Tag Archives: Janice Seagraves

Mar 1 2012

Watch Those Tenses

Watch Those Tenses
By Janice Seagraves
 
What are tenses exactly?
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There’s the past tense, the present tense and the future tense. There are more of course, but for this lesson I’m keeping it simple.
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Have I lost you?
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To put it simply: Past tense is things that have already happened. Present Tense is things happening right now. Future tense is things that haven’t happened yet.
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Example Past Tense: Sally went to the store to get some milk.
Here I used the past tense: went
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Example Present Tense: Sally is going to the store to get some milk.
Here I used the present tense: going
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Example Future Tense: Sally will go the store to get some milk.
Here I used the future tense: will go.
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What tense should you use for writing?
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In most fictions such as romance, suspense, paranormal, fantasy etc., I suggest you use past tense as most editors (not all) will prefer it. It was explained to me this way:
“When you tell a story, you tell it like it has already happened.”
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But there will be times when you’ll need to use another tense: when something hasn’t happened yet or when someone is doing something right this moment in your story.
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Here’s an example from Lord of the Ring:
[Galadriel descends to a glade and fills a silver pitcher with water from a stream. She stands before an ornate stand with a shallow silver basin upon it. The Lady turns towards Frodo.]
Galadriel: “Will you look into the mirror?”
Frodo: “What will I see?”
Galadriel: [stepping up to the basin] “Even the wisest cannot tell. For the mirror… shows many things…”
[She begins to pour the water into the silver mirror.]
Galadriel: “…things that were… things that are… and some things…” [She empties the ewer and steps back] “that have not yet come to pass.”
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Past tense: –ed words, had, was/were, gone, done, finished, verb forms ending in -ing.
Example: I had already studied tenses for writing.
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Present tense: am/is/are, going, doing, verb forms ending in –ing.
Example: I am studying tenses for writing.
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Future tense: will be/shall be/will have, verb forms ending in –ing.
Example: I will be studying tenses for writing.
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As you can see –ing words work for all tenses, but –ing can weaken your prose, so don’t use them too often.
Feb 22 2012

Thursday’s Thirteen: Romance Sub-Genre

Romance is the number one best seller of all books around the world. If you’re a romance writer that kind of makes you proud, don’t it? 🙂

Here are thirteen sub-genre of romance.

1. Adventure Romance

2. Chick-lit

3. Contemporary

4. Erotic Romance

5. Fantasy

6. Futuristic

7. Gothic

8. Historical

9. Interracial Romance

10. LGBT

11. Menage a trois

12. Military

13.  Science Fiction

I’ve only listed thirteen sub-genres here. Can you name a few I missed?

Jan 23 2012

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

 

Jan 20 2012

When to use then and than

I’ve been suffering with a cold, which is the third for this winter. And yes I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired.

However, I’m feeling a little bit better than I was and I thought I do a mini lesson.

If I’ve done this one before, please forgive me.

When to use then and than

By Janice Seagraves

Then and Than may look a lot alike but they are used for two completely different functions.

Use then when you need to show when something happened.

Example: Karen went out to the car to get her purse and then came back inside.

I didn’t use a comma here because Karen did both things.

However, you can also use then by itself since and is implied.

Example: Karen went out the car to get her purse, then came back inside.

Why not use and by itself?

Because and is used when something happens at the same time. Karen can’t go out the car and go back inside at the same time, so and can’t be used here.

On shorter sentences you wouldn’t necessarily need the comma, but here I used it in place of the missing and. However on longer sentences you can use and then.

And then there was than.

Use than when you’re comparing things.

Example: I like this banana better than that apple.

Example: I like driving the Cadillac more than I did the Toyota.

Example: I like skiing better than hiking through the snow.

From this example you might think you’d use then more than than, then you’d be right.

 

Jan 10 2012

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.