FROM STORYTELLER TO PUBLISHED NOVELIST.
PAINT YOUR SCENES WITH WORD-PICTURES.
A SIX-PART QUICK COURSE ON WRITING continued.

Terminology is just another name for specialized vocabulary. When you first
got your computer, you had to learn certain terms. The same is true in writing, or any other
specialized endeavor. Writers need to know the parts of speech and the function of each.

Take this ditty to heart:
All names of persons, places and things,
are NOUNS, as 'Caesar', 'Rome', and 'kings'.
PRONOUNS are used in place of nouns;
'My' thought, 'her' work, 'his' book, 'your' frowns.
When the kind you wish to state,
Use an ADJECTIVE, as 'great'.
But if of manner you would tell,
Use ADVERBS, such as 'slowly', 'well'.
To find an adverb, this test try,
Ask 'how', or 'when', or 'where', or 'why'.
PREPOSITIONS show relation,
as 'with' respect, or 'in' our nation.
CONJUNCTIONS, as their name implies,
Are joining words; they are the ties
That bind together day 'and' night,
Calm 'but' cold, dull 'or' bright.
Next we have the VERBS which tell,
Of action, being, and state as well.
To 'work', 'succeed', 'achieve', and 'curb'—
Each one of these is called a VERB.
The INTERJECTIONS show surprise,
As 'Oh'! Alas! 'Ah me'! 'How wise'!
Thus briefly does this jingle state,
The PARTS OF SPEECH, which total eight.

///*Some authorities give a ninth part of speech, the article. 'A' and 'an' are
called 'indefinite articles.' The words are, in reality, adjectives, and they will be so considered
in this article.*///

A word cannot always be classified arbitrarily as a certain part of speech; its
use in a sentence determines what part of speech it is. Thus: In 'Practice makes perfect,' for
example, 'practice' is a noun, the subject of a sentence. In, 'Practice your lesson,' practice'
is a verb. In, 'Practice games will be played tomorrow,' 'practice' is an adjective, modifying
'games'.

Have you ever described someone to another and had the person to whom you're
speaking recognize, from your description, the one of whom you spoke. That's the way you
want to use descriptive words in your writing.

Words can hurt or heal; they can evoke sympathy or animosity; they can soothe
a savage heart, or enrage a gentle soul. Words are powerful for good or evil. To a writer;
therefore words are the substance of his work.

I love this poem (written by a writer friend who is an excellent author, and one
so many of us know and love, Charles Langley:)

I love words.
Noun and verb and preposition,
(dangling or in firm position)
learned by rote or intuition
I love words.
I love words.
Words of praise or denigration,
Those of sadness or elation,
All in endless celebration,
I love words.
I love words.
Be it ode or be it fiction,
Words are surely my addiction.
This I say without restriction,
I love words.
I love words.
Let my epitaph convey it.
Carve the stone with words to say it.
Spare the hymn, the dirge belay it,
He loved words.

There are too many speech faults to deal with all at once, so I will note a few
at a time. Be aware of: "Aren't I?" <— This is much worse than sounding stilted (as some
will protest.) Using a plural verb with a singular subject is much worse than saying, "Am I
not," which is correct.

"He's the 'party' I meant." The word 'party' means a group of persons, except in
such legal expressions as 'party' to a contract." The word 'party' should never be used to
mean one person, any more than the plural southern expression 'you all' should be used to
designate one person.

'Ways' used for the word 'way' in the sense of distance is never permissible. Do
not say, "It's a long 'ways' off." Say, "It's a long 'way' off."

Do not say: "I'd like for you to..." Say: "I'd like you to..."

Do not use the word 'worse' for the word 'more'. "I hate Tom 'worse' then I hate
Jim." Say instead, "I hate Tom 'more' that I hate Jim."

Do not use the words 'going on' in place of approaching. And do not use the
word 'towards'. "He kept 'going on towards' her." Say instead, "He continued toward her.'

If you, as a writer, wish to be effective in setting your scenes and in using word
pictures, you must use specific, rather than, general terms. For example: She cut a flower
for her hair. This is a general description which doesn't allow the reader to really 'see' the
image. How about instead: She cut a rose for her hair. (Better, but still not evoking a vivid
mental picture.) Try adding picture words. She cut a blood-red rose for her dark curls,
dew-drops still glistening on its velvet petals. Touching it to her lips, she inhaled its
intoxicating scent.

I've read many how-to books on writing in which a writer is told to do away with
' most all adverbs and adjectives and use stronger verbs. Strong verbs make for vivid scenes,
however, adjectives play an important role in word pictures--if they are not over done. I would
not attempt to write a novel without a certain number of adjectives, though I do tend to avoid
as many adverbs as possible.

The first principal in effective writing is this: Avoid general terms and use specific,
descriptive terms instead.

Words to remember: Malediction: A curse; literally, 'speaking evil.'
Benediction: A blessing; literally, 'speaking good.'
Puissant: Powerful
Impotent: Powerless.<\p>