The Art of Writing

By Edward J Murray

Knowing how to write clear prose will help both the student and the adult who wants to try his hand to perform at a higher level. Its been proven time and time again. One of the advantages of The Art Writing presented here is its brevity of presentation. The author knows how to say an awful lot with a few words. Its a skill that most writers of instruction simply do not have. Despite the concise nature of the book, it covers all the relevant topics for anyone who wants to sharpen his facility and confidence with the written word. Some of the more general topics include: the diversity of sentence structure, lots of tips on the possessives, the slashes, and the italics. Diction, the colloquial, and language in general are emphasized. The language of art is given special treatment, along with plot, drama, idiom, and metaphor. The mainstream novel is given special treatment, along with the 12 literary movements of the 20th century. And last but not least some keyboard tips for the novice.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Sep 2, 2015
• ISBN: 9781503594807

Edward J Murray

The author is a native of the Philadelphia area, born in the shadow of the city’s majestic Art Museum and Boathouse Row. He is now living in the shadow of that heroic encampment, Valley Forge. He has been writing all his adult life, including four novels published in the last ten years. Having published four novels in the last ten years bespeaks of the author’s commanding set of credentials. This is his first non-fiction work. The spread of the author’s interest is vast, ranging from ancient thought to modern astronomy. Lighter but, he thinks, healthier avocations include swimming, golf, hometown football, and dropping a fly in a trout stream.

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Copyright © 2015 by Edward J Murray.

Library of Congress Control Number:   2015914275

ISBN:      Hardcover      978-1-5035-9482-1

                Softcover        978-1-5035-9481-4

                eBook            978-1-5035-9480-7

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

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Rev. date: 08/31/2015

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CONTENTS

1. The House of Sentences

2. The Word’s Toolshed

3. Picking Up a Few Nails

4. The House of Language

5. Two Easy Pieces

6. The House of Words

7. The Language of Art

8. Plot and Drama

9. More on Idiom and Metaphor

10. The Poem

11. The Novel

12. Twelve Literary Movements in the 2⁰th Century

13. Computer Tips

14. A Final Word

For

Marc and David

and

Cara and Sean

Acknowledgment

T HE AUTHOR WOULD like to acknowledge the editorial service provided to this book by Cara Murray. It was a service that contributed significantly to the final draft.

1

The House of Sentences

T HERE ARE 42 general members to the house. By that, it means that 42 of them differ slightly because of slightly different punctuation strategies. Let’s take a look at some examples. The explanation for the strategy is in parentheses that follow the example.

1. To understand the dispute, you must know who is involved.

From the top of the mountain, I could see a few boats far out.

In the spring of the year, we vacationed in Paris.

(A comma follows an introductory modifier that precedes the complete sentence in a simple sentence.)

2. After the game I cheered.

Before the snow it rained.

After the rite I wept.

(When the introductory modifier and sentence are both short, the comma is left out.)

3. Alas, the worst outcome happened to be the right one.

Ah, you finally got it done.

My god! What can we expect next?

(One or two adverbial modifiers that start a sentence are typically separated by some form of punctuation.

4. To Mary, Jane is a special person.

(A comma is used in situations where clarity is served and confusion is avoided.)

5. In the middle of the road lay an unkempt median strip.

After the snow came an awful downpour.

Attending to your obligations first is always the right thing to do.

Being older than forty can’t be a crime.

(When the verb is immediately preceded by a modifier, no comma is used. The modifier is not really a modifier. It is a phrase or clause functioning as the subject of the sentence.)

6. He looked in the mailbox shortly before breakfast.

She will discover by visiting her parents.

She will go tomorrow before the sun rises.

The delivery truck arrived before I got out of bed.

(Because some modifiers are needed to complete the object, no commas are used.)

7. He arrived on time, having dressed early.

I finished my work before seven, working as fast as I could.

You should know better, being older than forty.

Many are opposed to the war, including top government officials.

(Some ending modifiers are not needed to complete the object. Because they are not needed in number 7 examples, the comma is used.)

8. He left to see the nurse, his head pounding with migraine.

He dialed her number, his heart racing to beat the band.

I was disappointed, my performance dropping below par.

(Because these so-called absolute phrases are always nonessential to the complete subject-predicate-object form, a comma is used.)

9. Many pursue a good cause, often without help.

He was disappointed with the outcome, angrily so.

It was a beautiful Christmas tree, appropriately decorated.

(Many such adverbial modifiers as in number 9 examples are nonessential and are preceded by a comma.)

10. She was in a good mood, happy with the outcome.

He was in a bad mood, disappointed with the result.

It was a wonderful party, delightfully so.

(Many such adverbial modifiers are nonessential and are preceded by a comma.)

11. The air strikes were stopped in April, [they were] restrained by bad weather.

He wandered through the streets, [while he was] struggling with himself.

I remember our first car, [it had] sagging bumpers and worn tires.

(These examples in 11 can be seen as the merging of two simple sentences into one or the merging of two clauses into a compound sentence. Because the second clause is truncated, a comma is used.)

12. You are going, are you not?

It’s been a cold winter, hasn’t it?

He’s a strong leader, don’t you agree?

(A comma is always used to set off tag questions.)

13. The weather, fluctuating unpredictably, caused us to cancel the trip.

My car, which needs repairs, will