This is the FAQ for my writing mechanics help thread in the writing forum. This will be under construction for as long as the thread's open. I'll add to it as questions are answered.

A few helpful links...
- http://www.rhymezone.com/
- http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/
- http://www.edufind.com/english/grammar /grammar_topics.php
- http://www.amazon.com/Elements-Style-F ourth-William-Strunk/dp/020530902X
- http://www.amazon.com/Writers-Referenc e-2009-Update-i-cite/dp/0312627440/ref =ntt_at_ep_dpi_1
- http://dictionary.reference.com/
- http://thesaurus.reference.com/

FAQ

Q: Are there instances where I don't have to use proper grammar?
A: Of course! Now, that seems like some odd advice to get from a grammar FAQ, but the truth is, no one speaks, thinks, reminisces or tells you an oral story in completely perfect grammar. Listen to people talk. Their speech is full of fragments, run-on sentences, incorrect conjugations and all those other fun things you get graded down for in school.

In fact, in some places, if you stick to the rules, it rips the personality right out of the story. The most common instance is dialog. Think, what toddler knows the difference between "nor" and "or? What drunkard has a perfect memory of conjugations? When does a character who can barely speak English have a solid grip on English grammar? If the infraction fits the personality, then use it, but if doesn't, then don't.

You can also break some laws if your story or poem is meant to be your character's voice, but that's a bit risky. Remember, there's a fine line between purposeful infractions and just bad writing. But feel free to play around. See how it comes out.

Q: How on earth do I use a semicolon?
A: "Semicolon is used with a compound sentence when there is no conjuction to join them... Then there is also the glorified comma. If you're making a list and you need to separate the items but they already have punctuation, the semi-colon can further clarify. You'll also use a semi colon when there is a conjuctive adverb (an adverb that acts as a conjuction)." - Deathcon7

Note: a semicolon does not make two fragments into a complete sentence. It joins two or more structurally complete sentences. That means both halves have to have a subject, a verb and, if necessary, an object.

Q: When do I use "to" and when do I use "too?"
A: There are many instances where you would use "to," but only two where you would use "too."

"Too" can be used to indicate that something is included. In other words, it's a replacement for "as well."

Ex: "Mark's speedy recovery means that he can go, too."
Mark is included in the group that can go shopping.
Ex: "In the mid 1980's, after further investigation, the epidemiologists discovered hemophiliacs, too, were experiencing a widespread AIDS epidemic."
Hemophiliacs are included in the list of demographics experiencing widespread HIV. A grim example, I know, but a good instance of "too" in a more complex sentence structure.

It's also used to mean that there's a negative excess of something.

Ex: "These curtains have too much brown in them for my liking."
What is their an excess of? Brown.
Ex: "There are too many people in here."
What is their an excess of? People.

In all other instances, you would use "to."

Q: Are "afterward" and "afterwards" interchangeable?"
A: Yes

Q: So, I'm quoting someone, but for the sake of clarity I want to replace a word. How do I do that?
A: Your answer is bracket text.

Ex: ""Weighing over 300 pounds, [William Howard Taft] was the heaviest U.S. president in history."
Here, the proper noun William Howard Taft is replacing the original pronoun, "he."

Note: You wouldn't leave the pronoun in as well. Bracket text is a replacement.

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This is also where I'm storing my character development outline because I have nowhere else to put it. It's not grammar, but it's related to write, so fuh. Some of it is written by me, but some of it is not.

Character's name:
--- Reason for name:
--- Character's feelings about name:
Nickname:
--- Reason for nickname:
--- Character's feeling about name:
Age:
--- Appears:

Appearance:
Eye color:
Glasses or contacts:
Weight:
--- Desired weight:
--- Has this always been this way?:
Height:
Body build:
Skin tone:
Shape of face:
Distinguishing marks:
--- How the character acquired them:
Scars:
--- How the character acquired them:
Hair color:
Hair type:
Hair style:
Desired appearance:
--- Why?
Is s/he healthy?:
--- If not, why:
------- Length of time character has had this problem:
------- Measures (if any) that character takes to improve health:
--- Character's opinion on his/her own health:
------- Has the character's opinion changed over time?:
----------- Why or why not?:
--- How character's health/lack of health affects his/her life:
------- Has it always been this way?:
--- Other characters' feelings about character's health
------- Has it always been this way?:
--- Medications/drugs:
------- Character acquires these by (prescribed, over-the-counter, illicit, etc):

