/lit/ - Literature

>>12965032

JP bromance with Zizek

>>7515317

It's not worth my time to fight with trolls or flash around my editor's badge like I'm the grammar or writing police. Suffice to say, the internet can take the advice as given, or ignore it. Doesn't really make much of a difference to me one way or the other.

I will compound on the point though for those interested:


Using WAS and WERE means you're not writing with an active voice. Verbs are inherently active, and can 9 out of 10 times replace a use of WAS / WERE. Also, WAS WERE means it is NARRATOR talking to the reader -- as opposed to exposition, dialogue, imagery that could otherwise have filled the void left by the passive words. WAS and WERE can also caused PROBLEMS with TENSE.

Take for example these sentences, I'll try to hit all 4 points:

>John was walking and the dogs were barking.

Should be written as:

>John walked and the dogs barked.

e.g:

>Tom had always loved flowered. They were the most beautiful thing ever.

Should be written as:

>Tom had always thought flowers to be the most beautiful thing ever.

e.g:

>The tower was old and rusting, and so were the stones.

C/Should be written as:

>A rusting tower rose from old stones.

That one gets a bit fancy to showcase how much you can improve your writing just by eliminating these words.

I'm much harsher as an editor with WAS because it causes more structural problems than were. Were is just a weak word, and generally should be replaced or written around. Sometimes you can use it just to keep pace, but if a verb can replace it, it should be replaced.

>>7515340

eat a dick my nigga

>>2842404

Very classy.

>>2842401

My favorite author!

tom mccarthy or cormac mccarthy?

>>1288260

http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/2WI8FNW1MPKFJ

OP, people like you are the reason I still have faith in humanity. Charity and random kindness.

I'm going to go do something nice now :)

Count Zero : William Gibson
I-robot : Isaac Asimov

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