Writer Advice, with a twist Part 2…

25 Golden Rules for Writing Well

  1. Don’t abbrev.
  2. Check to see if you any words out.
  3. Be carefully to use adjectives and adverbs correct.
  4. About sentence fragments.
  5. When dangling, don’t use participles.
  6. Don’t use no double negatives.
  7. Each pronoun agrees with their antecedent.
  8. Just between you and I, case is important.
  9. Join clauses good, like a conjunction should.
  10. Don’t use commas, that aren’t necessary.
  11. Its important to use apostrophe’s right.
  12. It’s better not to unnecessarily split an infinitive.
  13. Never leave a transitive verb just lay there without an object.
  14. Only Proper Nouns should be capitalized. also a sentence should begin with a capital letter and end with a full stop
  15. Use hyphens in compound-words, not just in any two-word phrase.
  16. In letters compositions reports and things like that we use commas to keep a string of items apart.
  17. Watch out for irregular verbs that have creeped into our language.
  18. Verbs has to agree with their subjects.
  19. Avoid unnecessary redundancy.
  20. A writer mustn’t shift your point of view.
  21. Don’t write a run-on sentence you’ve got to punctuate it.
  22. A preposition isn’t a good thing to end a sentence with.
  23. Avoid cliches like the plague.
  24. 1 final thing is to never start a sentence with a number.
  25. Always check your work for accuracy and completeness.

Author unknown

Dear God…

Dear God…. 
disturb me.

 
Rouse me from sleepy paths
       of comfortable faith
That too easily become
             dangerous ruts of safety
Rather than the adventurous path
You have called me to walk with you.
 
Forgive me for focusing more
On what I want you to do for “my ministry” 
              and “my life”
Than what you may want me to do
For you and for your kingdom.
 
Help me to remember that your call to me
Is simply to follow–
And that you are on the move
Always.
 
Push me, Jesus,
       with the lifting power of your Spirit
Out of stagnant places I’ve been in
Prod me past the horizons
     formed by my fear
Give me an attitude
   that is finally ready to follow you,
Jesus, 
No matter what.
 
I want to go beyond.
I really do, Lord.
Where you lead me, I will follow.
No turning back.
 
Amen.
 
–by Ben Cachiaras, 2010 NACC President
(North American Christian Convention)

Fourth Graders at Grove City Christian School

The students of Sarah Stedtefeld read the book The Landry News by Andrew Clements. She asked if I would talk with them about writing for a newspaper. It was a great time and these – very tall – 4th graders were polite, enthusiastic and asked great questions.

Here they are and I’m the short one with gray hair in the back.