Every spring I innocently recite a little ditty upon the first sign of winter’s departure: Spring is sprung, the grass is ris. I wonders where the birdies is. They say the birds is on the wing. Ain’t that absurd? I always thought the wing was on the bird.* I say innocently, because it is always wishful thinking. I live in Minnesota, after all, and the third week in March is still winter in the frozen tundra. Author Henry Van Dyke clearly knew what I was talking about when he said, “The first day of spring is one thing, and the first spring day is another. The difference between them is […]
Read more...Tag Archives: writing
Ch-ch-changes…
After looking at my freshly minted, totally redesigned website you might be thinking: What’s up with this new look? Why did you change everything? Well, I’m going to tell you. A website is a little like a hairstyle; it must evolve over time or risk being out of it, uncool, passe, even dweebish (good luck with that one, spell check). My old site was absolutely gorgeous, thanks to webmaster extraordinaire, Sandy Juettner, but it was a little too…yesterday. It was like having a bi-level haircut when the other girls sported an inverted bob. The biggest reason for the re-do, however, is that I longed to rebrand myself. I wanted my visitors, friends, potential […]
Read more...The Sloth of the Sea
Yesterday’s daily trivia question was in the “animals” category: QUESTION: What is the slowest-moving fish? ANSWER: Why, the seahorse, or course! These equine little characters have always been among my favorite creatures. After doing a little research on them, I love them even more! Factoids: There are approximately thirty-five different species of sea horses. They are monogamous and mate for life. They range in size from 0.6 to 14 inches. Males bear the young (I wish we could say that). The female deposits her eggs in the brood pouch of the male. He then fertilizes them internally and carries them until they are ready to hatch. Although sea […]
Read more...GRAMMAR GEM: Preposition Placement
Most of us were told in school never to end a sentence in a preposition. If that’s true, why do so many people do it? When I hear somebody end a sentence with “at” it is like I’ve just heard fingernails screech down a chalkboard. “Where are we having dinner at?” ACK! In this case, “at” is a completely wasted word; it would be much more correct to say, “Where are we having dinner?” Lose the “at” … please :)
Read more...Grammar Gem of the Day: Which vs. That
Most of my editing clients get this one wrong, so don’t feel too bad if this is news to you, too. How do you know when to use the pronoun “which” and when to use “that?” Its fairly simple. If you can drop the dependent clause in a sentence without losing the point, you should choose “which” and enclose it in commas. Amy’s dog, which is thirteen years old, is having trouble catching squirrels. (If you take out “which is thirteen years old,” the sentence still works.) However, if the clause is a critical piece of the sentence, use “that.” The dog that is having trouble catching squirrels is Amy’s […]
Read more...SILENCE IS GOLDEN
For an overachieving, working mother with a “Type A” personality and a tendency toward anxiety, the concept of being still is rather foreign … and a little frightening. Like so many Christians, I can be silent and listen to God for oh, about 15 seconds, before the noise of my over-stimulated mind breaks in. So imagine putting me in a place for 36 hours where true silence and isolation are observed? Then consider that this bona fide city girl would have no electricity or indoor plumbing and you’ll get an idea of how daunting the whole concept was for me. But that’s exactly where God led me. Finding myself at […]
Read more...WACKY WORD OF THE DAY RECAP – Week of January 20
Here’s a recap of the crazy words included in this week’s WACKY WORD of the Day. Don’t forget the contest: use any of these words in a sentence and you will be automatically entered in this month’s drawing to win one of my books. We’ll begin a new monthly contest in February. There is still time to add your sentences as comments to this blog posting or on my other social media sites (Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin). MONDAY — MINIM (adjective) = a musical half note or something very small or insignificant TUESDAY — FLANEUR (noun) = an aimless idler or loafer. THURSDAY — HAIMISH (adjective) = homey, cozy FRIDAY — […]
Read more...MY LIFE AS A WRITER
Many of you are aware that I am a writer, but you have no idea what kind of work I do. Well, it is time to remedy that. Writing is not a hobby for me, it is my profession. After spending more than twenty years in corporate sales and marketing, I made a huge career U-turn and wrote a book. It was an insane idea; I had never had a word published. In fact, If you would have told me back in 2005 that I would be wearing pajama pants to work instead of suits and pantyhose, I would have recommended a good therapist. Yet here I am interviewing the […]
Read more...WACKY WORDS OF THE DAY RECAP – Week of January 6
If you are a friend or fan of mine on a social networking site, you already know about my WACKY WORD OF THE DAY posts. In a tongue-in-cheek attempt to improve our vocabularies, I post a fun word every day (well, I do miss a few) along with its definition and pronunciation if it’s a toughie. If you don’t get a chance to see them on Facebook, Twitter, or Linkedin during the week, you can check out the recaps here each Saturday. Now, this is more than just a fun linguistic exercise; you can actually win something! Every time you leave a comment using the word in a sentence (either […]
Read more...Ask the Author
One of my greatest joys as a writer, editor, and ghostwriter is helping aspiring writers tell their stories. I get so many questions from people, in fact, that I’m starting a new feature on my social networking and web sites called “Ask the Author.” This is the perfect opportunity for you to ask questions about agents, publishers, editors, proposals, writing for magazines, or the writing life in general. Shoot, I’ll even tackle grammar if I absolutely have to! So what do you want to know about writing? I promise, if I don’t know the answer, I will find out! ~ Amy ************************************************************************ QUESTION: Know I am not talented enough to […]
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