Grammar-ease: It’s/who’s vs its/whose

Here is a grammar refresher on using it’s/its and who’s/whose.

It’s extremely common to see mistaken use of it’s and its, but this is a simple rule:

It’s is a contraction for “it is” or “it has.” Period. Only use it’s to replace “it is” or “it has.” Its is possessive and means belonging to it.

And similarly:

Who’s is a contraction for “who is” or “who has.” Period. Whose is possessive and means belonging to who.

Those are simple, right?

Other possessive pronouns don’t have apostrophes: theirs, ours, yours, my, his, hers. For instance, we don’t write:                     But we do write:

• The camping gear is their’s.               The camping gear is theirs.
• Those kayaks are our’s.                       Those kayaks are ours.
• That assignment is your’s.                  That assignment is yours.
• My’s bicycle still looks new.              My bicycle still looks new.
• His’s car barely runs.                            His car barely runs.
• Her’s prom dress is gorgeous.           Her prom dress is gorgeous.
• It’s nest.                                                      Its nest.
• Who’s gloves are these?                       Whose gloves are these?

See if you can pick the correct answers:

1. It’s/its time to give the dog it’s/its bath.
2. Who’s/whose going to drive me to the mall?
3. It’s/its the most versatile ingredient to work with.
4. I don’t know who’s/whose dog this is.
5. It’s/its siding had blown off during the storm.
6. Who’s/whose cooking dinner?
7. The truck was missing it’s/its door.
8. Who’s/whose side are you on?
9. It’s/its okay to be confused.
10. An idea who’s/whose time has come.
11. The tree has lost all it’s/its leaves.

Answers:

1. It’s / its
2. Who’s
3. It’s
4. whose
5. Its
6. Who’s
7. its
8. whose
9. It’s
10. whose
11. its

Does this help clarify when to use it’s/who’s and its/whose?

Thank you for the suggestions so far. What other grammar topics would you like help with? Let me know in the comments!

Lisa J. Jackson is an independent writer, editor, journalist, and chocolate lover. She loves working with words and helps businesses with theirs. She writes fiction as Lisa Haselton, has an award-winning blog for book reviews and author interviews, and is on the staff of The Writer’s Chatroom where she gets to network with writing professionals on a weekly basis. You can connect with her on LinkedIn, Biznik, Facebook, and Twitter. 

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Grammar-ease: Then versus than

Last week’s post on the difference between “lay” and “lie” garnered a couple of suggestions for grammar topics, so here’s one: how to know when to use “then” and when to use “than.”

The two words can sound alike when used in conversation, which, I think, leads to most of the confusion.

Do you know which of these 2 sentences is correct?

• A. You reacted a lot more calmly then I would have.
• B. You reacted a lot more calmly than I would have.

How about which of these 2 sentences is correct?

• A. Apples are bigger then grapes.
• B. Apples are bigger than grapes.

And one more set. Which of these 2 sentences is correct?

• A. I bought a dress at Macy’s and then went to JC Penney’s for shoes.
• B. I bought a dress at Macy’s and than went to JC Penney’s for shoes.

Then refers to sequences in time. It tells when something happened.

• I washed the dishes, and then I dried the dishes, and then I put the dishes away.
• Finish your homework, then you can go out to play.
• The kitten tangled himself in the yarn, then jumped in the box.
• Once upon a time, boy met girl, fell in love, and then lived happily ever after.
• Until then, let’s stay where we are.

Than is a comparison word.

• I would rather watch this movie than exercise.
• Lilacs are more aromatic to me than lilies.
• Rather than walking on the beach, how about we cycle up the seacoast?
• Five is more than four.
• Cats are more independent than dogs.
• His writing is more formal than mine.

*Here’s a trick if you need a little more help:

When I need to pause to figure out usage as I’m writing, I remember “rather than,” because that turn of phrase sticks in my head and I know ‘than’ is to compare one thing to another. Or the phrase “and then and then and then” which I hear in my mind as a teenage girl’s voice telling me about her day, and it triggers ‘sequence’ for me.

**Or here’s another trick:

“Then” relates to “time” (both have an ‘e’). “Than” is a “comparison” (both have an ‘a’).

Did any of these suggestions help cement the different between then and than for you?

(Answers to the 3 pairings: B, B, A)

What other grammar topics would you like help with? Let me know in the comments!

