The Write Blog

Having to choose between that and which is one of those tricky little grammar rules that trips me up constantly as I write.
So after looking this up one last time, here are the definitive usage guidelines:
1. That
That is used solely in restrictive clauses, meaning it introduces specific, essential information in a sentence. As [...]

I can remember back to a creative writing class I took in college. It was the first round-table discussion writing class I ever took, and had I known ahead of time that each one of my classmates would read and critique my work each time an assignment was due, I probably would have never [...]

As I missed my international flight home to Houston from Trinidad today, I was suddenly struck with an inspiration. Writers can find their muse anywhere at any time. Now, you may be wondering why being stuck at a foreign airport alone with absolutely no money and no lay of the land could inspire [...]

The thing about the English language is that when it can, it defies most of the rules. The “rules” are so loose that they’re more like guidelines or suggestions – and a lot of people out there want to give you their interpretation of the language. There’s the Associated Press Stylebook, New York [...]

This week we have some advice passed on to me from best-selling author Karleen Koen.  Your assignment:  Write something, anything, every morning.  No need for prompts like those we gave you in a recent post.  No, this exercise is completely freestyle. 
Keep Your Mind and Fingers Nimble Every Day
As a writer, even if you aren’t [...]