The Red Quill

Here I will post writing advice, accept submissions to edit, and share all the incorrect words I come across in online reading.

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PSA: Is it me or I?

Growing up, you are always corrected to “____ and I”, right? But here’s how to know if that is actually the correct way to use it. If you can substitute “_____ and” for ‘I’ or ‘me’, then that tells you which to use. 

Bob and I went to the library. This is right because I went to the library. It just doesn’t work with me because Me went to the library is incorrect.

Hope came to hang out with me and Mason. This is correct because Hope came to hang out with me. I isn’t right because really? Hope came to hang out with I?

Remove the other person you were with, and you will know if I went somewhere, or someone was with me. 

[xerxia31]

And it’s *never* “I’s”. N-E-V-E-R. Don’t use “I’s”, it’s like nails on a chalkboard. The correct word is “my”.

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Very true! Let’s borrow Bob again, shall we? 

These are the books Bob and I picked up at the library. These are Bob’s and my books. These are definitely not Bob and I’s, because you wouldn’t say something like: These are I’s books. It’s the same rule, just applied to I and my.

Interestingly, and I may have this bit incorrect so feel free to correct me anytime I I’m wrong, but there are two ways to write that one bit. 

These are Bob’s and my books. Bob’s because we each have our own sets of books we checked out. 

These are Bob and my books. These are books that belong to both of us for some joint ownership reason or other, marriage being the first one that comes to mind.

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This blog’s origin and my hopes for it.

No matter how erratic my updates are -and I’m sorry about that- this blog means something to me. It’s a way for me to get out my frustration when, no matter what fandom I’m reading in, Princess Bride crops up in my head. 

People use the wrong word all. the. time. It drives me bonkers. And yes, we can all make mistakes. We’re human. I make them all the damned time. But hopefully we can learn from them; from ours and from others. Because mistakes are a learning tool, a stepping stone to being a better person. So I hope that you will appreciate this blog, and use any tools you may find here. Feel free to offer suggestions, too! I’m so here for that!

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PSA: Is it me or I?

Growing up, you are always corrected to “____ and I”, right? But here’s how to know if that is actually the correct way to use it. If you can substitute “_____ and” for ‘I’ or ‘me’, then that tells you which to use. 

Bob and I went to the library. This is right because I went to the library. It just doesn’t work with me because Me went to the library is incorrect.

Hope came to hang out with me and Mason. This is correct because Hope came to hang out with me. I isn’t right because really? Hope came to hang out with I?

Remove the other person you were with, and you will know if I went somewhere, or someone was with me. 

[hilarioushumorfromouterspace]

[ccorinthian]

aw fuck = “I can’t believe you’ve done this”

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To pore, or not to pour

Hey there, friends! Let’s talk about books! Specifically, let’s talk about reading books and maybe how to keep them dry. Well, one way to do that is to not pour over them. Surefire way to ruin your book, and if you’re that invested in it, it’s either rare, expensive, or sentimental. So! Why don’t we look at what you’re saying versus what you actually mean! I’ve seen this come across my dash today, so I figured it was Direct Quote™ time! And while I mostly agree with the sentiment, well...

Direct quote: to be sitting near the sea during a storm, pouring over an old text of disputable origin.

Correct word choice: poring

Definition and example: pouring v. cause (a liquid) to flow from a container in a steady stream by holding the container at an angle. I watched as the rain came pouring down, drenching everything in sight.

Definition and example: poring v. be absorbed in the reading or study of. They pored over every single interaction they could recall, yet neither could recall ever meeting this gentleman.

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Tired and scared

Good evening, friends! Now, that title might seem like a glimpse into my psyche or something, and I’m not gonna lie. It really is. The loss of proper spelling and language skills is an issue that has been going on for decades, and it makes me both weary and wary. Which are, incidentally, today’s words! One of the most common word substitutions I see when reading fanfic is weary when they mean wary. They are two slightly different words with more than slightly different meanings. And as we all know, using the wrong word can throw the entire sentence off. 

Example: He was very weary of what her reaction might be. 

Correct word choice: wary

Definition and example: weary - adj,  feeling or showing tiredness, especially as a result of excessive exertion or lack of sleep; v. cause to become tired. She heaved a weary sigh as she finally slid into a hot bath. or The persistent coughing from the coronavirus wearies a person quickly.

Definition and example: wary - adj. feeling or showing caution about possible dangers or problems. One of the lingering effects of the coronavirus pandemic will likely be a distinct wariness to be physically close to strangers. 

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A part of a lot, apart from everything

Hello, hello, hello!!! Let’s talk about a- words. There are many words that start with ‘a’, of course. But we’re going to look at some specific ‘a’ words. We have atypical, asymptomatic, apart, alright, already, altogether, and my favorite, the hairy beast called an Alot. 

Now, the first three ‘a’ words are an example of something being not. Atypical is not typical. Asymptomatic is not symptomatic, or not showing symptoms. Apart is not part of [something]. 

When reading, I often see people using apart when they mean a part. 