Lisa J. Jackson is an independent writer, editor, journalist, and chocolate lover. She loves working with words and helps businesses with theirs. She writes fiction as Lisa Haselton, has an award-winning blog for book reviews and author interviews, and is on the staff of The Writer’s Chatroom where she gets to network with writing professionals on a weekly basis. You can connect with her on LinkedIn, Biznik, Facebook, and Twitter. 

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Grammar-ease: Lay versus Lie

I haven’t had a grammar post in a while, so here’s a new one!

A particularly challenging one for many people, the conundrum of lay versus lie. 

Lay is an active verb. A person picks up a book and lays it on a chair. A chicken lays an egg. (The person and chicken are active.)

Lie is a still verb. People lie on beds. Cats lie on people. Fleas lie on cats. (The people, cats, and fleas are still.)

——————————————————————————————————

Lay: to place or set something.

	Simple	Progressive	Perfect	Perfect progressive (action continues for a while)
Present	I layYou layHe/she/it laysThey lay	I am layingYou are layingShe is layingThey are laying	I have laidYou have laidShe has laidThey have laid	I have been layingYou have been layingShe has been layingThey have been laying
Past	I laidYou laidShe laidThey laid	I was layingYou were layingShe was layingThey were laying	I had laidYou had laidShe had laidThey had laid	I had been layingYou had been layingShe had been layingThey had been laying
Future	I will layYou will layShe will layThey will lay	I will be layingYou will be layingShe will be layingThey will be laying	I will have laidYou will have laidShe will have laidThey will have laid	I will have been layingYou will have been layingShe will have been layingThey will have been laying

——————————————————————————————-

Lie: to recline or repose somewhere.

	Simple	Progressive	Perfect	Perfect progressive (action continues for a while)
Present	I lieYou lieHe/she/it liesThey lie	I am lyingYou are lyingShe is lyingThey are lying	I have lainYou have lainShe has lainThey have lain	I have been lyingYou have been lyingShe has been lyingThey have been lying
Past	I layYou layShe layThey lay	I was lyingYou were lyingShe was lyingThey were lying	I had lainYou had lainShe had lainThey had lain	I had been lyingYou had been lyingShe had been lyingThey had been lying
Future	I will lieYou will lieShe will lieThey will lie	I will be lyingYou will be lyingShe will be lyingThey will be lying	I will have lainYou will have lainShe will have lainThey will have lain	I will have been lyingYou will have been lyingShe will have been lyingThey will have been lying

Here are some great tips to help remember the differences, from Painless Grammar, by Rebecca Elliott, Ph.D.:

• Think of to lay the same way as to say and to pay. We say (today)  ”I pay”, “I say,” (yesterday) “I paid”, “I said,” and “I have paid,” “I have said.” To lay works the same way: lay, laid, laid.
• Substitute the word place or put. If the sentence sounds right, you want lay; otherwise, you want lie. Is this okay?: You place the book on the table. Yes. Therefore, You lay the book on the table. How about this: You place in your bed at night. No. Therefore, You lie in your bed at night.
• My favorite: No one ever says that chickens lie eggs. Chickens are active and lay eggs, so visualize the action when you are writing about how you lay out a rug, or lay down your book.
• Lie is a quiet or still word. A fun ditty from the book: At night, I turn out my light and lie. (I’m going to lie down for a nap.) Whether it’s on a couch, beach blanket, or bed, if you are quietly reclining, you’re lying (not laying).

What do you think? Helpful?

If you have grammar topics you’d like to see covered, please leave a comment to let me know.

Lisa J. Jackson is an independent writer, editor, journalist, and chocolate lover. She loves working with words and helps businesses with theirs. She writes fiction as Lisa Haselton, has an award-winning blog for book reviews and author interviews, and is on the staff of The Writer’s Chatroom where she gets to network with writing professionals on a weekly basis. You can connect with her on LinkedIn, Biznik, Facebook, and Twitter. 

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Winning at NaNoWriMo

          It’s November twenty-seventh, meaning including today there are just four more days to finish the NaNoWriMo challenge of writing a 50,000-word novel in one short month. As of this morning, I’m at 42,452, so it’s nip-and-tuck whether I’ll cross the finish line in time, but in my view, I’ve already won.

When I first heard of Nanowrimo a few years ago, I thought it was for amateurs. Then this year, I signed up because I needed a push. I got just what I asked for: incentive to sit at my desk and write daily, advancing the novel I’ve been working on for years.

