Status Updates From Sin and Syntax: How to Craf...

cheeky jaunty book

I finish nouns and verbs. yay

Ok, I know I'm reading 6 different books right now... But I'm picking up Sin and Syntax in preparation for writing my supplemental essays...

I've only read the introduction, but I am just realizing how writing is firmly not in my bailiwick.

Found I’m skimming a bit because I originally did pick up this book to help advance my writing - I’ll take what I can. It’s not that it’s dull or boring, just that I’m getting the gist and these particular topics aren’t ones I’m struggling with

slick

The talk of sentences was better than the talk of words. I hope this trend persists into music

More and more cracks are showing

Very mixed so far. Some good general advice, some more comedic moments. But so far it fails to distinguish between rules and advice, loving the latter while being the former. This does not bode well.

admitting to good reads that I know nothing of grammar🙂‍↕️

50

40

I can’t wait to edit my WIP with what I learn from this!

I fucking hate it here

oh, honey, just because you don't want non-binary people to exist, they do

wow i love……..[squints at notes] predicates

Just read a chapter on nouns that was actually fascinating. Imagine, nouns, fascinating.

it's ok hale the singular they can't hurt you

I am in love with the love this book shows for sentences.

Words - nouns and pronouns sorted. On to verbs!

Lots of useful tips so far. Let’s hope I’m able to put them into practice

PREPS.

Adverbbbbs

Choose a rich vocabulary of nouns and verbs
Replace is verbs with richer verbs e.g. he is standing -> he lurks on the stage
Cut out weasel wordds

save me from myself

“Verbs” chapter out here forcing me to flashback to 8th grade English, where we could only use “be” verbs 5 times. At least now I’m learning why to limit these verbs!

why do i make myself read books about grammar. why do i want to learn. good information tho

Reading this one concurrently with Francine Prose's Reading like a Writer Book. And like that book, this one also inspires.

Nice excerpt from All The Pretty Horses illustrating the rhythm of sentences:

They rode out along the fenceline and across the open pastureland. The leather creaked in the morning cold. They pushed the horses into a lope. The lights fell away behind them. They rode out on the high prairie where they slowed the horses to a walk and the stars swarmed around them out of the blackness...(cont'd below)

Still trudging along wondering why...

Sin and Syntax holds that the flesh of prose gets its shape and strength from the bones of grammar, and that sinfully good writing depends on understanding both the arcana of syntax and the art of musical sentences. (p. ix)