Who Needs A Manual To Write Real Good?

[reviews_and_ramblings]

Interesting article by Marc Acito, author of "How I Paid for College" (one of the books in my Top 100 Gay Novels List). It's not specifically aimed to the gay novels fiction world, and this is exactly the reason why I liked it. I read it from a "foreign" point of view, trying to understand if how I write in English is right or wrong, since people said that I write in English with an Italian accent... and even if I like this defintion, I really don't understand what it means!

Anyway here is the link to the article:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103169900

Comments

[clarelondon.livejournal.com]

That made me laugh aloud! Nowadays I spend hours being completely paralysed in writing because I'm panicking about whether I'm doing it 'right' LOL. He picks on some of the main issues and makes them amusing. It was very clever. Cheered me up, anyway!

And yes, I think your written English has got a delightful flavour of your spoken accent! It's lovely. It'd be a miserable world if we all spoke according to the grammar style guide. Clear communication is the important thing, really.

And may I just point out, the contrast with MY spoken / written Italian?! Like - non-existent?! *lmao*

Have a lovely weekend ♥

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

Thank you Clare for your lovely comment, and yes, Marc is a real ilarious man, both in life than in his writing. You should try his books, I think you will like them. Elisa

[jessewave.livejournal.com]

Interesting article Eliza. I laughed all the way through it because I used The Elements of Style and other books by these authors when I was in college, so the article brought back "fond" memories. :)

Your comment about what people say about your English -

trying to understand if how I write in English is right or wrong, since people said that I write in English with an Italian accent...

I think I understand what they mean. Most people whose first language is not English are easy to detect in the way they write, and the words they choose with which to express themselves. But there's nothing wrong with that. I can't speak Italian so I admire you for writing in English, the same way I do my friends Mary who is French Canadian and Christian who is German. If I tried to write in either of your languages I'd be a laughingstock.

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

So, better having an accent that nothing ;-) Marc Acito is a really fun author, I added his books to my Wish list.

Elisa

[vashtan.livejournal.com]

Heya, I stole this for meta_writer. :)

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

You are welcome to do so ;-) Elisa

[mallorypath.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the link! I'm sorry to say I haven't read Marc Acito's novels--but happy to say I'll be seeking them out now! This was very clever and charming. It's difficult to pick a single favorite bit, but I have to say this made me laugh aloud:

"Write with nouns and verbs." (2) Myself, for one, is relieved to know this, as I have been trying to write with macaroni and cheese.

I want an icon that says this. :p

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

Yes, I was already think to buy his two books, but after reading this they are on top of my next order. Elisa