What I’ve written isn’t a novel yet, but it’s part of a wonderful first draft that resembles a slightly overweight, middle-aged woman: blousy and untucked, hem crooked, lipstick wearing off, a bit florid in the face. Roots visible. Flabby, untoned, maybe even intoxicated, certainly out of breath – and very, very happy. At least I am.

What I have now is a fabulous mess. Oh, it started out a bit more controlled, just as I started out ahead of the curve, writing 2,000 words/day at the start of the month. But I knew what was coming: a trip that took me out-of-town for a week, followed by a week of preparing and celebrating Thanksgiving with a dozen house guests.

Given these major distractions, it’s no wonder I fell behind. But I didn’t give up. And that’s the magic.

So whether I cross the 50,000-word finish line this Friday or not, I consider myself a winner, big-time. Here’s a partial list of my prizes:

• The knowledge that I can write fast when I need to;
• I can write early in the morning, before the house wakes;
• I can write at the airport, while waiting for my plane;
• I can write in bed, before sleep, if I have to.
• I can mark places in the text that I’ll have to go back to and check facts later – and not stop to do research (i.e. procrastinate).
• I can spill ink, blood, sweat and tears on the page without worry,
• Because I’ll have plenty of time to clean up the draft as I rewrite it
• Again
• And again.

If my nano-novel is like a blousy woman, then that makes me a personal trainer who’s looking forward to the next phase, after the rough draft is finished. That’s when I’ll work her hard to get her into shape. I’ll help her lose words, tighten her prose, improve the condition of her characters, take hours off her plot, and make her something to look at.

Did you attempt Nanowrimo this month? If so, what did you learn about yourself as a writer?

Deborah Lee Luskin is a novelist, essayist and educator. Listen to her Vermont Public Radio broadcast about NaNoWriMo here. Learn more at www.deborahleeluskin.com

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Shutting off the internal editor for 30 days

Oops, I did it again! Signed up for National Novel Writing Month, that is. How could I not? It’s addictive knowing I can get 50,000 words down in 30 days.

I’m an official ‘participant,’ and on or before December 1, I plan to be an official ‘winner’ for 2012.

If you have any inkling at all about wanting to get a story out of your head and onto the page, I recommend NaNoWriMo. Even if that dark voice in your head starts whispering things like:

• You don’t have the time
• You’re already over worked
• You haven’t found time all year for your writing so what makes you think now will work?
• Ha! You think you have a good enough idea for a novel?
• There’s a long holiday weekend in November and you have to cook, clean, travel, visit, watch football, or be a couch potato.

What I love about participating in NaNoWriMo is shutting up that dark voice – and I bet you can turn off your internal editor, too.

I visualize my ‘dark voice’ as a yard gnome (I have nothing against yard gnomes in the real world), and stomping it with a large boot. But like the googly-eyed talking Twinkies, er, minions in the movie Despicable Me, (or the upcoming Despicable Me 2) my imaginary yard gnome doesn’t shut up, no matter what I try — EXCEPT during November.

In November, there’s some type of force field that separates me from the dark voice in my head when I’m writing fiction. And I think it works for a lot of other writers, too.

This is directly from http://www.nanowrimo.org:

National Novel Writing Month is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing. Participants begin writing on November 1. The goal is to write a 50,000-word (approximately 175-page) novel by 11:59:59 PM on November 30.

Valuing enthusiasm and perseverance over painstaking craft, NaNoWriMo is a novel-writing program for everyone who has thought fleetingly about writing a novel but has been scared away by the time and effort involved.

As you spend November writing, you can draw comfort from the fact that, all around the world, other National Novel Writing Month participants are going through the same joys and sorrows of producing the Great Frantic Novel. Wrimos meet throughout the month to offer encouragement, commiseration, and—when the thing is done—the kind of raucous celebrations that tend to frighten animals and small children.

NaNoWriMo is free and you can be as involved as you want with other Wrimos (the name given to other, um, crazy people who have signed up) in your area or online.

You can try “word wars” where people agree to start writing at a certain time (top of the hour, quarter past, half past, etc.) and for a certain length of time (15 minutes, 30 minutes, etc.) At the end of that time period, post your total words, and see how you compare to other writers. Competition can really kick those endorphins into high gear.

Honestly, there is just a feeling of freedom knowing that the internal voice has no power and that the words can flow onto the page. Editing can start in December, but for November, how about joining me in getting at least 50,000 words down?

