![]() Author has written 1 story for Forgotten Realms. I guess I can tell a little about myself. I am an artist and an aspiring author. I like Detroit Red Wings hockey. My favorite pastime is reading fantasy and Sci-Fi. I also love to play video games, my favorites being Zelda: Ocarina of Time, FFX, SW:KotOR I & II, both Baldur's Gates, and both Neverwinter Nights. I'm a huge Star Wars fan, but then a great many people are. My favorite authors are Janny Wurtz, R. A. Salvatore, Robert Jordan, Terry Goodkind, Michael A. Stackpole, Robin Hobb, David Feintuch, Sara Douglas, Orson Scott Card, David Weber, Wen Spencer, Carol Berg, Melanie Rawn, E. E. Knight, C. J. Cherryh, Jim Butcher, L. E. Modessit Jr., Paolini, Raymond E. Feist, Lorna Freeman, Simon R. Green, Patricia Biggs, Mickey Zucker Reighert, Naomi Novik, Jennifer Roberson, Mercedes Lackey and Anne McCaffery (Well, only sort of on the last two: I do have some issues with those.), Jane Austen. . . o.k. the list could go on forever. Suffice it to say I like to read. I'm also willing to beta for just about anything that's based on what these authors have done (or on the following shows and movies). Favorite T.V. shows: Highlander, Pretender, Star Gate: SG-1 (at least through season 8. They kind of lost me when Jack O'Neil left the picture.), Sentinel, Profiler, CSI, Numb3rs, ST: Voyager and DS9, The Magnificent Seven, Supernatural, and Without a Trace. Favorite Movies: Love the LotR movies but I'm slightly shaky on the books. Um, PotC, Star Wars, Star Gate, Batman Begins/ Dark Knight, all the Star Treks, National Treasure, and Star Wars (hey, it bears repeating!). O.k. Incorrect grammar and spelling drive me absolutely insane, and as I’m not always sure that I can leave a review without unintentionally tearing an author’s work to shreds I am going to post a quick reference guide here with the most common (and annoying) mistakes. Probably, I’m the only one who is ever going to read it, but it will make me feel better, at least, to say it somewhere. Note: Incidentally, if there's a story/author with chronically bad spelling and grammar that I enjoyed enough to put on my favorites list then chances are good there's an edited version for my own personal use on my hard drive. If an author on my list would like access to that version they need only send a PM asking me for it. The author may then do as he likes with it, including posting it if I get a beta credit, but otherwise those versions are for my eyes only. Homophones: Or Words that Sound the Same but have Different Meanings and Spellings Aid/ aide Aid- a noun referring to the help given (to someone); a verb “to aid,” meaning to help (someone). Aide- a noun, a person who helps or assists someone, usually in an official capacity. Example: Aid was desperately needed after the earthquake, but the doctors who intended to aid the wounded were being refused entry into the territory; the governor’s aide was working tirelessly to clear the red tape. A part/ apart A part- a noun meaning a piece belonging to a whole. Apart- a preposition, adjective, or adverb indicating separation or detachment. Example: Padmé was a part of the Rebel Alliance, but she couldn’t bear to be apart from Anakin. (Note: these two words are almost antonyms, so mixing them up can reverse the intended meaning of a sentence.) Bare/ bear Bare- a verb, meaning to expose or uncover; an adjective meaning sparse or empty. Bear- a noun, referring to animals belonging to the ursine family; a verb, meaning to hold up something (from falling) or to carry. Example: The Grizzly bear bared her teeth in warning as she kept watch over her cub. He heedlessly stripped the bush bare of its berries; she could not bear to lose him to carelessness. Chute/ shoot Chute- a noun referring to an enclosed slide used to quickly direct things from one place to another. Shoot- a verb meaning to fire (a weapon), or a noun, a colloquial slang term meaning darn, dang, or oops. Example: The rebels fled down the garbage chute and were trapped. Han used his blaster to try to shoot the door open. "Shoot!" he cried out when the blast ricocheted crazily off the magnetically sealed door. Council/ counsel Council- a noun, an organized group of people meant to give advice or instruction (in a specific area). Counsel- a verb “to counsel,” meaning to give advice (to someone). Also a noun, meaning the advice given (to someone). Example: The council arranged themselves around the table. They intended to counsel the senate to wait for more information; they could only hope that the senate accepted