by Trevor Mayes | Oct 16, 2019 | Grammar, Pet Peeves, Proofreading, Rants, Words, Writing |
Week 4 The final week of pet peeves! Again, these aren’t just words or expressions that bug me for some reason — they’re mistakes I see so commonly when proofreading that they’ve become pet peeves of mine. For the big finale, I have not one but...
by Trevor Mayes | Apr 18, 2019 | Quick Screenwriting Tips, Style, Words, Writing |
Use the more active (simple present) form of a verb Here’s a way you can immediately improve the quality of your writing. Don’t do this: Jeremy is sprinting down the street. Do this: Jeremy sprints down the street. Not only does using the simple present...
by Trevor Mayes | Feb 11, 2019 | Acronyms & Abbreviations, Dialogue, Words, Writing |
Screenwriting is Weird There are tons of “rules” in screenwriting that take a long time to figure out. Many of these so-called rules are shibboleths or leftovers from a bygone era that are handy at weeding out the amateurs from the pros. However, most of...
by Trevor Mayes | Dec 20, 2017 | Style, Words, Writing |
Dude, aren’t all verbs active? Good question, smartass! The truth is, there are passive and active forms of verbs. The active form (without the “ing”) is almost always the best one to use. For example, I often see a variation of the following...
by Trevor Mayes | Jun 11, 2014 | Feedback, Proofreading, Rewriting, Script Notes, Words, Writing |
There are many writing achievements that I’m proud to have accomplished: placing in/winning script competitions… having my first script optioned… getting my first paid writing gig… And now I’ve been asked to be the first guest script...
by Trevor Mayes | May 31, 2012 | Words, Writing |
Spra-what? Some of the coolest words that have permeated the English language are German in origin: schadenfreude… zeitgeist… doppelgänger… And they’re fun to say too! My new favorite word? Sprachgefühl. Why? For years I’ve been talking...
