You Know You're a Writer Who Runs [2 of 10]

When You See a Sign on the Highway...

Training for a marathon does something to your brain. Once you reach 15 miles, you think anything less than that is EASY. Yes, it's all relative, but it's true. Imagine going on a trip several hours away. You're getting closer to home. The sign on the highway says, "Your town. Next exit. 7 miles." You cheer! Seven miles! I just ran that distance a couple weeks ago! Woo-hoo, we're almost home!

Spelling Errors

I won 1st place in my school-wide spelling bee when I was in the 4th grade. Spelling came easily to me. My sisters called me a walking dictionary. But guess who struck out the very next year? Yep. Me! First person, first word: awful. I swear I watched this movie one time about a blind artist with a pet dog named Offel. So that's how I spelled it. Crazy, right? It's pretty funny now, but in the moment, I was upset, to say the least.

Creative spelling might have it's place in character names, or even in real life human names, but when you're submitting a manuscript, it needs to be error-free.

• Use spell check.
• Have someone else look at it.
• If you're unsure of any word, look it up in a dictionary.

Grammar Errors

I'm a writer. My husband is not. Yet he continually finds errors in news headlines, newspaper articles, online magazine articles, and yes, even signs. While signs with grammar errors can be hilarious, a manuscript with grammar errors is not. Well, maybe it is for the editor - upon occasion. But not for the writer when they get a rejection.

Again, use spell check and have others read your work. The three things to focus on when learning grammar is:

1. parts of speech
2. punctuation
3. know the difference between a phrase and a clause
4. how to write a good sentence

Submission Ready

Once you have a manuscript without spelling and grammar errors (and you feel like the story is truly solid), then you can submit it to publishers! Just don't plaster your stuff all over the highway for writers and runners to make fun of (when they see grammar errors).

Read the first comparison in the "You Know You're a Writer/Runner..." series: [1 of 10] How to Deal with Rejection.

What's the funniest grammar mistake you have seen, whether in real life, or online? Share in the comments!

Keep on keepin' on...

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