Favorites
Favorite color:
LF color:
Favorite music:
LF music:
Favorite food:
Favorite literature:
Expressions:
--- Origin of expressions:
Expletives:
Mode of transportation:
Daredevil or cautious?:
--- Why?

Habits:
Smokes or drinks?:
--- How much?
------- Why?
Hobbies:
--- Why?
--- How character became interested in these hobbies:

Background:
Hometown:
--- Quality of life in hometown:
--- Social/political issues in hometown at the time:
Type of childhood:
--- Access to technology:
--- Access to medical care:
--- Access to education:
--- Relationship with parents:
--- Favorite activities:
--- Interests:
--- Social situation:
--- Childhood friends:
--- Childhood crushes:
--- School (grade school):
------- What was this school like?:
------- Social status of character:
--- Did character face discrimination?:
------- Why or why not?:
------- If so, how did character react to this?:
--- Did the character move at any time?:
------- If so, why?
------- Character's feelings on this at the time:
------- Character's feelings on this now:
--- What character wanted to be when s/he grew up:
------- Why?:
First memory:
--- Does anyone know?:
------- If not, why not?:
--- Impact of memory on character's actions/feelings:
Most important childhood event:
--- Does anyone know?:
------- If not, why not?:
--- Impact of event on character's actions/feelings:
Level of education:
Religion as a child:
--- Why?
Religion now:
--- Why?
--- If there was a change, why?
------- How do other characters feel about this?
Childhood socioeconomic status:
--- How did this impact character's life:
------- Why?
Socioeconomic status now:
--- How does this impact character's life:
------- Why?
--- If there was a change, why?
--- Character's desired class:
--- What character is doing to change class (if anything):

Family
Mother:
--- Character's current relationship with mother:
------- Why?:
--- Mother's personality traits:
------- How did/does this impact character?
Father:
--- Character's current relationship with father:
------- Why?:
--- Father's personality traits:
------- How did/does this impact character?
Siblings:
--- Character's current relationship with siblings:
------- Why?:
--- Siblings' personality traits:
------- Impact on character:
Extended family:
--- Character's current relationship with extended family:
------- Why?:

Attitude:
Most at ease when:
--- Why?:
--- Has this always been the case?:
------- If not, what caused the change?:
Ill at ease when:
--- Why?:
--- Has this always been the case?:
------- If not, what caused the change?:
--- Affect on character's life/actions:
Priorities:
--- Why?:
Philosophy:
Opinions:
--- Current politics:
--- Drugs:
--- Smoking and drinking:
--- Economics:
--- The environment:
--- Society:
--- Personal health:
--- Social status:
--- Gender:
--- Race:
--- Manners:
--- Child care:
--- Violence:
--- Entertainment:
--- Education:
--- Science:
--- Poverty:
--- Philosophy:
How s/he feels about self:
--- Impact on actions:
Past failure s/he is embarrassed about:
--- Why?:
--- Impact on actions:
If granted one wish:
--- Why?
--- Has this always been the case?:

Personality:
Greatest strength in personality:
--- Impact on life:
Greatest weakness in personality:
--- Impact on life:
Soft spot:
--- Why?
--- Obvious?
------- Why or why not:
Biggest vulnerability:
--- Why?
--- Impact on life/actions:
--- Obvious?

