Dear Reader,
Don't be shy about entering this year's Write a DearReader Contest. You don't have to be a writer to tell your story. And not to worry, incorrect punctuation and grammar won't count against you.
Two of my favorite, I'll never forget emails from readers:
People frequently comment that coming up with an idea and writing a column every day must be a tough job. Actually the hard part about my job, as readers have been pointing out, is getting a good grasp on my grammar.
"Dear Suzanne, may I call your attention to the difference between 'to lay' and 'to lie?' You wrote '...but then I don't have candy laying around the house.' Lay requires a direct object, e.g. 'Anne lays the candy on the table'. Lie cannot take a direct object e.g. 'When Anne saw the candy lying on the table, she ate it.' Believe me I am not singling you out. My local paper is used to hearing from me and I've let some authors know of errors (grammatical, spelling, whatever) in their books in case they are to be reprinted." Grandma Joan, Grammar Cop of La Crosse, Wisconsin.
"Suzanne, you wrote, '...but then I don't have candy laying around the house.' Shouldn't that be '...I don't have candy laying around the house.'? -- Anna C.
Yes, Joan and Anna, I'm fairly proficient in the use of the English language, I do own a dictionary and I have an editor. But I confess, I just can't seem to get it right when it comes to using the words laying and lying. I've used those words incorrectly in three different "Dear Reader" columns so far, and I think if I go down for a fourth mistake, I'm just going to give in and accept it as part of my trademark.
It's now the office joke, "Suzanne, are you laying or lying around today?" And I simply tell those smarty pants, "neither, I'm lounging!"
There's less than a week left to enter this year's Write a DearReader Contest. You don't need to be a writer to enter. The contest is for writing fun. You have less than a week left to enter. For last year's winning entries and information about the rules and deadline, click here.
Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.
Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
* This month's Penguin Classics book is THE PENGUIN BOOK OF ITALIAN SHORT STORIES, introduced, edited and with selected translations by Jhumpa Lahiri. I have a copy to share, start reading and enter today
Comments