Rob Parnell's Writing Academy Blog

Yowzah! Watched Me and Orson Welles last night - brilliant movie if you haven't see it - and they used this Yowzah word in it (the film is set in 1937): I didn't realize the word had such old roots! Anyway, talking of literary trivia, I see there's a kerfuffle brewing over the "Oxford Comma". You may be wondering what all the fuss is about... It's that little comma that goes before the 'and' in a list, as in: The protagonist was cold, wet, and tired. Purists like the Chicago Manual of Style, Strunk and White and even The Oxford University have argued that it's not strictly necessary - except where the sense demands it. Oxford Uni has apparently changed its mind and advises students to use its eponymous comma liberally (at least in their internal correspondence.) This - believe it or not - has caused a bit of a storm, at least in Twitterdom. My experience has taught me that Americans favor i...

The joy of being a writer is that you can spend a lot of time at home, safe in your own little world, trying to create something meaningful and communicate through the best way possible, that is: through words on a page. Many writers choose this career because either a) they're shy or b) they prefer their own company anyway or c) the world seems a crazy mixed up place that doesn't need much of their involvement. I've spent time in the past with large groups of people who deperately need each other's company - and often - to even begin to function. I've known unfortunate souls that cry unceasingly when they have no friends to call on, or live in torment until they can chat with another. It's called being gregarious, apparently. Thankfully, like most writers, I'm not so afflicted. I've always liked my own company - even when I craved fame in my twenties. I used to forsake the local bars in preference to my guitar or my notebook. Many creative people are li...