their counsel. Flea/ flee Flea- a noun; a small, six-legged parasite that commonly attacks our furry friends. Flee- a verb, meaning to run away; to escape. Example: The flea relentlessly attacked Fido’s skin; surely there was a way to make the pest flee its new home. And, yes; I’ve seen several people mix these up, resulting in some rather humorous visual imagery (i.e. Darth Maul turned to flea... lol). Heal/ heel Heal- a verb; meaning to make or become well. Heel- a verb meaning to follow closely; a noun meaning the back portion of one’s foot. Example: The wound simply refused to heal. Matt tried to heel his master quickly, but his injured heel refused to cooperate. Its/ it’s Its- a possessive pronoun; refers to something belonging to “it.” It’s- a contraction of the words “it is.” If you can’t replace it with “it is” don’t use it. Example: The plane is losing its altitude; it’s going to crash. Led/ lead Led- past tense form of the verb “to lead,” meaning to show the way from the front or to head a group or organization. Lead- (when pronounced as rhyming with “red”) a noun; a toxic mineral once commonly used in house paint and bullets. Example: The inept general led them straight into a crossfire; lead flew everywhere, and many fell to the spray of bullets. Let’s/ lets Let's- a contraction of the words "let us." Lets- form of the verb "to let" meaning to allow. Example: Let's go to the park today. I hope mom lets us. Sight/ site Sight- a noun referring to the act of seeing. Site- a noun referring to a particular place or location. Example: The lieutenant’s sight was obscured by the fog; suddenly, an enemy wandered into his sights, and he fired. He checked the site for further movement. Shone/ shown (and shined) Shone- past tense form of the verb “to shine,” meaning to exude or reflect light. Note: the past tense form, “shined,” refers to the verb “to shine” meaning to polish. Shown- past tense form of the verb “to show” meaning to exhibit or to make known. Example: The sun shone brightly off the crystal which had been shined to perfection. The whole gathering was shown the wealth of the host by the display. Their/ there/ they’re Their- a possessive plural pronoun; it refers to something belonging to a group. There- a place that is over a ways; not here. It is a noun; it can generally be correctly replaced with “here,” grammatically, at least. They’re- a contraction of the words “they are,” or “they were.” If you cannot replace it with “they are” do not use it. If you can then use it! That means it’s correct! Example: Their ship shuddered as it took another hit. There were no more shields, no weapons, and the engines were failing; they’re certain to crash. Throne/ thrown Throne- a noun, referring to a seat of power (either literal or figurative) belonging to a ruler. Thrown- a verb, past tense, meaning to toss (something) a significant distance. Example: The queen stood up from her throne to glare at her accuser; the gauntlet had been thrown. Whose/ who’s Whose- a possessive pronoun indicating something belonging to a “who.” Who’s- a contraction of the words “who is.” If you can’t replace it with "who is" in the sentence then don’t use it. Example: the man, whose life was on the line, pled desperately for mercy; who’s able to save him? Your/ you’re Your- a possessive pronoun; indicating something belonging to “you.” You’re- a contraction of the words “you are.” If you can replace it with “you are” then you can use it; if you can’t (grammatically) then don’t use it. Note: this is the correct word for the phrase “you’re welcome.” Example: Your mother called; you’re going to need to call her back. And yes, you’re welcome to the pie in the fridge. Spelling Gaffes: Or Words that Technically Aren’t Homophones but get Mixed-up Anyway Advice/ advise Advice- a noun, meaning information or a suggestion given with the intent to help (someone else). Advise- form of the verb “to advise” meaning to give advice or counsel to someone else. Example: Chris’s advice came at an opportune moment, but Nathan didn’t think it was wise for a gunslinger to advise the territory governor on how he should run his affairs. Bellow/ below Bellow- a noun meaning a loud shout or a verb meaning to shout loudly. Below- a preposition meaning underneath or at a lower altitude. Example: Anakin bellowed his orders to the clones below his position; they responded instantly to his bellow. Note: this correction was kindly suggested by IzzyDelta. Breath/ breathe Breath- a noun; the air one takes in and expels from one’s lungs, a singular inhalation and