In my October newsletter, I mentioned that I'd be taking part in National Novel Writing Month. I made a commitment to write 50,000 words in 30 days. Well, guess what? I made it. At around 8:00 p.m. on November 30, 2004, I hit 50,000 words (190 pages).
I'm about half way done with my novel. The goal is to finish it in early 2005 and then work on a rewrite. I hope to have a draft in the hands of my "first readers" by the end of the spring.
Thanks to all of you who e-mailed me with your encouragement along the way. As you noticed, you didn't receive a newsletter in November. Now you know why!
I wish you and your families a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2005!
Peace,
Robyn Bradley "E.T. Robbins"
Visit NaNoWriMo's site: www.nanowrimo.org.
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Dear Reader,
Happy (almost) 2005! It's time to make a resolution to break some bad word-choice habits. Here are some that I hear and read all the time. Strike 'em from your memory bank.
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| 1. Irregardless or Regardless? | | | Regardless is correct. | | |
| 2. "I could care less" or "I couldn't care less." | | | Which is correct? Use this: I couldn't care less. | | |
| 3. Compliment and Complement | | | A compliment (as a noun) means an act of praise. A
complement (again, as a noun) means something that
completes or brings to perfection. Example: She received many compliments about her
pearl earrings.
Example: Her pearl earrings were the perfect
complement to her outfit. | | |
| 4. Loose and Lose | | | Loose is an adjective meaning "not fastened." Lose is a
verb meaning "to mislay" or "to not win." Example: I like jeans that are loose around my waist
because it's more comfortable to sit.
Example: I hate it when I lose my keys. | | |
| 5. There, They're, and Their | | | "There" is an adverb or an expletive. "They're" is a
contraction for "they are." "Their" is a possessive
pronoun. Example (taken from Diana Hacker's "A Writer's
Reference"): Adverb: Sylvia is lying there unconscious.
Expletive: There are two plums left.
Contraction: They're going to the movies on New Year's
Day.
Possessive Pronoun: Carol and Paul are going to the
movies once
they finish their homework. | | |
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