Blog Archives
Mini Lesson: Past Tense Review
Mini Lesson: Past Tense Review
By Janice Seagraves
I figured it wouldn’t hurt to do some tenses review. Why do we need past tense? Because most books are written in past tense.
Anything with an –ed at the end is past tense, like Stopped is past tense of stop.
However, there are other words to look out for, that don’t follow that rule.
Led is past tense of lead.
Gone is past tense of go or going.
Sung is past tense of sing.
Hidden is the past tense of hide.
Caught is the past tense of catch
Bought is the past tense of buy
Came is the past tense of come
Crept is the past tense of creep
Dealt is the past tense of deal.
Fed is past tense of feed
Felt is the past tense of feel
Fitted is past tense of fit
Hung is past tense of Hang
Had is past tense of has
Had is also the past tense of Have
Heard is the past tense of hear
Found is past tense of Find
Held is past tense of Hold
Kept is past tense of Keep
Laid is past tense of lay
Lost is past tense of lose
Make is past tense of made
Mean is past tense of meant
Meet is past tense of met
There’s more of course, but I don’t want to overwhelm you.
Here are some more tenses to watch out for:
be was been
Bear bore born
Become became become
Bite bit bitten
Bend bent bent
Bleed bled bled
Burn burned burnt
Choose chose chosen
Dive dove dived
Draw drew drawn
Dream dreamed dreamt
Drink drank drunk
Drive drove driven
Fall fell fallen
Fly flew flown
Freeze froze frozen
Get got given
Know knew known
Leap leapt leaped
Learn learned learnt
Leave left
Lie lay lain
Write writing written wrote
Then, now and maybe later.
And I’ll end this with: future perfect verbs are formed by adding –ing to the verb.
Writer’s Hint: #1
When working on revisions on your manuscript, setup a file with the title of your ms and the words “deleted scenes.” Copy and paste the scenes you’re removing into this file for pain-free revisions.
Then reread your ms. If the chapter reads better without that scene, then leave it in the file.
Janice~
Mini lesson
I posted a mini lesson on Romance Book “R” Us.
http://romancebooksrus.blogspot.com/2012/01/action-before-reaction-by-janice.html
Affect or is it Effect
Affect or is it Effect?
Janice Seagraves
These two words are often confused, and to add to the confusion both words can be used as a noun or verb. Also don’t rely too heavily on Microsoft word’s spellchecker when you want know when to use Affect or Effect. Sometimes it’s wrong.
Affect as a noun means to influence, simulate or imitate. Affect as a verb means to influence someone’s thinking, feelings or attitude.
Affect: to influence.
Example as a verb, as it relates to emotion: The homeless woman’s sad story had affected the small group and wallets were brought out.
The homeless woman Affected an emotional response.
Example as a noun, to imitate: She affected a Southern accent.
She Affected an imitation of a Southern accent.
Effect means the profound consequence or result of some action taken.
Effect: is to cause change.
Example as a noun, to change: The effect of second hand smoke can cause lung cancer.
Smoke Effected a physical change.
Example as a verb, to change: The boss’s speech “to work harder” had the desire effect on his employees.
The Effected physical change here: the employees are working harder.
Effect can also mean someone’s property.
Example: The effects of the victim were given to the closest relative.
Still confused?
Maybe this will help?
Use Affect when there is a change in emotions.
Use Effect when a physical change has occurred.
To oversimplify:
Psychological—Affect
Physical—Effect
Mini Lesson: The Black Moment
The Black Moment
by Janice Seagraves
The black moment is near the end of your story, right before the climax. It can also be the moment you’ve been foreshadowing during the entire story.
It’s the darkest part of your story, where everything looks the worst so you reader will keep turning pages just to find out if . . . your couple will get back together. The hero or heroine will survive the encounter with the bad guy. Luke’s Father going back to the evil Empire’s side. The Mercenaries are going to kill Tree of Souls and neither Jake nor the Na’vi can stop them.
Where it looks like all is lost.
So why do we write the black moments?
Because it make for a more compelling read and it makes the climax even more interesting because that’s when you hero or heroine saves the day.
