How to Write Well Badly

Thanks to all those who offered their best wishes on my citizenship application! Fingers crossed. I'll hold a 'I'm British!' blog party when (if!) the application gets approved.

If you're a writer, chances are you've fallen into one of the many traps satirised on Joel Stickley's comical website How to Write Well Badly. It's part of my daily read and often makes me aware of things I'm on the verge of doing (although hopefully not to the extent he goes to!).

Today he posted a doozy: 'Write with a Half-Eye on the Market'. Here's an excerpt:

The Darknight Academy for witches, wizards, troubled vampires and tragically abused children was just waking up when the screaming started. Secret Agent Sam Glowingly sprang athletically from his bed and immediately reached for his pistol. He had been undercover for three weeks now and this was the first sign of trouble, unless you counted the theft of the Holy Grail the previous week, which he didn’t.

‘McSleet. Wake up,’ he hissed. His grizzled, cynical, alcoholic yet oddly sympathetic Scottish colleague mumbled an unintelligible curse at him and went back to sleep. Fine, thought Glowingly. He would just have to tackle this one alone, with only his gun and his mysterious otherworldly powers to help him.

Click here for the rest.

Thank you, Joel, for a daily laugh!