: “PWNED!11!”

Pete: “OLOLOLL!!!1! Hed fu11 of n1ck3ls!!! Pwned!

Jason: “Racing rulz!!!”

Pete: “Racing suxzor!!”

Ryan: “Camp!11!”



***Segment about five questions starts

Ryan: “Giambi takes roidz! wtf?”

Pete: “whatz wrong w roidz?”

Jason: “ph34r teh roidz”

W4rh3rooo0 has connected to the server

Ryan: “OMG!!! FFS, TEAMS!”

W4rh3rooo0: “Back from quest! I pwned!11!!1 32 lvl!!11!”

Ryan: “Sif!!!1!11!! TEAMS!!!”

Ryan [hammer] W4rh3rooo0

Jason [hammer] W4rh3rooo0

Pete [hammer] W4rh3rooo0

Steve has connected to the server

Pete [hammer] Steve

Pete [hammer] Steve

Steve: “WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

Ryan [hammer] W4rh3rooo0

Jason [hammer] W4rh3rooo0

Jennifer has logged on as admin

Ryan: “OMG!!! teh Boss!!”

Jennifer [giant hammer] W4rh3rooo0

Jennifer [giant hammer] Jason

Jennifer [giant hammer] Pete

Jennifer [giant hammer] Ryan

Steve: “wtf!?1?! TEAMS!”

Ryan: “OMG!!111! Lets P0RT to Oc34nV13w Gr1LL!!!!111!1!1”

Jennifer [giant hammer] Steve

Steve has left the server

Jennifer: “hahahahahahah!!!!!11!!! PWNEd y00 faghats!!!1!!!!!!!”

Jennifer has left the server

Pete: “she r teh pwn!”

W4rh3rooo0: “WTF!!1! Wait! Did u guyz h4xor teh connection from ((B4GhD4D)) wen I s1gn3d on earlier???”

Ryan: “Lag.”

Jason: “Lag.”

Pete: “Lag! Sif!! You got PWNED by Ryan!!!11!! W00t!!!”

W4rh3rooo0: “***k you guys, mother***ers!!!!”

Jennifer has logged on as admin

W4rh3rooo0 has been kicked for language

Jennifer has left the server

Pete: “she r teh pwn!

W4rh3rooo0 has logged on with a *high warning* level

Pete: “PWNED!!1!”

W4rh3rooo0: “wtf??!?”

Ryan: “Camp!!!11”



***Segment about What’s On AFN Sports for the Weekend starts

Ryan prepares scroll of future seeing (successful)

Jason: “BRB”

Jason has camped

Steve has logged in

Ryan: “Sup Steve!”

Steve has camped

Ryan: “wtf?!?! Yank33z play twice R3d S0X!!11! pwn R3dS0x 19*8!!!!!”

Pete: “TV suxz0r!”

Pete has camped

Ryan: “Lo? Lo? ******* campers!!!! Wtf??111! Yank33z play 2 times, foos! Why am I s0L0?”

W4rh3rooo0: “I’m here!”

Ryan: “Sif!”

W4rh3rooo0: “!!!”

W4rh3rooo0 has camped

Jason has finished camping

Jason: “FFS, On t00 late, foo! Screw TV! Let’s go dr1nk and pwn the club!!11!”

Jason has camped

Ryan: “OMG!!! PWN the club!! Watch Yank33z at club!!11! Big b33rz!!”

Steve has finished camping

Steve: “Ph34r Yank33z!”

Pete has finished camping

Pete [hammer] Steve

Steve has lost all his hit points

Steve: “WTF???WTF???WTF???!!!!”

Pete: “I Pwn joo, n00B!!!!”

Steve has left the server

Pete has camped

Ryan: “CAMP!!!!!!1111!!”



*** Segment about Soundoff starts

Ryan: “You go, Josh!”

W4rh3rooo0: “Sif! My show, n00B! I pwn yooz!”

Ryan: “Sif! Go, N00b!”

Jason: “My go, h4xors!”

Pete: “FFS! GO!!!!1!!!!!”

Jason: “STFU! Going!”

Jason [monologue] racing

Ryan [monologue] Yankees

W4rh3rooo0 [monologue] hockey

Pete [monologue] golf

Steve2 has connected to server

Pete [grand hammer] Steve2

Steve2 has lost all his hit points

Steve2: “AGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!111111!”

Warning: connection problems detected

Steve2 has disconnected from the server

Pete has leveled up

Pete: “DING!!!!! I PwN!”

W4rh3rooo0: “PWNED!1!”

W4rh3rooo0 [thief tools] connection

W4rh3rooo0 changes Pete’s screen name to Mayor

Pete: wtf?11! Who h4xor my scnm?”

W4rh3rooo0: “LOLOLOLLOLLLL!!! PWNED!!!111!!”

Pete: “FFS!”

Ryan: “Yank33s pwn!1!11!”

Jason: “Sif!”

Ryan: “OMG!!111!1! We won!!11!”

Mayor: “Play nextor w33k?”

Ryan: “Woot!”

Jason: “Woot!”

W4rh3rooo0: “W00t!”

Ryan: “Camp til n3xt w33k!! L8r!”

Ryan has logged out

Jason has logged out

W4rh3rooo0 has logged out

Mayor has logged out

*** Outro plays and ends the show



*** Sexual Assault spot

Speaker 1: “WTF!?!?! Orc fighter came to my camp and went PvP on me on non-PvP server!!!!”

Speaker 2: “Suxzor!!!! Jooz just a bard!!”

Speaker 1: “Duh! Lost all HPs & con!!”

Speaker 2: “wtf?!?!! I wi11 Pwn for jooz!!!”

Speaker 1: “Can’t. Admins locked server to non-PvP!”

Speaker 2: “So, report, foo!!!!”

Speaker 1: “Sif!! Moderators don’t care!”

Speaker 2: “Screw mods! R3p0rt to Admin!”

Speaker 1: “OMG!!! I will!! W00t!”

Speaker 2: “Let’s port to club!!!!111!!!”

Speaker 1: “W00t!!!!”



*** Reflective belt spot

Driver: “I was t0tally PWNING these goblins, then …”

Passenger: “FFS!!! TEAMS!!!!”

*** Car screeches as Samy stops in front of car

Samy: “OMG!! You almost hit me, 4 m0re in4mashun!!!”

*** Driver and passenger get out of car

Driver [broadsword] Samy

Driver [broadsword] Samy

Samy: “!!!!”

Passenger [crossbow] Samy

Passenger [crossbow] Samy

Samy has lost all his hit points

Passenger: “PWNED!!!! My ki11!”

Driver: “Sif!!! My ki11, foo!!!
Driver levels up


Passenger levels up

Driver: “TWIN KI11!!!! W00t!!!

Passenger: “W00T!!!!”

Driver: “No reflect1ve belt, no mercy!!!”

Passenger: “W00t!!”
 
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