Tips for Better Writing

Herll Yes! Have I seen some horrendous crimes against grammar on this site and everywhere else. Time was journalists had tyo have an exemplary (using the word correctly) command of English. Not so now, it seems. Any school leaver can become a journo! Thanks internet. Some misuses I find nausiating:

The sky sparkled with a Myria of stars - No it doesn't. It sparked with myriad stars. (No "a" no "of")

Her diary was comprise of descriptions of boys. No it didn't. Her diary comprise descriptions of boys. If it contained anything else, then the word is "contained" and not "comprised."

If fact any "posh" word that the writer believes will make them sound more educated, usually doesn't.

Another pet hate - get off of me. Even Webster's famous American dictionaries consider that bad form.

And don't get me started on which v that.

It actually keeps me from writing because each time I start I have to go back and relearn how to do it. It is misspelling and use of the wrong homonyms that irritates me.

You may want to add pallet / palate to the list. ...Unless the writer is describing some avant garde artist who mixes paints on his tongue.

To the apologists who claim that not all of us have a college education, it may come as a surprise that the examples the author of this essay presented should have been covered in fifth grade English. It's indeed a sad commentary on the state of our public education if a skill this basic needed to be addressed in college.

I beleived when finding this sit that it was for normal everyday people to relay their experiences or fantacies for others to read and enjoy.

So, being as such I was not expecting perfection in writing styles, or even in spelling, and as long as the story interests me I will in most cases read it warts and all, as in many cases it is like listening to the person telling me by word of mouth.

We were not all given the advantage of university education, nor did we all want it, being in need of earning a wage as soon as possible.

It seems there are too many critics, HOW about you doing more writing???. Live and let live.

Personally I have had a few stories accepted on here, but, have had many problems to get there, and have had many more refused and have now given up trying, especially after seeing some that have been passed.

We come from all walks of life, and all levels of education, with all sorts of sexual pasts. I do not expect all I meet to speak alike so why should I expect them to write alike?????.

No, I meant "conceit" as in "vanity." In the time of Charlemagne, all writings were in one long piece, since the idea of the paragraph didn't exist. Since then, the lengths of paragraphs have varied by the "conceit" of the writer(s). MLA wants the six- to eight-sentence paragraph to cover a concept within an essay. The problem with that is those paragraphs are no more meant to be read (except by pedagogues)than George Lucas' dialogue is meant to be spoken in "Star Wars" (according to Carrie Fisher). It's a lot easier on the reader to break material into shorter blocks.

We all have english idiom. I have a Camb old style English qualification, and 2 others, from when it was like being put through a mangle while skipping, over paragraphs. In Grammar Analysis the main advantage was, and is, to identify types of errors, or author's styles, then to be able to discuss such meaningfully. Work in a report free environment and among a mix of different languages, followed by an old style english Senior, frictions, and only casual full on legal use, led changes and evolution. Now my english is almost foreign to my own youth. I still stretch Word and spell check to the limit. I used to get books out to proof things to myself! This became increasingly disturbing. I stopped. Now when I see critiques my mind automatically emphasises the critics idiom, in adding my own thoughts. This comment is as personal as the others made here. There are useful tips especially 31/12. To prepare for or expect a need to rewrite or serious edit is a Golden rule. I used to recommend a minimum 3 day gap between write and review. Then warn that perfection was an occasional accident... One of my major concerns regards the matching of language use to character. I suspect this falls victim to 'proper' english. In 90%+ of stories people appear proper middle country English caucasian. While enjoying sexual union. Even here I laugh at my avoidance of proper use of the F' word. Then to NOTE non-consensual sex is nearly always rape. That the best sex is, at limit, gently rough, and to help some authors work towards

humanity. Compared to most sex related sites, as I have noted many times, the standards of Lit submissions and editing is supreme. I have mainstream experience. However only just recently I identified writers setting age parameters which did not match the setting, purposely. Age IS just a number, in so many things but the Law is set to stop desperates, devious, and the depraved, from taking advantage of the naive or innocent, or otherwise disadvantaged. If a site promoting positive sexual interest, and activities, can guide some minds, and promote Respect as not only adjunct to the Best physical experiences but essential to such, a life just might be saved. Distinct from moral insanity which still means professional sex workers are forced to put their safety at risk in so many ways, and to let the criminal elements run free, as to occasionally justify a whole council, or Gov't Dept. being put against a wall. Given military law!! Be honest, if you do not think you can produce the english engage with the Edit section, if you do not think you can even do this, it is unlikely you can produce a meaningful tale. Although even reading commentary sets a positive chance. Which brings me to another Golden rule; Interest and sustain are paramount, and this site is based around erotica, Not frustrated authors. Oh and in any tech medium, try sending it to yourself first to see various posting effects. I always advise anyway to copy any public domain article back to yourself and save it, with a date reference. In case you have complaint. Happy New Year, and if an unusual or best, best sexual experience crosses your path, go on, give writing about it a go, while preserving some anonymity/privacy. It's not Your embarrassment or safety at risk, its' all and every mentioned. Best pen wishes.

i) No idea, it feels like the tip is down in her kidneys to me.

ii) Gramatically incorect statements, are the norm in everyday converstaion, they are inappropriate in writings for children as they reinforce the idea that ungrammatical is ok but in Erotic or Adult fiction granatically correct statements or speeches just make a story un believeable.

Gramatically incorrect descriptions are another matter...

Spelling, I use Abiword or Ms word spellcheck and am always being criticised for poor spelling, I supppose (guess) that because I don't (do not) write in English (Merican) as taught in the US of A where Germano-English reigns, Burglarized, they say Burglarized for shucks sake, its Burgled. No Z. OK? And when I write in adapted 19th Century (like I use You where it should be Thee to make it easier to undersand) some Americans apparently cannot cope at all!

iii) Incorrect words, well So cal slang turns me right off.

And when they mix up comptroller and controller, but half the time it is MS word altering a good word to a bad one and we all miss the e off one and get on, or inn of in, and no I don't spend days editing mine, life's too short!

Surreal,

"Lisa had never been in such a surreal situation." needs "But" added

"Lisa could never have imagined herself to have been caught up in such a fantastic situation. The whole thing boggles the mind." is ugly and meaningless.

Unreal thats George Orwell 1984, Ungood Double plus Ungood.

Surreal suggests towering green marshmallow elephants, unreal is the Lib Dem, (Democratic Party) Manifesto.

iiii) Panties.

Stockings with suspenders hang much more easily outside the panties, and the tapes can be snapped on and off the stocking very quickly and easily when nature or a penis calls.

Also when the suspender tapes are inside the panties they can make the panties slip down, ok large knickers of bloomers worn by Octogenarian matrons are probably better worn outside the tapes, but Google Stockings suspenders and panties and check it out.

Incidentally, if you go back to the victorian era of big skirts women didn't wear knickers at all, with that mass of Petticoats and skirts they simply couldnt get at them to pull them up.

Its P R O S T A T E......NOT prostRate!!!...and spell check is good, but its not a grammar check!!

One of the things I find most erroneous and irritating in submissions to Literotica is the use of the term sperm in describing male ejaculate-cum. The proper term is semen the bulk of which is produced by the prostate and the vesicle glands that surround it. Sperm makes up less than ten percent of that stuff that gives such pleasure when we release it deep in a warm vagina, up a tight ass, in a waiiting mouth or even when we masturbate and gleefully watch it erupt. It is of course the part that supplies those baby making little tadpoles, so be careful all you motherfuckers. Don't ever pass up any pussy-just be careful.

I'll throw in on (I had to go back and remove the letter e from one because my fingers don't always do what my mind tries to tell them - read what you write) this subject, and the article. When I write I depend on MS Word to keep my typing and spelling semi-straight, but that is only for the original draft. I do my own proofing and editing and when I do I always have DICTIONARY.COM up and I use it. One of the traits I notice about my writing is that I tend to use certain constructs and phrases repeatedly, naturally, and in editing passes I have to modify to keep the language flowing and alive. We do have a rich and maleable language and we should revel in it and use it fully.

Some of the same word selections that bug JohnBoy9 bug me; I especially seem to notice the shutter usage. There are other words and spellings that I am sure represent slight differences in the Queen's English as oppossed to the President's English. One that jumps out to me is cloths vs clothes as the plural for an article of clothing. I try not to impose my brand of language on others as long as the others follow something approaching literate usage.

The single biggest improvement in writing craftmanship any author can make is to increase the time spent on the final draft transition from rough draft. When I write, I will make at least two thorough passes through each chapter, often three, doing nothing but looking for misspellings, punctuation problems, confusing constructs and poor word choice. I estimate that thirty percent of my writing time is spent in editing. Readers may not care for my subject matter, but they shouldn't be bludgeoned with bad grammer.