Category Archives: Writing 101

Two Tips for Finding Faulty Sentences

You’ve just completed an essay assignment, and while you know the content is excellent, you remember how the points on your previous papers took deep dives from the 90s to the 70s or lower because of run-on sentences and fragments. How can you find them this time and make your ideas shine?

Two ways to find faulty sentences:

Print two copies of your essay. Give one to a friend to read aloud to you while you follow on your copy. Whenever your friend stumbles over a section or looks puzzled about something, mark that spot on your copy. Also, make note of any sentences you hear that sound awkward. If you do not have a friend available, you might read aloud to yourself or use the free version of Natural Reader or another text-to-speech reader.

A second way to find faulty sentences is to use the enter key to put each sentence on a separate line. Then start at the bottom and read each sentence individually as you work your way to the top. As you go from bottom to top, ask yourself whether each sentence expresses a complete thought. Even if it does, is there a better way to word the idea?

Now that you have identified sentences that need work, you may be puzzling over how to fix them. For more tips on writing clear, correct sentences, see Basic Sentence Structure and Basic Sentence Structure Add-ons: Phrases, ebooks that will give you the knowledge you need to rub out sentence errors and polish your writing until it shines.

Writing 101: My Freewriting Assignment

I am taking Writing 101 from WordPress and the first assignment is to freewrite for twenty minutes without stopping. This is actually fitting well with what this blog is about. I have been trying to write a blog about freewriting for a week now and nothing is coming out the way I like. this will be a good example of freewriting for people to read. I think too often people find this process hard and stop to think. In fact, I am doing that now. I want to correct my typos I want to put in missed periods Oh my, this is  hard.

I stopped to breath so I changed paragraphs. It is difficult for me to let mistakes go I think that is probably true in my life as in my writing. I should have done is a favorite maybe frequent is a better word thought process.

Another breath. What now? I first thought I would write about retirement. I “retired” in january, a nicer term that quit my job. But I am 70. It’s time to retire, right? But I still need money, which was why I was still working. So i thought I would have time to promote my books and write more. Where does time go? Why do people think they will have time to do things when they retire? How can be people be bored and say there is nothing to do?

Anyway, another breath. What now? I am still messing around correcting my punctuation. Have to stop that. It is not freewriting if you are correcting stuff. I want better word choice, but there is no time for that. Have to stop using the backspace key. Anyway, taking a lot of classes and activities. Library book discussion. Took up a lot of time reading Donna Tartt’s The Goldfinch, almost 800 pages. Then didn’t make the discussion because it was cold and snowy the night of the discussion. There’s those repeated words. Once and English teacher, always an English teacher. Anyway, I like the book but reading almost 800 pages takes a lot of time. Then I did Blogging 101 and now this and I am signed up for other stuff, Like Walk Kansas. Must walk 150 minutes a week and eat 14 fruits and 21 vegetables a week. That means that there is lots of prepping to eat fruits and vegetalb.es. They take time.

What else is taking up time instead of writing. Well there is marketing which I know next to nothing about, so I am trying to figure that out. Everyone says you must be on Facebook and Twitter, but I don’t know what to do with them. I also signed up with Pinterest and LinkedIn. Lots of stuff to feel guilty about not doing.

Went to the farmer’s market for fresh vegetables on Saturday. Walked in to the hallways where vendors are lined up. It was packed. I was claustrophobic. Walked the length of the booths and saw some nice things, fresh greens, turnips, green onions, plus baked goods, crafts, fars of honey–thats jars folks. Anyway, I scurried back to the front door and out. Cannot make decisions when there are so many people. Maybe when they move outside next month.

Really, the timer has not gone off yet. I am not a fast typist but it feels like this is going on forever. Pity the poor reader. But my readers for the blog, the ones I  am telling to use freewriting, I call it the blurt because you are meant to do it without thinking, will at least have a good example of what it is and what may come oout.

What else? there must be something else happening. I wish the timer was beside me instead of in the other room I didn’t even look at the time I started, just punched the timer button. I am glad I tell people to do this for ten minutes instead of twenty. My wrists are wearing out.

When I was teaching, I had students who thought their freewriting would work for a final draft. Not so. But then before I told them about the writing process, freewriting was their rough draft and often the final one.

So what will i do with all these words that are disconnected. I do see possible topics for my other blog, Seasoned Aspirer. I want to travell. Did I mention that? I think not. When I was working I didn’t have time to go anywhere. Now I am not and I don’t have money to go anywhere. Life did not provide retirement plans and now I am studk. Where do I want to go. The rec center has some good trips coming up– South Dakota and Mount Rushmore and another to Nashville. I want to go. Aloways wanted to go to Elvis’s home–can’t remember the name this second so I have to keep moving. It will come later.

What time is it anyway. I am starting to stress.. Did I really punch the button that started the timer. I hope so. If not, when will I give up and stop. There it is! Yes!