Lisa J. Jackson is a New England-region journalist and a year-round chocolate and iced coffee lover. She loves working with words, and helping others with their own. As Lisa Haselton, she writes fiction, co-blogs about mystery-related writing topics at Pen, Ink, and Crimes, has an award-winning blog for book reviews and author interviews, and is a chat moderator at The Writer’s Chatroom. Connect with her on LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter. 

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Review of Your Book Starts Here by Mary Carroll Moore

Your Book Starts Here: Create, Craft, and Sell Your First Novel, Memoir, or Nonfiction Book

by Mary Carroll Moore

Reviewed by Lisa J. Jackson

(This review was first published in the Fall 2012 issue of NH Writer, the newsletter of the New Hampshire Writers’ Project.)

In Your Book Starts Here: Create, Craft, and Sell Your First Novel, Memoir, or Nonfiction Book, Mary Carroll Moore shares her years of experience teaching her “How to Plan, Write, and Develop a Book” workshop. But this is not simply a workbook of exercises. It is so complete, detailed, and instructive that I see it as a classroom in a book.

The twenty-five chapters are divided over three sections—planning, writing, and developing—and are meant to be read in whatever order applies to your current project. Dedicate some reading time, because once you start the book, it’s hard to put down. There are numerous exercises to try, questions to ponder, and tools you can adapt to your own work.

Moore’s conversational style keeps the reader involved, much like a teacher engaging students in a classroom. She poses questions and expects the reader to work out the answers. For example, she asks, “What kind of writer are you, most naturally? A concept, event, or image writer?” She also gives numerous examples from past students, touching on novels, memoirs, and nonfiction writing. I felt immersed in a conversation with other writers eager to discover new tips, tricks, and ways to make the story come alive on the page.

One tip I found riveting was how to change your Inner Critic into an ally. Many writers deal with damaging self-talk, but Moore has suggestions on how to turn the unhelpful voice into, at a minimum, a silent presence. One method that she used for her memoir, when a particular memory refused to get on the page, was to write a letter to her Inner Critic. In her writer’s notebook (which she recommends all writers have), she thanked the Inner Critic for keeping her safe over the years and described how she appreciated its role. “Then,” she says, “I asked it kindly to step aside, to let me write this chapter. I explained why I needed to write it . . .”

When she finished the letter, she closed her notebook and went back to her desk. The Inner Critic was silent, and the chapter flowed onto the page with ease. The inner voice is usually our subconscious. Meeting the voice head on—to get to the issue and acknowledge it—can help us move forward.

Moore’s book is full of sharing. She not only speaks from experience but details those experiences in a way that builds a bond between herself and her reader. For instance, she talks about the idea of writing for one person, since most writers tend to “begin writing for themselves only.” At first she didn’t believe in this advice, which she learned from reading Kurt Vonnegut’s work, but after publishing several books, she saw how it improved her own writing. And I believe her, since I felt she was talking to me, one person, as I read.

It’s worth repeating: Your Book Starts Here is a writing class in a book. Having a copy to refer to and mark up can help you continually improve your craft. The appendix alone can keep your muse entertained and curious for months, because it includes Moore’s favorite books about acquiring writing skills, getting ideas, healing via writing, editing and revising, publishing, engaging the creative process, and more. This is not a book you read once and put on a shelf. It’s a reference that offers insight, exercises, and real-world examples for all stages of your book writing project.

 

Lisa J. Jackson is a New England-region journalist and a year-round chocolate and iced coffee lover. She is a Great Leads editor for New Hampshire Writers’ Project and a Granite State Ambassador. She writes fiction as Lisa Haselton, has an award-winning blog for book reviews and author interviews, and is on the staff of The Writer’s Chatroom. Connect with her on LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter. 

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High Tech Notecards, or Scrivener

I blogged yesterday about my WIP, and the fact that I am rewriting my mystery. This rewriting was the result of two different writing seminars this past winter/spring, and the sense that what I needed to fix would be better remedied by a rewrite than an edit, since the “fixes” were piling up. And I felt that a rewrite would make it a stronger book. Since rewriting is where I was going anyway, I decided to take two more steps.

First, I rethought the plot. I condensed the timeline. I took out a character completely. I threaded two other characters through the narrative. I added a couple of more clues. And I clarified some of my settings. I printed out the original, and put stickies throughout with notes about what I wanted to do.

