A goal, not a resolution

[gwyn]

Haven't seen that icon for a while, have you? I don't do the New Year's Resolution thing. I've always been baffled by that. So let's just say I'm making a goal to do more usage and writing posts soon. I know a lot of people have been disappointed that I abandoned them. It's just been hard to do that, to do any kind of writing. I never review anymore, I never do usage posts, I never seem to work on the fanfic... I suck. I know. With BPAL therapy, I shall endeavor to do better. ;-)

Also, I think I may have to expand into writing tutorials or something. I keep seeing these rants gussied up in the form of writing instructions and "grammar" tools that are just so effing wrong passed around from LJ to LJ, as if they're the word of [insert muse of writing here -- was that Calliope? I can't remember]. This just frosts my cookies, lemme tell ya. These people don't know fuck-all about writing, but too many people think they're offering good advice (word of warning: If the poster is telling you how to write, and they spell definitely with an a, you are on shaky ground). I'm going to have to round up my fellow editrixes and we can start some sort of writing tutorial cabal.

Thank you to the lovely people who sent me holiday cards, dine, keiko_kirin, aukestrel, paraviondeux, and batwrangler. I also suck in this department because I didn't do a single holiday card this year, not a one, even for my dad, and I always do holiday cards. This Christmas seemed harder somehow this year. And batwrangler, you get special long-distance holiday {{hugs}} -- I know it's been a bad time for you. Even if I haven't put it on paper, I'm grateful to you all for remembering me, and I'm thinking about you.

Comments

[mystic-savage.livejournal.com]

*I* could definately give great writng advise though i think.

[ixchel55.livejournal.com]

I'm going to have to round up my fellow editrixes and we can start some sort of writing tutorial cabal.

I would so be there at your feet, waiting to soak up any drops of literary wisdom that get sprinkled my way. I've always loved your Usage and Writing posts.

[dine.livejournal.com]

mail is fun - though the thing to remember is it's not mandatory. if cards aren't sent because life/time/energy doesn't allow, it's truly ok. I send mail to people because I like to, not because I'm expecting something in return. maybe you'll feel like sending a note out in March, when it will be a true surprise!

I'm tickled to hear about your BPAL therapy; it's a whole new arena for you to explore, and there are some really unusual and lovely scents to play around with.

[zebra363.livejournal.com]

Your grammar posts are always fun. I have a suggestion for one, should you ever run out of ideas.

I don't know what it's called, but it's "his being, Bob's having", etc vs "him being, Bob having". I'd love to understand fully why the first is correct and the latter wrong. The correct usage always sounds jarring to me. Even newspapers here use the second version. I just commented on a Yuletide story to say that I liked "Will telling the others to fix things..." and I know it should have been "Will's telling...", but I couldn't bring myself to write it that way because I'd never speak that way. I hate the fact that I wasn't taught this stuff in school!

I'll send a new tree photo in March, if not before. It's looking healthy, but absolutely no growth took place between April this year and November. Things are starting to take off a bit now, but there really hasn't been much change since last time. It's very strange to me how almost all the growth takes place over the summer, when the ground is super-hard. We had a very dry winter and I'm hoping there's enough moisture in the ground to get things through until it rains again (July??). At this point I don't think I can help much by watering — the ground is too hard and the roots should be too far down. But all is fine!

[keerawa.livejournal.com]

I'd like to read some of your tutorials! I've been self and beta taught to write, and I can always use some help getting better.

[keiko-kirin.livejournal.com]

I'd love your tutorials and more usage posts because I learn so much! I'm glad you got the card, and no worries about not sending me a card. I'm far more into the giving than the receiving, and this year it was only because I was in an odd DIY mood that I did cards at all.

[moonchildetoo.livejournal.com]

(word of warning: If the poster is telling you how to write, and they spell definitely with an a, you are on shaky ground).

Mwahahahaha! And this is true of so many!