Category: Structure
Finding and Contacting a Qualified Attorney in Your Area
| March 5, 2012 | Posted by JerriCook under Know Your Audience, Structure |
For most people who are considering filing a legal claim, the process resembles a convoluted labyrinth. If you find yourself holding the short end of the stick and thinking about bringing an action in court, I’d like to applaud you for exercising your constitutional rights in the legal system. As you’re no-doubt learning, finding a qualified attorney who will listen to you is the first, and biggest, obstacle in your path. Many people just give up after a few attorneys decline to take their case. This is where I can help you. (more…)
Why Bad Legal Writing Makes Me Happy
| February 10, 2012 | Posted by JerriCook under Bad Lawyers, Equal Protection, Fourteenth Amendment, Law School, Legal Issues, Raw Milk, Structure |
The Germans have a name for what I felt when I first laid eyes on THE DECISION AND ORDER ON ZINNIKER PLAINTIFF’S CLARIFICATION MOTION. Schadenfreude. It means taking pleasure in another’s misfortunes. In my case, I’m not taking pleasure in Judge Fielder’s denial of the Plaintiff’s motion. But after reading just how poorly the pleadings were written and the issues were argued, I figure if the attorney who wrote them managed to pass law school and a bar exam, there’s no way I can fail. (more…)
Writing Measurements: How Do You Measure Up?
| January 11, 2011 | Posted by JerriCook under Becoming a writer, Punctuation, Structure |
Would you describe your slice using numbers or numerals?
The Punctuation Buffet: Comma, Colon, or Em Dash?
| January 2, 2011 | Posted by JerriCook under Punctuation, Structure, Uncategorized |
Don't pile it on too high at the punctuation buffet.
Writers have an array of punctuation choices, just like a patron at buffet. It all looks so good, but too much mixing and matching or piling it on too high has gastronimical consequences. We want to give our readers a smooth treat, properly seasoned and delivered. That’s where punctuation and style meet—at the punctuation buffet, and like any other buffet, some things are just standard. The punctuation buffet always has commas, colons, and em dashes. The trick is to pick the right helping for your style, which is the plate you offer to your reader.
Commas have been described as speed bumps, but I prefer to think of them as fork-sized bites. Use a comma when you are adding just a taste of something complementary to the fork, like you would if you were eating a salad. Pick up a piece of lettuce, a bite of tomato, and dip the whole thing lightly into the dressing. Commas tie things together that belong together. (more…)
The Curse Of The Adverb
| December 12, 2010 | Posted by JerriCook under Structure, The Writing Process |
Here’s the painful truth: most adverbs are useless. That’s right—useless. Think about it a second. What is an adverb’s function in a sentence? It modifies the verb. However, if you have to use an adverb to explain the verb, you’ve chosen a weak verb, and worse yet, you have failed to show your audience what you’re trying to convey. Remember the old writer’s adage, “Don’t tell me. Show me.” This is the essence of adverbs. They tell, not show. Continue Reading
Getting To The Point: An Example Of Ineffective Writing
| December 11, 2010 | Posted by JerriCook under Becoming a writer, Know Your Audience, Structure, The Writing Process |
When someone tells me that they can’t write, I cringe. Of course you can write. Barring illiteracy, anyone can write. What people really mean to say is that they don’t believe they write well enough to get published. To this, my answer is simple: just because someone is published, it doesn’t mean they can write. I’m not the only writer to make this observation: Continue Reading
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