exhalation. Breathe- a verb "to breathe," the act of taking in and expelling air from one’s lungs. Example: Tammy’s breath caught in horror; Garth could no longer breathe. Conscience/ conscious Conscience- a noun, in the words of Jimminy Cricket it’s “that still small voice that people don’t listen to…” The inner instinctive awareness of the moral component: what’s right and what’s wrong. Conscious- an adjective, the state of being awake and aware. Example: His conscience was pricked by his lies, but he was determined to save her, no matter the cost. He wasn’t conscious of the fact that his lies could destroy her. Dual/ duel Dual- an adjective meaning two (of something). Duel- a noun referring to a fight or contest between two opponents. Example: Ventress’s dual lightsabers flashed as she alternated strikes with each hand; she meant to finish this duel with Anakin quickly. Elude/ allude Elude- a verb meaning to avoid or escape. Allude- a verb meaning to make a reference to [something] usually in an obscure or roundabout manner. Example: Anakin managed to elude another blaster bolt while Obi-Wan scathingly alluded to the last time the young Jedi lost his lightsaber. Emerge/ immerge Emerge- a verb, to come out of a state of being completely covered or surrounded. Immerge- is NOT actually a word! When authors use this they usually mean "immerse" which is a verb meaning to completely submerge or cover something (usually in some form of liquid). Note: these two words are also antonyms, so don't confuse them. Example: The commando immersed himself under the swamp water; his enemies will be completely surprised when he emerges and starts firing. Ensure/ insure Ensure- a verb meaning to make certain of or provide for. Insure- a verb meaning to arrange for compensation in the event of a catastrophe or to defend (someone) against a particular catastrophe. Note: these two words are pretty close, but there is a difference and sometimes it matters. Example: David insured his home against flood, fire, earthquakes, and theft. He intends to ensure his family is provided for if something should happen. Loose/ lose Loose- a verb meaning to release or set free; to let go. Or a verb meaning to ease the tension. Lose- a verb; meaning to misplace (something). Or a verb meaning to fail or not win. Example: Dean let loose a scream of frustration as he failed to loose the ropes that bound him; he’d managed to lose his pocket knife somewhere during the chase. However, there was no way his assailants were going to get away with this; he refused to lose this game they’d started. Nebulas/ nebulous Nebulas- plural form of the word nebula, a noun, meaning a vast cloud of gas or fine particles in space, usually very colorful and beautiful. Nebulous- an adjective meaning uncertain or undefined. Example: The Horse Head is one of many nebulas of which the Hubble Telescope has taken stunning pictures. Our chances of actually seeing these stunning views close up are nebulous at best. Passed/ past Passed- past tense form of the verb “to pass” meaning to go before or to move by. Past- a noun meaning a time that has already happened, also an adjective or adverb referring to something already happened or movement by a (stationary) object. Example: We passed the market as we drove to the museum. The building was littered with artifacts from the past. The past two days had been hectic as we prepared for this excursion; we moved past the current display to see the next. Quite/ quiet Quite- an adjective or adverb meaning sufficient. Quiet- an adjective, adverb, or noun meaning to make little noise. Example: The commando wasn't quite able to catch the crate before it crashed onto the deck plates, destroying the quiet and alerting their enemies to their presence. Respectfully/ respectively Respectfully- an adverb meaning in a respectful manner. Respectively- an adverb meaning in the same, previously used order. Example: The general respectfully greeted the Emperor and his officers, bowing and saluting respectively. Rogue/ rouge Rogue- a noun or adjective referring to a person who operates outside the normal legal and moral boundaries. Rouge- a noun meaning the color red or the makeup normally applied to one's cheekbones. Example: Isiri carefully reapplied her rouge after that fool Imperial had rubbed it off; she didn't want her squad mates to suspect that she'd gone rogue. Shudder/ shutter Shudder- a verb meaning to minutely but thoroughly shake (i.e. ones body). Shutter- a noun meaning the solid and often slatted boards used to cover the outside of a window