Traits:
Optimist or pessimist:
--- Why?:
--- Impact on life:
Introvert or extrovert:
--- Why?:
--- Impact on life:
Drives and motivations:
--- Contributing factors to these motivations:
Talents:
--- Why?:
--- How these talents help character:
Extremely skilled at:
--- Wants to be skilled at:
------- How will character achieve this?:
Extremely unskilled at:
--- Feelings about this:
--- How would character change this?:
Good characteristics:
--- Characteristics character desires:
------- How will character achieve this?:
Bad characteristics/character flaws:
--- Feelings about this:
--- How would character change this?:
Mannerisms:
--- Where did character get them from?
Peculiarities:
--- Where did character get them from?
--- Character's feeling on this:
Biggest regret:
--- Impact on life/actions:
Minor regrets:
--- Impact:
Biggest accomplishment:
--- Feelings on this:
Minor accomplishments:
--- Feelings on these:
Darkest secret:
--- Anyone know:
--- Did character tell them:

Self-perception:
How s/he would describe self:
Considers best physical characteristic:
--- Realistic?:
Considers worst physical characteristic:
--- Realistic?:
Thinks others perceive him/her:
Four things character would like to change about self and why:
--- 1
--- 2
--- 3
--- 4
--- If number one was changed, would character be happy?

Interrelation with others:
Relates to others:
--- Strangers:
--- Friends:
--- Wife/husband/lover:
--- Hero/heroine:
--- Views hero/heroine:
Readers' first impression of character:
--- Why:
--- How does this impact the story?:
--- What changes this perception:
What do family/friends like most about this character:
--- Why?
--- Impact on how they treat him/her:
What do they like least:
--- Why?
--- Impact on how they treat him/her:

Goals:
Immediate goals:
Long-range goals:
How s/he plans to accomplish these goals:
With other characters be affected:
Current problems/crises:
--- What caused these?
--- How does character plan to address these problems?:
Reacts in a crisis:
--- Why?
Faces problems:
--- Why?
Problems s/he usually runs into:
Reacts to new problems:
--- Factors that contribute to this:
Reacts to change:
--- Factors that contribute to this:

General:
Occupation:
--- Does character like the job?
--- Income:
--- Relationship with boss:
--- Dream job:
------- Why?:
Favorite clothing:
LF clothing:
Jewelry/other accessories:
Lives:
--- Political issues of area:
--- Quality of life of area:
--- Impact on character's life/actions:
--- Living arrangements:
--- Neighbors:
--- Access to medical care:
--- Access to education:
--- Access to technology:
Wants to live:
--- Why?
Spending habits:
--- Where did character get these from?
Does too much of:
--- Why?:
--- Impact:
Does too little of:
--- Why?:
--- Impact:
Most prized possession:
--- Why?
--- Where did character get it from?
Person most influenced by:
--- Why?
--- Relationship with person:
Most important person in life (before story starts)
--- Impact:
Sexual orientation:
--- Impact on:
------- Life:
------- Friendships:
------- Family:

___________________________________
This is a shortened version of the above that I cut down for the development of secondary characters.

Character's name:
Age:
Weight:
Height:
Body build:
Skin tone:
Scars:
Hair color/type/style:
Is s/he healthy?:
--- If not, why:
--- How character's health/lack of health affects his/her life:
Daredevil or cautious?:
--- Why?
Habits/hobbies:
Hometown:
--- Quality of life in hometown:
--- Social/political issues in hometown at the time:
--- Did character face discrimination?:
--- What character wanted to be when s/he grew up:
Most important childhood event:
--- Impact of event on character's actions/feelings:
Level of education:
Childhood socioeconomic status:
--- How did this impact character's life:
Socioeconomic status now:
Most at ease when:
Ill at ease when:
Priorities:
How s/he feels about self:
Past failure s/he is embarrassed about:
If granted one wish:
Greatest strength in personality:
Greatest weakness in personality:
Optimist or pessimist:
Introvert or extrovert:
Drives and motivations:
Talents:
Extremely unskilled at:
Good characteristics:
Bad characteristics/character flaws:
How s/he would describe self:
One thing character would like to change about self and why:
Goals:
Reacts in a crisis:
Faces problems:
Problems s/he usually runs into:
Occupation::
Lives:
--- Political issues of area:
--- Quality of life of area:
--- Living arrangements:
Spending habits:
Does too much of:
Does too little of:
Person most influenced by: