Difference between Colloquialism and Slang

People often use the word colloquialism for slang, and slang for colloquialism. The reason for this is that quite often people take them to mean the same thing. Colloquialism and slang do overlap to a certain extent, but they are actually two distinct forms of language. How do colloquialism and slang overlap? In other words, [...]

Punctuation – Inside or Outside Quotation Marks

There is general confusion on the use of punctuation with quotation marks. Should the punctuation be inside or outside quotation marks? The confusion is understandable since it is seen written both ways – inside and outside. So, which is correct? The answer is – both. Here’s why – According to the American style, the commas [...]

Julia Quinn on Writing Humorous Dialogue

Author Julia Quinn talks about writing humorous dialogue.

Why We Procrastinate

When I was last writing on procrastination, I realized that it was such a wide topic that it was not possible to cover everything in one post.  It was then that I had decided that I’d do few – each covering a different aspect. Today we’ll look at why writers procrastinate. I did a little [...]

Humorous Quotes

For a change, here are some quotes by writers that I found quite humorous: * I am the literary equivalent of a Big Mac and Fries.  ~  Stephen King * In literature as in love, we are astonished at what is chosen by others.  ~  Andre Maurois * NOVEL, n. A short story padded…  ~  [...]