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The official opening of the 2008 Word-wise Short Writing Contest is just a couple weeks away!

If you missed the announcement last month, here's the gist of it: the winning writings of up to three previously unpublished authors will be featured in separate 2008 issues of Word-wise. Submissions will be accepted beginning January 1, and the contest does not close until three winners are identified or the year ends. See complete contest details and rules.

Best wishes to all, both those who enter and those who come back to savor the results. I hope you'll consider doing both!

Happy writing!

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2008 Short Writing Contest!

Word-wise Challenge

In the Twentieth Century, I was, and continue to be, a poet who was popular with the masses. Two of my famous compositions focus on flexible trees and broken-down walls. More than just "who I am," my last name is also a word for something that often appears overnight this time of year.

Who am I?

Language Corner

The Road between a and an

Our starting point is here: if a word begins with a consonant, it takes the article a. If it begins with a vowel, it instead takes an.

Ex:
--a baseball; a dinner plate; a French chateau
--an acrobat; an overcoat; an ice-cold beer

Hang on, now; we're approaching a curve. Sometimes, pronunciation rather than spelling determines which article to use. If a word that begins with a vowel sounds like it begins with a consonant, it will require a regardless its spelling.

Ex:
a Utopian ideal; a usability study; a U-turn

Likewise, if the word, when said aloud, sounds like it starts with a vowel, it takes an even if its spelling begins with a consonant.

Ex:
an homage; an hour's wait; an honorary degree

The road seems to be straightening again, but don't let those last examples fool you into thinking that a silent letter at the beginning of a word always reverses the article used. In many cases, a silent first letter is a consonant but is followed by a pronounced consonant, resulting in using a just as in the simple rule.

Ex:
a psychological study; a gnu; a knife

There's a detour ahead. Some words, notably those that start with h, may have an initial silent letter depending on the region or dialect of the English speaker using them. For instance, a British speaker will often pronounce the h in herb, resulting in "a herb dressing." An American speaker looking at the same condiment likely will regard the h as silent and instead declare it "an herb dressing." In these cases, let the context of the writing rule. It would not be appropriate to "correct" the articles traditionally used in another dialect just because they are not the ones used in our own.

Ex: Either article can be correct.
--a historic document OR an historic document
--a humble attitude OR an humble attitude

Now tighten your seatbelt for a hairpin turn. When letter combinations are used as pseudo-words, the pronunciation rule rather than spelling rule dominates. Combinations that are pronounced just as though they are ordinary words (acronyms) follow the basic rule of consonant=a or vowel=an. However, combinations that are orally spelled out rather than pronounced as words (initialisms) take the article that fits the pronunciation of the name of the letter they begin with. This is not to be confused with the sound that letter makes, but the name of the letter itself. Initialisms are the trickier combinations, regularly confusing even native English speakers.

Ex: acronyms
--a UNICEF fund drive (UNICEF is pronounced "yooniseff" thus taking the y-consonant article, a.)
--a SEAL training exercise (SEAL is pronounced "seel" thus taking the s article, a.)
--a NATO goal (NATO is pronounced "naytoe" thus taking the n article, a.)

Ex: initialisms
--a CIA operative (CIA is spelled aloud, and C sounds like "see" thus taking the s article, a.)
--an EPA study (EPA is spelled aloud, and E sounds like "ee" thus taking the e article, an.)
--an FBI investigation (FBI is spelled aloud, and F sounds like "eff" thus taking the short-e or schwa article, an.)
--an SOS signal (SOS is spelled aloud, and S sounds like "ess" thus taking the short-e or schwa article, an.)

This rough ride makes it clear: the question of a versus an really isn't simple at all.

Usage Tip

Claus vs. clause

Claus = n. (var. Klaus) the German or Danish form of the masculine name Nicholas

clause = n. a grammatical structure containing a subject and a verb; one specific subset of a writing or discourse, especially a legal document

Sometimes these homonyms are interchanged for a bit of wry humor. A great example is the movie series The Santa Clause. In this case, while clause sounds like the name of Jolly Old Saint Nick, it actually refers to the binding agreement Tim Allen's character unwittingly enters. This clever title is a notable exception, though. Most often the use of clause for Claus is merely an innocent mistake. All those ads that promote sales that let a person "play Santa Clause" are simply in need of an editor's eye.

One way to remember which is which is to consider the complexity of the concepts behind the words. The idea of a merry, generous foreign visitor is delightful yet easy to comprehend--as is the silent-e-less spelling Claus. Grammar and legal language, on the other hand, sometimes can be quite convoluted and difficult. Perhaps the additional e at the end of clause can be thought to signify additional detail or brainwork.

Focus

7 Reasons Why Publishers Reject Proposals

A list straight from the horse's mouth compiled from publishers and acquisitions editors to explain why some book proposals and manuscripts are simply not acceptable.

1. Proposal is weak - The proposal doesn't make a strong case for why this topic and this author is likely to make a profitable book.
2. Nothing new - The approach to this topic doesn't differentiate itself enough to rise above the other books already available.
3. Author/audience connection not made - Author's platform is not developed enough to show the author would be a viable salesperson - the database is too small or there is no direct reach such as a speaking schedule or a well-read blog or newsletter.
4. Writing not polished or compelling - The sample chapters weren't ready for prime time - extensive use of passive voice, excessive use of exclamation points or all caps, no statistics, stories or examples.
5. Not right for the publisher - Either this is not a market the publisher is currently in or the editor/publisher isn't convinced that he or she wants to jump into this market with this book.
6. Author wrote a journal - The book was written for and about the author, not an identified audience. Personal life stories, in general, are not commercially viable unless you are a famous person or have done or lived through something extraordinary or of significance (made it to the top of Mt. Everest, survived a shipwreck, not just making it through a rough childhood).
7. Unsolicited manuscript - There is no personal connection between the editor/publisher and the author that would make the editor give the proposal more than a quick once over.

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Unless otherwise noted, all Word-wise articles are written by AnnaLisa Michalski. Admin Maven does not provide permissions for reprinting articles by guest writers. Please contact guest writers directly for permissions.