Stuart Aken's Blog, page 344

An Invitation to Published Authors for Interview on This Blog.

This is an open invitation to all authors, published traditionally, via self-publishing, or in ebook form, to have an interview on my blog. See previous posts for examples.Please provide your own questions and answers, to maximise the appeal of your interview, or give answers to all or any of the questions below, in any order you choose. If you provide a book cover picture and/or portrait of yourself, I will try to use them on the blog. Also, please make sure you let me have links to your blog, website and those places where your book can be bought. A short bio, as an introduction, will make the interview flow more easily and give your readers a better view of you as a writer.Email these as attachments to me using the 'Contact me' link underneath the Welcome.Please use .doc, .docx, or .rtf for text and .jpeg or .jpg for pictures.
Suggested Author Interview Questions:
1.     Tell us about (enter your current book title) in a few sentences.2.     How did you come to write this particular book?3.     If you have a favourite character in your novel, why that particular one?4.     Where and when is your novel set and why did you make these specific choices?5.     How can people buy your book(s)?6.     What qualities make a successful writer?7.     How do you set about writing a piece?8.     Beginning writers make many mistakes; what do you think is the most harmful?9.     To what extent are grammar and spelling important to a writer?10.  How much revision of your MS do you do before you send it off?11.  To what extent do you think genre is useful in the publishing world?12.  How do you know where to begin any given story?13.  What sort of displacement activities keep you from actually writing?14.  Do you have support, either from family and friends or a writing group?15.  Is presentation of the MS as important as most agents and publishers suggest?16.  How long does it normally take you to write a (novel, book, play, poem, story)?17.  Who or what inspires you? 18.  If there's a single aspect to writing that really frustrates you, what is it?19.  Is there any aspect of writing that you really enjoy?20.  Do you think writing is a natural gift or an acquired skill?21.  What single piece of advice would you give to writers still hoping to be published?22.  What are you writing now?23.  Do you have a website or a blog that readers can visit?24.  Given unlimited resources, what would be your ideal writing environment?25.  Where do you actually write?

Using That instead of Who or Whom

Away from all things computer for a couple more days, so keeping things going with scheduled blogs on the language we use as writers. I hope you'll forgive me if I don't reply to any comments until I return from my well-earned rest.
Using That instead of Who or Whom Image via Wikipedia Who or whom; always used when referring to people, especially as individuals. 'That; used when referring to a class, species, or type.  'She's the sort of singer that you want to listen to late at night.'

When to use That Or Which

Away from all things computer at present and keeping things going with scheduled blogs about language. I hope you'll forgive me if I don't reply to your comments for the moment, but I'm taking a well-earned rest for a couple of weeks.
When to use That Or Which Image via Wikipedia
Which;  usually used before a nonrestrictive clause, one that isn't vital or that simply gives extra information. 'He watched the copied DVD, which he'd been given by a colleague, and discovered the quality was disappointingly poor.'

That; usually introduces restrictive clauses that are vital to the meaning of the sentence. 'The DVD was a compilation of all the videos that Kylie had ever made.'

Do you Lay or Lie?

[image error] Image via WikipediaAway from the desk and all things computer for the moment. So, I'm going to keep things going with scheduled blogs dealing with the language we use as writers. I hope you'll forgive me if I don't reply to any comments for the time being, but I'm having a very well-earned (I think so, anyway) rest from work for a couple of weeks.

Do you Lay or Lie?

lay: to place in a horizontal position, to put down, (always followed by an object). 'When you lay the table, please ensure the cutlery is in the right order.'

lie: to recline, to be or remain in a prone position.  'After an exhausting photo shoot, the glamour model had to lie down for a rest .' When using the present tense only, use lay if you can replace the word in question with put. There's a great and simple piece on this issue at http://www.writersrelief.com/blog/post/LieLay-Lesson.aspx.

When to use Its or It's

Image via Wikipedia
Because I'm away from all things computer, I'm keeping the blog going with scheduled posts about the language we use as writers. I hope you'll forgive for failing to reply to comments for the time being, but I'm having a well-earned break from work.
When to use Its or It's 
its: the possessive form of it – this possessive doesn't use the apostrophe, as you would for a named person, but follows the convention for other pronouns, e.g. your - yours, their – theirs.  'The dog wandered into the kitchen, wondering where its dinner might be.'
it's: the contraction for it is or it has.  'I'd say it's an ill wind that..., but it's been said before.'

Whether You Imply or Infer

Image via Wikipedia
Away from the desk and all things computer for the moment. So, I'm going to keep things going with scheduled blogs dealing with the language we use as writers. I hope you'll forgive me if I don't reply to any comments for the time being, but I'm having a very well-earned (I think so, anyway) rest from work for a couple of weeks.
Whether You Imply or Infer 
imply: to suggest, to express or state indirectly.  'When you imply that I came by this article less than honestly, you call me "thief".'   
infer: to establish by deduction, to conclude by reasoning. 'I infer from your overblown protestations that you are indeed guilty.'
The attached picture bears no relation to the topic. I just like it.

Using The Dreaded Of for Have:

Image via Wikipedia
Away from my desk and all things computer. So, keeping things going with scheduled blogs on the language we use as writers. Please forgive me if I don't reply to any comments for the time being, but I'm having a very well-earned rest from work. Be back in person in the second week of October.Using The Dreaded Of for Have:You all know this one. It's a result of people writing the way they speak. So, someone says, 'I would've done it differently if only I'd've known better.'  And then they write this as, 'I would of done it differently if only I'd of known better.' Even the much lauded F Scott Fitzgerald used this in dialogue in The Great Gatsby; I cringed every time I saw it.Please, use 'have' or its contracted form, "'ve" and not 'of', which is not a verb but a preposition connecting words.End of minor rant.  

Whether to use Fewer or Less

Image via Wikipedia
Away from the desk, I've scheduled blogs dealing with language. I hope you'll forgive me if I don't reply to any comments for the time being, but I'm having a very well-earned rest from work for a couple of weeks.

Whether to use Fewer or Less

fewer: a comparative quantifier used with plural items.  'There were fewer girls at George's party than he had hoped would attend, meaning he had less opportunity to get laid.'

less: not as great in quantity or amount.  'There has been less snow this winter, so the ski slopes have had fewer skiers.'

Whether to use Farther or Further.

Image via Wikipedia
Away from the desk and all things computer for the moment, but keeping things going with scheduled blogs about the language we use. I hope you'll forgive me if I don't reply to any comments for the time being, but I'm having a well-earned (I think so) rest from work for a couple of weeks.
Whether to use Farther or Further. 
farther: more distant in space, time or degree. (these two have become more or less interchangeable, but 'further' is more often the choice when referring to degree).  'Charles Darwin's theories go much farther back in time than those of the Creationists.'
further: more distant, especially in degree, to a greater extent.  'Your arguments are specious and move you further from the truth.'

Whether to use Compliment or Complement

[image error] Image via Wikipedia
Away from the computer, so I've scheduled blogs dealing with the language we use as writers. I hope you'll forgive me if I don't reply to any comments for the time being, but I'm having a very well-earned (I think so, anyway) rest for a couple of weeks.

Whether to use Compliment or Complement 

compliment: to praise, express admiration.  'When
complement: to make complete, to supply what is wanted.  'The fresh salmon steak needed a tossed salad to complement it.'