Now, the idea of taking my 72,000 word manuscript and making all of those changes made my head hurt. While writing it, I used notecards to keep track of scenes. To rewrite it, I decided to take Scrivener for a test drive. Scrivener is a writer’s tool. It has been available on Mac for a while, and the PC version came out last year. Once I decided to pull my manuscript apart, it made sense to try it out. I am still figuring the software out, but I think I may be in love.

Why? Let me count the ways.

First, there are templates for setting and character work. And the names stay in the left hand column. You can even group them. SO, no more forgetting someone’s name. And, when you add something you want to remember (a limp, hair color, broken nose) you can add it to the profile. You can even add reference material.

Second, my note card system works here as well. You create cards for each scene. On the card you can take notes on the goals of the scene, things that need to be added, characters involved, whatever. And those notes stay visible on the right hand side of the screen. You can have references for scenes as well.

Third, since every scene is a card, you can look at them one at a time, or as a whole board. I am still figuring out scenes and chapters and how they work in Scrivener. But here’s what I love–when you need to move a scene, you click and drag it. And everything associated with it moves as well.

Fourth, and this may seem minor, there is a typewriter function. So when you type, what you are typing stays in the middle of the screen. I love it.

Fifth, it takes your work and formats it correctly.

My top five, so far. I am still learning. And I need to figure out better ways of doing some things. I signed up for a Scrivener class in September, so I will learn more. But so far, I really like it.

Do any of you use Scrivener? Any tips? Suggestions?

 

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On Receiving Critique

Sometimes hearing critique can feel like facing a firing squad.

In a recent post, I blogged about offering critique. When I asked fellow writers for their thoughts about giving and receiving critiques, I got some great feedback, but there was so much, I needed to divide the posts. Here is what my fellow authors had to say about receiving critiques.

“For the writer, don’t take it personally. Don’t defend your work. Take the advice that works, and use it. Disregard the rest, but if you hear the same suggestions more than once, listen. The best workshops I have been in have required the writer to be silent during the process. Very hard, but keeps you open.” – Julie Hennrikus

“Don’t jump to any conclusions – make notes so you will remember later what was said, but then put it out of your mind. Sit with it. Mull it over. Leave some time between the initial hearing and the actual processing.” – Jamie Wallace

“Honor and respect each other – givers and receivers. Respect the group’s time. Regardless of first draft or final, give your piece your best shot before you read it. Be open. If you’re stuck – point out your difficulty and ask for specific help and feedback.It’s difficult to give a negative criticism – respect their courage by listening carefully. Honor the desire for privacy – short term or forever.” – Susan Nye,

“Cuts bleed, remember that the skilled physician not only cuts out the tumor but in the end, he’s a member of your team making you stronger and better.” – Wendy Thomas

“Don’t defend your work during the critique process. Then take a cooling-off period. Lament, tend your wounds, then return to the ms with a fresh, productive and professional attitude. (See “Cooling-Off Period” (scroll to p. 5).) Sometimes comments from multiple people that seem contradictory and confusing at first begin to fit together in new ways when you return to them after you’ve let some time pass.” – Tracy Hahn-Burkett

“In receiving crit, consider the source (again, opinion is not necessarily fact) but if more than one person says the same thing, take the comment into consideration.” – Megan Hart

“My best advice about receiving criticism, is to sit and listen to the feedback, make notes to yourself, thank the critiquer, and then evaluate the comments later on as you consider revisions. Definitely pay attention if more than one person comments on the same section of writing in your work.” – Lisa Jackson

Over the years I’ve struggled with the demon of defensiveness when I’ve been given critique of my work. I’ve gotten better, but I still do battle every once in a while.  What works best for me is to hear what is being said, make notes and then put it aside.  I revisit the thoughts of others when I’ve put some time between the session and editing my work.

What are your tips and tricks for receiving criticism?

Lee Laughlin is a writer, wife, and mom, frequently all of those things at once. She blogs at Livefearlesslee.com. Her words have appeared in a broad range of publications from community newspapers to the Boston Globe.

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Rejection Letter

Okay, so I got rejected.

I mentioned in an earlier post that I submitted my short story to be considered for an anthology, and I also submitted it to a contest (winner to be published in the anthology). I found out this past week that I didn’t win the contest and a few days later got an email stating my story didn’t make the anthology. This is what the editors said:

“Thanks so much for giving us the opportunity to consider… [your story.] It was a tough decision but, unfortunately, we will not be able to include your story in this year’s anthology.