Example: “Are you apart of this [destruction]?”

Correct word choice: a part

Definition and example: apart - adv. 1) (of two or more people or things) separated by a distance; at a specified distance from each other in time or space. 2) to or on one side; at a distance from the main body. The two troublemakers sat apart from the rest of the group during their timeout. 

Definition and example: a part - n. 1) a piece or segment of something such as an object, activity, or period of time, which combined with other pieces makes up the whole. 2) some but not all of something. The two students were welcomed back to become a part of the circle again once their punishment was up.

Now for our friend, the Alot. 

Example: That was alot of food. 

Correct word choice: a lot

Definition and example: a lot - pro. 1) a large number or amount; a great deal. 2) the whole number or quantity that is involved or implied; adv. a great deal; much. There were a lot more people at the recital than the participants thought there would be, and that was making them all very nervous.  

Definition and example: Alot - Not a real word. Became a lovely meme, though. Here, let me show you one example. 

This came from here.

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The height of curiosity

Hello, my friends! I apologize for the delay in posting. Life™ has a habit of dropping crap on me by the metric ton, so I’ve been swamped. Welcome to 2020, right? So! Let’s talk about peeking at peaks that pique!!!

Example: That just peaked her curiosity. (I have also seen peek used, instead.)

Correct word choice: pique

Definition and example: peak - n. the pointed top of a mountain; v. reach a highest point, either of a specified value or at a specified time; adj. greatest; maximum. They made it to the peak of the mountain, fittingly named Pike’s Peak. or “He was at the peak of his career before the knee injury took him out of the game for rest of the season,” the man remarked.

Definition and example: peek - n. a quick or furtive look; v. look quickly, typically in a furtive manner. He took a quick peek at her phone screen and blushed when he saw what she was looking at.

Definition and example: pique - v. 1) stimulate (interest or curiosity); 2) feel irritated or resentful; n. a feeling of irritation or resentment resulting from a slight, especially to one's pride. The professor was so passionate that she piqued my curiosity and I delved deeper into the subject. or That bratty girl didn’t get her way for once, and she stormed from the room in a fit of pique.

[iamemamae]

Writing Advice from a Writer: Drafts

So often I see people completely overthink their first draft. So listen to this: First Draft is literal Word Vomit. Open a word document or a notebook, and write down every idea, every possible side-plot. All of it. Just * bleh * it out onto the page. Snippets of dialogue, bullet-point lists, two-sentence summaries. Twenty sentence summaries. If you’re using a notebook, or if you feel like opening the paint app, draw little character designs, maps, costumes in the margins. Five different versions of one scene. Three different endings. It doesn’t even have to be in order. That is your first draft.

THEN! Open another document. Go through your first draft, and put it in order within the second document, and make it make some semblance of sense. Try to get an idea of how the scenes flow into each other and impact each other. Notice where there are gaps where you don’t know what happens and come up with ideas and summarize them. That’s your second draft. 

Then take that flow that you were thinking about during your second draft? How the scenes flow into each other? And make an outline. Doesn’t matter what kind, but be clear about what the objectives of your characters are and the steps that they take to reach them, and what obstacles are in their way. Write your outline.

And then make your second draft fit that outline. Be brutal. Cut the excess (don’t delete it tho. Put it in a separate document to look through when you need ideas for other stories.) You may along the way discover subplots that need their own mini outlines, in which case, outline them and add them in.

Repeat the outlining and fitting ad nauseam or until you are satisfied. And then Voila! You have a book!

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Excellent advice! 

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Visual citations in physical spaces

It’s Monday, glorious Monday! Today on Words Gone Wild, we’re going for some more scholarly pursuits. When you’re writing papers and reports and the like, your teachers expect you to tell them where you found the information. This is called the Works Cited page. You cite what site you visually sighted the information on. So let’s look at those words. This is one I do see a lot of misuse in fanfic, as well. Cite, site, and sight are often used interchangeably, yet none of them are actually interchangeable words.

Example: What sight were you at?

Example: Where did you site your sources?

Correct word choices: site and cite

Definition and example: site -  an area of ground on which a town, building, or monument is constructed; a website. “He walked around the site of his future home, where they had just broken ground for construction earlier that day.” ““I found the thing on the one site you sent me,” she said.”

Definition and example: cite -  quote (a passage, book, or author) as evidence for or justification of an argument or statement, especially in a scholarly work;  praise (someone, typically a member of the armed forces) for a courageous act in an official dispatch; a citation. “She cited so many books and sites in her report that her works cited page was two pages long!”

Definition and example: sight -  the faculty or power of seeing;  a thing that one sees or that can be seen. “Hoo-ee! You sure are a sight for sore eyes!”

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PSA: Caring vs Not Caring

What’s happening, friends? Happy Sunday! Today we’re going to discuss how much you care. Or rather, how much you don’t care. 

Today’s offering is couldn’t care less. “Weird” Al Yankovic touched on sayings like this in Word Crimes, but for those who don’t know the wonder that is That Man, here you go in text form! 

