This was written a year or so ago when I was taking a Myths & Legends class.

(Some days) I am Icarus
with the taste of salt
(and sun) on my
Golden Skin
Warm and Lovingly
as breezes brush my hair
(The ocean is so far
Below and sparkles)
I glow with pleasures
Some days I am Icarus
and (like myself)
I fall

Dates You don’t need to put in the day of the week and the date. Choose one or the other. I usually would put in the day of the week if it’s in the next three days, otherwise put the month. If you’re writing for the web, just stick with the date. Also, you don’t need to spell out the month unless it’s standing alone.

His birthday is Sept. 22.

His birthday is in September.

it’s/its This one’s an easy mistake to make. Just remember, you don’t need an apostrophe unless you’re contracting “it is”

It’s a shame we don’t know its name

Less/Fewer If you can count the thing, use fewer. If you can’t, use less.

I have less flour than you.

I have fewer flowers than you.

That Try not to use it. You can tighten up your writing a lot by just deleting it whenever possible.

Web site This is how you refer to a link on the Internet. Also, capitalize Internet.

Years You don’t need an apostrophe when referring to an era.

Yeah, it’s like she’s still in the 1960s

States This is one you need to check EVERY time you’re not sure. AP state abbreviations are not the same as the Post Office’s, so double check to make sure you’ve got it right.

Times Use a.m. and p.m. after numbers except for noon and midnight. You don’t need to write out the minutes if the time is on the hour.

They played our song at midnight.

They played our song at 12:10 a.m.

They played our song at 1 a.m.

Quotes Whenever you quote someone, you always format it “________ said.” Never use “said ___________,” “___________ stuttered,” “_________ rapped,” etc. Also, for the most part, punctuation goes within the quote marks. The exception is the question mark, but only when the article is asking the question and not the speaker. In that case, it’s usually better to reword it anyway.

“My Chemical Romance is not emo,” frontman Gerard Way said.

Did David really say “You are the most depressing person I’ve ever met”?

I know I’ve missed lots, but these are the ones that I remember seeing a lot. If you can think of more, comment, and I’ll see if I can eventually do another blog on this. Please forgive any mistakes I’ve made. I seem to only find motivation to blog when I’m dead tired and should be sleeping instead.

I guess that’s why I was so excited when I got my Moleskine notebook. I would rather write my ideas down on a piece of paper than any computer program, however shiny. I may be able to type faster than I can write, but with computers come the inevitable distractions of email, instant messaging and blogs to name a few. I like just sitting down with my notebook and feeling like writing is the only thing in the world.

I made myself a hipster PDA a few weeks ago, and I’m happy with it, especially because now I don’t feel the need to go out and get a PDA. Not that I did, but I am always enamored with gadgetry that I’ll never be able to afford, and it was nice to realize I’d be able to get everything I want from a PDA, really, with just a few index cards.

Along the same lines, I am really considering getting one of the Moleskine City Notebooks, as an alternate to getting something with GPS. I am still weirded out by the concept of my world being so small that people can pinpoint my location by what I have in my hand or dashboard. But I’m also horrible at directions, and I think that this might be the perfect option. Has anyone tried one of these? Are they really as helpful as advertised?