It’s always so hard to say no to pieces that we have particularly enjoyed.  Yet, inevitably our space limitations combined with finding just the right “mix” for the anthology force us to pass on many strong submissions.

We wish you good fortune in finding a home for your story and very much hope to see a submission from you again next year.

Best Regards,”

Now, my first thought when I read this was: Wow, they enjoyed my story! My second thought was: No, it’s just a form letter. I bet they thought it sucked.

Which thought would motivate you to keep writing?

Thought #1? Me, too.

So, I choose to believe the thought: Wow, they enjoyed my story! When I do, I get a feeling of satisfaction and I immediately want to rewrite the story and send it out again. Or, hey, what about my novel? That’s not ready to be submitted yet, but maybe I can work on it this weekend.

But let’s say I went with thought #2. How would you feel if you believed the thought that the editors thought the story sucked? Pretty lousy, huh? What would you feel motivated to do? Lie on the couch and eat ice cream? Yeah, that’s about right.

Whatever thought we have, if we choose to believe it, triggers a feeling. Based on that feeling, we take action. Our result depends on our action, and it usually proves the original thought. So if I believe the thought that the editors think my story sucked, my action is to do nothing constructive with my writing (wallowing doesn’t tend to be very useful) and my result is that my writing doesn’t improve.

Since the editors said they enjoyed reading my story and I have no proof that they didn’t, I’m going to stick with thought #1. That way, the next time I send the (reworked, rewritten, re-edited) story out, I just might get an acceptance letter!

What do you do when you get a rejection letter?

Diane MacKinnon, MD, is currently a full-time mother, part-time life coach. She is a Master Certified Life Coach, trained by Martha Beck, among others. She is passionate about her son, her writing and using her mind to create a wonderful present moment.  Find her life coaching blog at http://www.dianemackinnon.com/blog.

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Grammar-ease – When the words outpace the fingers

As writers, we’re always working with words. Right? No surprise. And even if we know what we want to say, it’s not always the case that the fingers can keep up with the brain.

Do you ever have this problem: the story/article is gelling in your mind and it needs to reach the page – NOW. Not 5 minutes from now, not after you’ve showered or had your breakfast. But have you ever experienced a time when the words start flowing like white water rapids and you grab a pad and pen or open a blank document and get those fingers over the keyboard and start capturing what you can?

When I get in this mode (which is great, I think, and thankfully not too common), I’ll be typing as fast as I can and start munging words together – because there isn’t a pause button for the characters’ voices in my head. I can’t rewind the words, and darn it if times like these don’t produce “the best” turn of phrase imaginable. Right?

When I’m chasing after my thoughts, if I don’t type fast enough, I end up creating funky words – a creative mix of 2-3 words that Word immediately highlights as a spelling error.

Also when I’m in the try-to-keep-up-with-the-thoughts mode, I end up typing variations of words – for instance “there” when I know it should be “their” or “they’re,” but I just type what is fastest and is best phonetically. The same happens with “your” instead of “you’re” when my brain is in overdrive.

“Lose” when it should be “loose” is another. Sometimes I just don’t have time for that second ‘o’.

When I’m writing to like that, which I actually refer to it as a ‘brain dump’, but it’s probably more PC to call it ‘brain download’, but I had these moments before I had computers, so, old dogs and all that… when I’m in that fast mode of writing, I muffle the internal editor with duct tape and shove him in a closet and lock the door (funny, I just realized the internal editor is male and my muse is female – that’s a topic for another post). Anyway, when I’m typing fast, I let myself do whatever is needed to get the words on the page and then I hope to catch all the typos before the final product is submitted.

In this post alone, which wasn’t overly fast, I had words such as “femail”, “fingrsca nkeep” and “chas in gafter”.

Do you ever type so fast to keep up with your thoughts that you create new words, or find yourself spelling phonetically? Or does something else happen when your fingers are chasing the invisible words? I’m curious to know.

(If you want to see what happens when you type fast, try writeordie.com. There’s various functionality you can play with, but one setting is that your words start getting erased if you pause for too long. Another is an obnoxious noise sounding. It’s fun!)

Lisa J. Jackson is an independent editor and writer who gives herself a lot of chuckles through word play. She’s also a New England region journalist and a year-round chocolate and iced coffee lover. She writes fiction as Lisa Haselton, has an award-winning blog for book reviews and author interviews, and is on the staff of The Writer’s Chatroom. 

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