If you couldn’t care less, it means exactly that. You COULD NOT care less. Because couldn’t is actually a contraction for could not. However! If you say that you could care less, it doesn’t mean you couldn’t. I means you still care, and can actually care less than you do now. So please, care more about how little you care.

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Solid punishment

‘Ello! Today is all about wee ghosties. Harry Potter is a fandom I love, and a lot of spooky things can be found in it. Or patronuses. Patroni. Patronii? Anyway. One thing, apparently, is punishment of said patronus. Many folks, I’ve found, use corporal when trying to tell the reader that the patronus (or spirit or whatever the specific thing is) is solid. No. Corporeal is solid. I solemnly swear it is so. 

Example: Harry’s patronus was as corporal as a vaporous mist could get.

Correct word choice: corporeal

Definition and example: corporeal -  relating to a person's body, especially as opposed to their spirit; having a body; consisting of material objects; tangible. “The spirit was glad to finally have a corporeal body again.”

Definition and example: corporal -  of the human body; bodily; physical. “Chains and manacles were lovely accoutrements when engaging in corporal punishments.”

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Confident confidant

We all want to be confident that our confidant is keeping things confidential, right? Right. But your confidence in them doesn’t always come across in writing. Not if you’re using the wrong word. So let’s correct that, shall we?

Example: He was a faithful confident.

Correct word choice: confidant

Definition and example: confidant -  a person with whom one shares a secret or private matter, trusting them not to repeat it to others. “Jane was her most trusted confidant; she knew well how to keep mum.”

Definition and example: confident -  feeling or showing confidence in oneself; self-assured. “I am confident you now know the difference between these two words.”

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Up or Upper? It is of utmost importance to know!

Hi hi hi! We’re back with another segment of writing gone rogue. Today’s choices concern what is the utmost, uppermost thought in my mind. Seriously. This one happens a lot. I’ll toss in a free definition and example, too. 

Example: He did the work to his upmost ability. 

Correct word choice: utmost

Definition and example: utmost -  most extreme; greatest. “The new playground is of utmost importance for the neighborhood children to have a place to play.”

Definition and example: uppermost -  highest in place, rank, or importance. “I can’t concentrate on my writing because my aunt is hospitalized and her health is uppermost in my thoughts.”

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Pain or Pleasure or Wasting Away

Hello again! Today we’ll be looking at a very common word substitution used in reference to both pain and pleasure. Sadly, the word never evokes either of those things. The word is wither. I will use examples of both versions of the proper word, as well as what withering really makes a reader think of when you’re writing it. Trust me, it’s not what you want us to think. 

Direct example: He loved watching her wither on the bed in pleasure. 

Correct word choice: writhe

Definition and example: wither -  to shrivel; fade; decay. “Because it was not watered, the plant withered in the pot.” “Without food, a body will wither away to skin and bones; ultimately to death.”

Definition and example: writhe -  make continual twisting, squirming movements or contortions of the body. “I want her to writhe in pleasure under my touch.” “She writhed in pain as the electricity flowed through her body before she slumped, unconscious.”

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Regarding Ir-

Hi hello! This is just another PSA for writers. I don’t see this as much anymore, thankfully, but I figured I’d tackle the dreaded ir-. Ir- is a wonderful prefix that means without. Irreplaceable. Without the ability to replace. Irregular. Without being regular. Irresponsible. [Acting] without responsibility. But there is one word that often gets that ir- prefix tacked on when it absolutely does not belong. 

Irregardless. This is actually not a word. And it is definitely not the word you were looking for, padawan. Because people use it to mean without regard. But regardless already means without regard. To be -less is to be without. Regardless. Needless. Homeless. Friendless. Helpless. 

I hope this helps those who were uncertain!

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Viciously viscous

Just a couple letters separate these two words from being the same thing, as well as a vast difference in meaning. I see a lot of the word viscous being used when clearly vicious is what the writer means. 

Now, vicious is definitely a what, right? I mean, “That mama bear is vicious in defense of her babies” and “that acid is vicious if it gets on your skin” are both perfect examples of something vicious. A vicious left hook. Vicious wolves. 

Viscous, on the other hand, has to do with the viscosity of liquid. How thick is it? Slime, for instance, is a rather viscous liquid. The more viscous the oil in your car is, the more you need to have that changed. Like pronto. Oh! Remember the B-movie, The Blob? Now THAT stuff was both vicious and viscous. Mean and thick. So! On to the examples and definitions!

Direct example: [one character referring to the qualities of another character]  “Loveable [sic] and viscous.”

Correct word choice: vicious

Definition and example: vicious - deliberately cruel or violent; immoral. The man viciously kicked the paper cup from the homeless girl’s hand, scattering the scant money she already received. 

Definition and example: viscous -  having a thick, sticky consistency between solid and liquid; having a high viscosity. Molasses is one of the most viscous liquids I’ve ever used. Amazing that the Great Molasses Flood happened as swiftly as it did!