Friday, January 29, 2016

Tidbits from JOURNEY TO PUBLICATION: Syntax

   A sentence is a group of words arranged in a certain order which, when tied together, conveys an idea, a description, or an event. Syntax is the structure of a sentence. Easy, right? Maybe not.
   Every sentence has to have a subject (noun) and a predicate (verb)--we all know that. But do you know the differences between simple, complete, compound, and complete-compound subjects and predicates? How about dependent and independent clauses? Or direct and indirect objects? Modifiers and appositives? Are you familiar with the typical word order in a sentence? Can you differentiate between the basic sentence structures: simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences? Can you identify the four types of sentences--declarative, imperative, interrogatory, and exclamatory? Do you know what sentence fragments are? And how about those pesky run-on sentences?
   Did you ever consider how much there is to know about writing just one sentence? Probably not. HOWEVER, if you want to impress your readers, you should be aware of the multitude of opportunities presented to you through the use of syntax. As ridiculous as it sounds, syntax is something you should consider practicing. Take the following example: The boy rode his bike. The boy rode fast. The boy hit a bump. The boy fell off his bike. The boy scraped his elbow. The boy also scraped his knee. The boy's knee and elbow hurt. The boy cried. These sentences serve the purpose of expressing an event. So what's wrong with them? They are really b-o-r-i-n-g. Syntax is what allows us, as authors, to make something as simple as getting scraped up in a bike accident more than merely a recitation of facts. 
   If it has been a while since you thought about syntax (sentence structure), it might be a good exercise for you to rewrite the sentences in the example in several ways so you can practice using different methods of saying the same thing in several ways. We all fall into the trap of not using syntax as well as we could; we end up writing things the same way time after time. "But that's my style," you say. Guess what......your style is not dictated by your lack of originality in writing things more interestingly for your readers. You know the old saw: If you don't use it you lose it. The only way to keep that from happening is to practice what you think you already know. You might be surprised at how much your writing will improve if you change things up a bit. 

Visit www.JourneyToPublication.com to learn about becoming a published author. 

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Spark Your Creativity!

Every Wednesday we offer you a special photo taken by our CEO Janet Beasley to help spark your creativity. Whether you're an author, a painter, a musician, or clay sculpture artist we think you'll find her photos very inspiring!


Evening's Grace

Happy creating!

Monday, January 25, 2016

What a Fantastic Show!

We had such a great time at the Steampunk Industrial Show this weekend. Oswald the automaton made lots of new friends, Sir Bwana Beasle had the opportunity to meet n' greet tons of established AND new fans of BeaslePunk's artwork.

We want to thank Renninger's for hosting such a splendid event, and are already looking forward to the next one! And we want to thank our wonderful fans for taking the time to stop by and join the fun at the BeaslePunk Armory.

Our authors' books were well received, and Codger Works Jewelry along with Fantasy Faces made a delightful splash of a display.

Photos from the event will be up on Beaslepunk.com in the future.

Our next show is coming up April 9, 2016. Leesburg ComiCon will be underway. Look for JLB Creatives Publishing and BeaslePunk on the ground floor of the Leesburg Public Library located in Leesburg, Florida.

Until next time...stay casual, live life to the fullest, and have a piece of chocolate for us! 

JLB Creatives

JLB Creatives Blog Hosts

JLB Creatives Blog Hosts
JLB Creatives Editor Dar Bagby (L) and JLB Creatives CEO Janet Beasley (R)