In the world of proofreading, grammar myths abound. These are typically presented as ‘rules’.
Overzealous pedants may therefore try to correct things that are not actually mistakes. But skilled editors and proofreaders will only make changes when they are necessary.
To help you avoid falling into these grammatical traps, I’ll dispel some of the most pervasive myths in this post.
1. Never Split Infinitives
Telling people not to split infinitives is almost a cliché of pedantry.
But the rule against splitting infinitives is an invention of nineteenth-century grammarians based upon attempts to apply the rules of Latin to English. Modern grammarians do not stick by this rule at all.
In fact, sometimes, splitting an infinitive can boost clarity. For example, to stupidly go swimming clearly implies the decision is stupid since stupidly is right next to go.
In to go swimming stupidly, on the other hand, stupidly is closer to swimming than go, which might suggest that one is swimming in a stupid manner. So, even though this version avoids splitting the infinitive, it is less clear.
I’ll leave it up to you to picture what stupid swimming would involve.
2. Never Start A Sentence With A Conjunction
You should not start a sentence with a coordinating conjunction (i.e. for, and, nor, but, or, yet, or so). But this is not held to be confirmed by any authoritative sources.
In practice, starting a sentence with a conjunction is common. It can even help emphasise the connection between two statements or enhance the flow of prose. For example:
You have a lot of potential as a proofreader. But everyone needs to practise!
So, while starting every sentence with a conjunction would be stylistically poor, never using a coordinating conjunction at the start of a sentence could detract from the flow and clarity of writing.
3. Never End Sentences With A Preposition
This is another case of mistakenly basing English usage on Latin. And while ending a sentence with a preposition can sound awkward, it is usually fine.
There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about: not being talked about.
Both clauses here end with the preposition about. To avoid this, we would need to rephrase to something like this:
There is only one thing in the world worse than being the subject of conversation, and that is not being the subject of conversation.
This is almost certainly a less memorable aphorism! And since the original makes perfect sense, changing the sentence to avoid ending on a preposition would be unhelpful.
4. Double Negatives Are Always Incorrect
The prohibition against double negatives is often overstated. You should correct non-standard double negatives (e.g. I saw nothing) if they are used in formal writing.
But these might be acceptable in less formal or literary contexts. And many double negatives are standard in most forms of writing, such as saying something is not uncommon to mean it is pretty typical:
It is not uncommon to find double negatives in a well-written document.
This usually depends on the document’s tone, so take care when correcting double negatives.
I hope you found this post about grammar myths useful and will no longer fear these all-too-often touted “rules”. The English language is a living, evolving thing that changes and develops as society changes.
If you have any writing dilemmas, I’m here to help. Get in touch.
Hello, welcome back. Do you struggle to know whether to use “affect” or “effect” in your writing? Are you tired of giving up and using “impact” instead?
Woohoo! Fantastic! I can help with that because today, I’m going to let you into a few of my teaching trade secrets about those pesky words. Is it affect or effect? After reading this post, you won’t have to ask that question again.
Here in the UK, even as native English speakers, mixing up affect and effect is commonplace. They’re different parts of speech, but they sound almost identical. Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Bear and bare, here and hear, and write and right are other examples of homophones that cause headaches to writers of all ages. During my years in the education sector, I’ve collected quite a few handy mnemonics related to spelling and grammar. Today, I’m sharing some affect vs effect handy helpers with you.
How do I remember the difference between affect and effect?
Getting the meaning behind each word cemented in your mind is vital. Having that knowledge will give you the confidence to use affect and effect correctly.
➡️Effect
Effect is usually a verb that means to cause change but when effect is a noun, it means the results of a change. For example:
The effect of climate change is worldwide. Climate change may benefit some plants by lengthening growing seasons and increasing carbon dioxide. Other effects of a warmer world, such as more pests, droughts, and flooding, are more severe.
If you’re discussing the final result of action then you can use ‘effect’. By using this simple rule, you can remember that ‘effect’ represents the end, as they both start with ‘e’. Think end, think E!
➡️Affect
Affect, on the other hand, is usually a verb and means to influence or to produce a change in something.
Gravity affects everything in the universe, but the amount of gravity affecting an object depends on two things: the masses of the objects being attracted and the distance between the objects.
Another handy mnemonic device to help you remember when to use affect in a sentence is Think A is for action!
You may also come across it used as a noun. Affect can be used to mean the facial expressions, gestures, postures, vocal intonations, etc., that typically accompany an emotion as well as the conscious emotion that occurs in reaction to a thought or experience.
His facial expressions were diminished and presented a flat affect.
💡Affect Pronunciation Hint:
When affect is a verb, the second syllable is emphasized = uh-FEKT
When affect is a noun, the first syllable is emphasized = AH-fekt
However, as with many words in the English language, using affect as a noun in this way is now only really used in psychology.
⭐3 simple tricks for remembering the differences ⭐
1. “A” comes before “E“ in the alphabet. The “A“ stands for the action that affects and comes before the effect. Think cause followed by effect.
2. If you can replace the word with influence, then you should probably use affect.
If you can replace the word with result, you should probably use effect.
3. You can put that altogether by remembering RAVEN:
R – Remember
A – Affect is a
V – Verb and
E – Effect is a
N – Noun
My final bit of advice about this and other mix-ups
English, like many other languages, has its own set of tricky rules and intricacies. We may not like it, but it is what it is. However, don’t give up.
With a little bit of practice and help from guides like this one, you can become a grammar master. Jotting down the things that repeatedly catch you out, as I suggested in my post about spelling mistakes, is a great way to retrain your brain.
I hope you found this post about affect and effect helpful. Are there any other bits of the English language that you struggle with? Drop me a comment below so that I can feature the solution in my next grammar post.
Did you know that good beta readers are one of a writer’s most valuable external resources? Not only can the right beta reader help you improve your manuscript in a way that you never could on your own, but they’ll also keep your editorial costs down.
Fantastic! But … what are beta readers, where can I find them, and how do they help me?
What the heck is a beta reader?
Beta readers are people who evaluate completed or work-in-progress (WIP) manuscripts. Sometimes they’re fellow writers and offer a reciprocal evaluation. Many are avid readers themselves and offer their feedback either in exchange for a set fee or a word-of-mouth testimonial. These helpful people will give you their opinion on what works and what doesn’t in your story.
Good beta readers are worth their weight in royalties so treat them well. Make sure that:
Your manuscript is the best version that you can produce without outside help.
It’s in the format which they are comfortable with, i.e. .docx, .pdf, .mobi (or comes with clear instructions on how they can convert it).
You’re clear about what you want from them. Let them know if you are aware of specific problem areas that you want them to pay particular attention to.
The turnaround time that you are asking for is reasonable.
Great! I like the sound of these beta readers. They seem like wonderful people. Where can I find one?
Beta reader wish list.
When looking for your ideal manuscript evaluator there are several characteristics that you should look for. First of all, let’s talk about who they aren’t. Beta readers are not:
Your best friend or mate since school.
Any member of your family member. No, not your mum, dad, brother, sister, cousin, auntie, uncle, granny…
Your husband, wife, or romantic partner of any description.
The person who has been reading your manuscript as you’ve written it.
These lovely people are all either too close to you or too invested in your story. They’ll want to help but they’re not objective enough to give you the candid, constructive criticism that you need. The people who love you or who have shared in the agonising, creative process so far won’t want to hurt your feelings or cause you any pain. Yes, the process will leave you more open to criticism, and it will probably be painful. However, the pain is necessary. You know that. Well, OK … deep down, you know that.
This is what good beta readers are:
Honest and dependable. They need to live up to their promise of help and do it within the agreed timeframe.
Avid readers and/or writers themselves. Both of these groups have a good understanding of what makes a great story. You’ll get useful insights from both sides of the process if your betas are a mix of readers and fellow writers.
The target audience of your book. If your book is aimed at young adults (those in their teens or early twenties), you want your beta readers to be within that age range too. If you’re writing within the mystery genre, you’ll want people who regularly read or write mysteries.
Able to offer a constructive critique. Strong opinions are good but any criticisms must able to be communicated without crushing your confidence. Balance is the key; they should highlight the strengths in your manuscript as well as the weaknesses and faults.
Aware of the importance of a writer’s “voice”. They’ll know enough of the publishing world to understand the fluidity with the rules of language.
Understanding of what’s needed at the beta reading stage. They’ll know that their job is assessing the big picture not nit-picking about any typos or spelling.
Experienced or knowledgeable about any specialist content in your book. e.g., foreign locations or language, astrophysics, law enforcement, deep-sea diving.
A single beta reader may not have all of these characteristics. Therefore, many writers gather a team of betas to cover all the necessary aspects for what their manuscript needs. Having a small team ensures you are well on your way to some excellent feedback.
Oh, yes! I’d trust my manuscript to people like that. But where can I find them?
Where do beta readers hang out?
If you have the money or time is of the essence, you can pay for a manuscript critique. You can find many professional beta readers advertising their services through social media, or freelance websites such as fivver. However, if you’re working to a tight budget, you may end up spending money that should have been used as part of the editing process. To help with this very issue, I offer my beta reading clients significant discounts off later editing needs.
If financial constraints mean that you’re unable to pay for a beta reader, take the time to choose wisely. Honestly, my best advice is to simply go where writers go (Twitter, Facebook, writing blogs, and writing forums) and start making connections. It’s important to find beta readers that are the right fit for your book.
The best time to begin your search is, at least, a year before you think you’ll need them. Yes, that long. Taking this time means that you get to know more about lots of different people, building productive relationships and contacts. This leads to longer-lasting professional friendships which you’ll benefit from throughout your writing life.
Some key pointers for making and supporting connections with your potential beta readers:
Be genuine. Don’t pretend to be interested in someone’s life or writing just to get them as a beta reader. The relationship with your beta reader needs to be one based on honesty.
Be generous. Offer up your time and feedback willingly. Volunteer to critique other manuscripts before asking for yours be assessed. Fellow writers will soon reciprocate because they want to help you.
Be gentle. Take your time; it takes patience to nurture the sort of relationships that both parties can trust and rely on. You want to be sure that your manuscript will be safe in their hands.
Yes, yes, but WHERE can I start making these connections?
As I mentioned before, you can find beta readers through a variety of places:
Face-to-face.
Writers’ seminars and workshops. The first contact will be face-to-face. But then you can keep in touch via whatever method both party agree to, usually social media.
Local writers’ groups and critique groups. Find out what’s going on in your area by visiting your library or try meetup.com.
I know that the pandemic has had an impact on in-person connections. However, most face-to-face events have become virtual ones instead with the help of Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet.
Online.
Social media. Interact with other writers on Twitter, join Facebook groups for writers, Goodreads has a Beta Reader Group, LinkedIn has various discussion groups for writers covering a variety of genres.
Writers’ forums. Sign up to writers’ forums that have critique dedicated areas. You’ll most likely have to do some beta reading yourself before you can offer up your own work for assessing, but it’s all part of the relationship-building process. Joining other writers’ forums that don’t have areas dedicated to critiques will help you meet like-minded authors. In time, they might be interested in beta reading the kind of books you write.
Book discussion forums. Some book websites focus on specific genres and have community forums where people discuss the books they love from that genre while other sites allow discussions about any and every genre. Frequently, you can also find sections dedicated to authors and writing where critiques can be exchanged. OnlineBookClub.org is a great site with active forums and resources available for writers and authors as well as readers. They have separate forums for different genres as well as boards specifically for authors and the art of writing.
Writing blogs. Search for blogs related to writing. Which ones are well-written and have content that engages you? Interact with the author by commenting on posts and sharing what they have to say across your social media accounts; they may even begin to reciprocate. Over time, you’ll be able to tell if there’s potential for a mutually beneficial beta reading partnership.
Remember the fundamental rules of relationship building: Be genuine, be generous, be gentle.
Excellent! I know who I’m looking for and where to find them. But why should I go to all this effort?
Why do I need a group of beta readers at all?
It takes hard work and dedication to build up a portfolio of beta readers who you can call on when needed. What makes it worth your while?
Working with beta readers will:
Improve your writing skills. You’ll become increasingly aware of your weaknesses and develop a more professional style that’s more conducive to success in the publishing world.
Improve your manuscript. Problems and areas that you grappled with will be resolved, missed plot holes will be highlighted and solutions suggested, weak characters will be strengthened … The list could go on and on.
Create your very own support network. Authors are solitary creatures and don’t usually have a team behind them. However, your portfolio of betas will be people who are dedicated to the written word, who get you. They’ll understand the challenges and recognise the triumphs. Even if only a few of the connections you make join your beta team, you’ll have built up an invaluable network that’ll prove its value time and again.
Save you money. A large enough team of beta readers means that you can garner their thoughts at key junctures of your manuscript’s development. Done properly, you may be able to skip the developmental and substantive editing stage at the beginning of the process. This will dramatically reduce your costs and mean that the line/copy-editing stage may come in cheaper too. The ‘cleaner’ your manuscript is, the lower your overall editing costs will be.
As you can see, just one of these benefits makes the time and effort spent finding good beta readers worthwhile.
Good book reviews are an author’s bread and butter.
The publishing world is full of great books. Publishers spend huge amounts of money marketing their authors’ books. However, many authors choose to self-publish their novels so they don’t get the financial backing or a marketing or PR department showcasing their book. Help your favourite self-published author by leaving a review on the retailers website.
Hello fellow book lovers. It’s lovely to be back on The BG Blog. My last post about Kindle Unlimited was so well received that Kim asked me to write another post. This time I decided to share a “How-to” post. Today, it’s how to write book reviews.
I’ve been writing and publishing my book reviews for over four years now but before that I was an avid reader.
I know that other readers will be interested in my opinions about the books I read because before I buy a book, I always check out its ratings and reviews. C’mon, I’m not alone, you do too, don’t you? Whether you’ve loved the book or not, I think that if you give your honest thoughts and reasons why, then you will be helping people to find new books that are right for them.
Of course, at first I didn’t know how to start or what to write so I went online and read loads of how-to articles and blog posts. My best advice? Imagine that you’re talking to someone who’s asking you whether they should read the book. Don’t copy anyone else’s style – be yourself!
These are the 6 aspects that all of my reviews have in common and a few tips on what to think about as you start writing.
1. Start with a couple of sentences describing what the book is about
What genre is it? What world is it set in? As a general rule, to avoid giving any spoilers or revealing plot twists, don’t mention anything that happens from about the middle of the book onwards; I usually include the book’s blurb in my opening which covers that. If the book is part of a series, it can be useful to mention this and whether you think you’d need to have read other books in the series to enjoy this one.
2. Discuss what you particularly liked about the book
Try to focus on your thoughts and feelings about the story and the way it was told. You could try answering a couple of the following questions:
Who was your favourite character, and why?
Did the characters feel real to you?
Did the story keep you guessing?
What was your favourite part of the book, and why?
Were certain types of scene written particularly well – for example sad scenes, tense scenes, mysterious ones…?
Did the book make you laugh or cry?
Did the story grip you and keep you turning the pages?
3. Mention anything you disliked about the book
Talk about why you think it didn’t work for you. Be a critic not a nasty bitch. For example:
Did you wish the ending hadn’t been a cliffhanger because you found it frustrating?
Did you find it difficult to care about a main character, and could you work out why?
Was the story too scary for your liking, or did it focus on a theme you didn’t find interesting?
4. Round up your review
And lastly you should summarise some of your thoughts on the book by suggesting the type of reader you’d recommend the book to. For example: younger readers, older readers, fans of relationship drama/mystery stories/comedy. Are there any books or series you would compare it to? Are there any triggers or content that could offend?
5. You can give the book a rating, for example a mark out of five or even ten, if you like!
I use the Goodreads rating system to keep it simple, although I’ve started adding mini ratings for the book’s plot, the general flow and pace of the tale, character development throughout the book and the world building.
6. Include the links back to the author and any purchase links for the book
I’m writing reviews to help fellow readers find their next can’t put it down book so I don’t want to leave them without saying where they can buy it from! I also add a link back to the author’s website and where they can be found on social media – Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc.
So, that’s it!
If you haven’t written a review before I hope that this has de-mystified the process a bit for you. Feel free to check out the reviews I’ve posted on my blog (Flora’s Musings). Or alternatively, leave me a comment below.
Authors need book reviews, especially those self-publishing their own books. They rely on word of mouth recommendations and every review counts, even if it’s only a couple of sentences. Remember, your opinions matter.
In the publishing world, a book’s blurb is NOT the same as its synopsis. Yes, we are a world unto ourselves. Both are important to the success of your novel. However, each needs its own skillset and be written for a different audience. In this post, I’m sharing my tips on how to write an amazing synopsis for your novel.
Do you know the difference between a blurb and a synopsis?
A blurb, or cover copy, is the text you typically see on the back cover of a book.
Blurbs give an idea of what the story is about, but don’t tell you the whole plot. They’re written to entice and intrigue the reader, and the language used reflects this. They’re evocative, intriguing yet spoiler-free. For example, ‘Alyssa is plunged into an exciting world of sorcerers and spies.’ ‘Lily will discover a secret that changes everything.’ Or perhaps, ‘Will Graeme manage to overcome his demons and save the world?’
A synopsis has a different function.
The synopsis isn’t meant to tantalise the reader or show off your writing style (your manuscript itself should do that!). Rather it serves to inform the agent, publisher or whoever is reading it what happens in the story. A synopsis is clear and straightforward. You need to layout what Lily’s secret is, and whether Graeme does manage to save the world. You don’t need to use the rhetorical devices you would see in a blurb; plain and simple English is just fine and will allow your plot to speak for itself.
Writing a clear, concise synopsis or book proposal tells an agent, editor or publisher that you are a capable writer, and can help you stand out from the slushpile and secure a book contract.
A literary agent or publisher will ask you to submit a synopsis along with your sample chapters. A well-written synopsis will help the agent decide whether or not to request the full manuscript. Therefore, it’s important to get this part of the submission package right.
Tell the whole story
A synopsis should cover the plot from start to finish. As mentioned above, don’t leave the ending hanging on an unfinished thread – we need to know what happens! Also, don’t assume that the agent has already read any sample chapters you’ve sent, and therefore it’s OK to start where those left off.
Include your sub-plot(s), but you don’t need to include every detail. The synopsis should focus on the main plot, and how those subplots feed into it. If you’ve written a fantasy novel, try not to get bogged down in explaining your world-building or how the system of magic you’ve invented works. Give only the details that are needed for understanding the story. These should (hopefully) be enough to give a flavour of the unique and interesting elements you have created.
If the book is part of a planned series with an ongoing story, it may be helpful to include very brief synopses of these (a couple of lines, maximum). Just to show that you have plans for where the story is going next.
Write in the third person, present tense
Imagine that you are sat in front of your potential agent or publisher and telling them about your story. For example, ‘On her fortieth birthday, Flora meets an old man who tells her that she will die on the same day that she meets her soul mate.’
Instead of ‘On her fortieth birthday, Flora met an old man who told her she would die on the same day she meets her soul mate.’
How long should it be?
Some agents/publishers will be very specific on their submissions page about the length they require (e.g. ‘no more than 300 words’). Therefore, it’s always worth doing your research. Adapt your submission package to fit the guidelines.
Generally, though, the consensus seems to be ‘no more than one side of A4’. Of course, it depends on what kind of book you’ve written. The storyline for a children’s book such as Winnie-the-Pooh could be easily summarised in a paragraph or two. Whereas an epic fantasy such as A Game of Thrones would understandably fill a whole page (two pages may be acceptable in this case).
Finally … does it make sense?
This seems obvious. However, as the author of your novel, you are intimately aware of the plot. You may be too close to it to know whether the synopsis would make sense to those who haven’t already read the book. The best way to test this is on people who know nothing about the book and ask them to be honest.
For further details and help, I recommend checking out How to write a Synopsisby Sophie @ Liminal Pages where she also includes some databases when you’re ready to contact an agent.
As you can imagine, writing your synopsis can also highlight potential problems in your plot. If you’re struggling to write a concise, logically connected summary of the events of your novel, you might find it isn’t ready to be submitted to agents just yet. If you’d like professional feedback on your draft, consider hiring me to carry out a manuscript critique.