or camera lens; a verb meaning to close up tightly. Example: Chris shuddered as the storm winds blew straight through his coat and hurried to shutter the windows over with plywood; the normal shutters just aren't going to be enough protection from this powerful storm. Taught/taunt/taut Taught- past tense form of the verb "to teach" meaning to provide instruction. Taunt- a verb meaning to provoke (to anger) usually with words. Taut- an adjective meaning pulled tight, stretched to the fullest extent. Example: Ventress's taunt caused Anakin's muscles to pull taut in anger. It was time he taught her a lesson. Wander/ wonder Wander- a verb meaning to stroll aimlessly or to move in a meandering path. Wonder- a verb meaning to ponder or to think questioningly (about something); a noun referring to a feeling of surprised awe. Example: Padmé wandered through the garden, wondering whether Ani was doing something that would once again inspire wonder in beings throughout the galaxy. Wary/ weary Wary- an adjective, meaning to be on guard and prepared, cautiously skeptical. Weary- an adjective, meaning to be tired or worn out. Example: The commander was wary of an attack and insisted on a watch; the soldiers were too weary to care and performed their duties halfheartedly. Where does the Apostrophe Go? Or Getting Your Plurals and Possessives Right Word (in bold)/ Plural/ Possessive/ Plural-possessive Normal noun/ add an s/ add ’s/ add s’ Forest/ forests/ forest’s/ forests’ Ex.: The forests were entering their hibernation cycle. One forest’s leaves had already dropped, but most of the forests’ leaves were still turning colors. Noun ends in s/ add es/ add ’s/ add es’ Dress/ dresses/ dress’s/ dresses’ Ex.: The dresses in the window caught the eye. One dress’s bodice was sprinkled with sparkling gems, and all the dresses’ colors were different. Noun ends in y/ drop y add ies/ add ’s/ drop y add ies’ Penny/ pennies/ penny’s/ pennies’ Ex.: The pennies they’d collected were each unique. One penny’s date made it especially rare, and all together the pennies’ conditions were near-perfect. Noun ends in X or ch/ add es/ add ’s/ add es’ Fox/ foxes/ fox’s/ foxes’ Ex.: The foxes chased each other through the snow. One fox’s fur was still changing and was thus an interesting mix of red and white. Both foxes’ breaths misted in the cold air. Noun ends in f/ drop f add ves/ add 's/ drop f add ves' hoof/ hooves/ hoof's/ hooves' Ex.: A horse's hooves take special care to keep a horse healthy. A hoof's hard exterior can be shaped and trimmed just like a human fingernail. All four hooves' shoes are made to fit each individual hoof. Noun that’s both singular and plural/ no change/ add ’s/ add ’s Deer/ deer/ deer’s/ deer’s Ex.: The herd of deer ran from the meadow. One deer’s hind foot tangled in the long grass; the rest of the deer’s panicked speed carried them to safety. Odd Plurals and Possessives that are Commonly Wronged (follows the chart above) Jedi/ jedi/ jedi’s/ jedi’s Sith/ sith/ sith’s/ sith’s And of course the tabs don't work (grumble). Things that Should Never Appear in a Summary Even if it's True Because any reader with taste and/or sense will skip right over the story "I suck at summaries." Let the reader judge that for himself. If the author doesn't have confidence in his/her ability to write a three sentence summary then why should a reader have confidence that they can write a decent story? "This is my first time posting, so be nice." If it's a good story then the reader doesn't need to know, and if it's a bad story the reader's not going to care. An author who writes this is only prejudicing the reader to believe it's a bad story written by an amateur. "Little did they know..." This is a trite and over-used phrase that suggests an amateur composition. It's a huge turn-off to most readers. This phrase shouldn't appear in a fic either, except in rare- very rare- circumstances. Bad spelling and/or grammar If an author can't manage to write three sentences without fatal errors then the story is likely to be an absolute mess. Author's Notes A summary is designed for a reader to decide whether they want to read the story; they're not interested in the author's updating availability, preferences, or life's story at that point. There's room for such elsewhere; let the limited summary space be for information that will help the reader make an informed decision on whether this work is something they want to read or not. Content warnings are O.K. Yes, I’ll be adding to this constantly. |
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