Tom – Page 121

It doesn’t matter what you write; whether it be non-fiction, fiction, articles, reviews or simply readers’ letters occasionally – you will at some stage find yourself using numbers. Yes, we’re all very good at words … a few letters added together. How rapidly can you remember when a number should be spelt out as a word, or written as a figure? Is it two, or 2, forty, or 40?

Like many areas of writing, I rely on my military background for a description. Yes, it’s that old faithful; it’s a bloody minefield.

Before looking at the detail, let’s look at the circumstances. If you are writing for a magazine, newspaper, or any established publication, you have it sorted for you. Every publication has a ‘house style’ or ‘submission guidelines’ which will keep you in line. This is equally true of feature/article writing or non-fiction. Imagine you’re about to write a piece for ‘Young Scientist and Inventor’, or some similarly titled magazine – it will have its own rules.

Rather than make this post look like an algebra lesson, yes, that mathematics discipline that involves letters and numbers – I’m going to give an intro here, and a link to ‘Creative Writer and Artist’ which is one of my two websites. I have a comprehensive guide to using numbers within creative writing on that particular site.

* If the number is between one and ten, it should be spelt out. Anything from 11 upwards should be shown as figures. There are of course some exceptions.

* A sentence is best not started with a number, because it must be spelt out, so the easiest thing to do is avoid it; by restructuring the sentence. Enough said there.

* If the two different ‘categories’ of numbers are to appear in the same sentence, then a fair guide is to show both as spelt out – not one spelt out, and the other shown as a figure.

Now, be honest; how many of those three points were you confident about? Obviously, there are exceptions, as there are with any rules or guidelines. Think about such things as; dates, times, distances, temperatures, measurements … getting the point?

At this point I’d like to express my thanks to Lorraine Mace and Maureen Vincent-Northam for covering this topic so well in their joint venture; ‘THE WRITER’S abc CHECKLIST’. I’ve learned about writing numbers from various sources, but the aforementioned book is my bible on the matter. If you haven’t got a copy – get one! It’s available from various sources, including; Amazon and Accent Press.

Unless you’re one of those clever-clogs writers that already has this area sorted in your mind, please feel free to use the link below and see a more detailed explanation, and as always; thank you for reading my blog.

http://www.tom-benson.co.uk/writing and numbers

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A rugged land to cross on foot ... and remain out of sight — A rugged land to cross on foot … and remain out of sight

Having recently read ‘Treasure Island’ again, I was already enjoying the wonderful language and style of Robert Louis Stevenson as I started into the story. It was like stepping into an old pair of training shoes. Within a few sentences, I was comfortable.

‘Kidnapped’, is set in18th century Scotland, in the period following the Jacobite Risings. It is a tale of deceit, courage, loyalty, hardship, friendship, patriotism, and terrorism. Although the story gets underway with a kidnapping, at its core, this is a tale of human relationships, and how they can be affected by a variety of outside influences.

David Balfour, is a young man from a poor background. He finds himself alone in the world, following the death of his father; his mother previously having passed away. David takes to the road, to visit his Uncle Ebenezer, who will perchance help the teenager to make a life. The King of England’s forces have all but taken over in Scotland, and David’s family are loyal to their new masters.

Within days of leaving the parental home, David finds himself under no illusions at to where his future lies; but it is not as he had imagined. He watches his hopes and ambitions disappear, as he sales from Scotland’s east coast with a crew of misfits; not least of which is the ship’s Captain.

Fate deals several blows to David Balfour, and in each he finds options, but he must be sure to steer his own course. Survival becomes his watchword. On the seagoing voyage, due to a mishap, David is introduced to Allan Breck Stewart, a Scottish freedom fighter, fiercely opposed to the English invasion.

David Balfour finds himself without passage on a ship, with only a wanted criminal as an ally. He must decide if he should choose to accept that situation. Between him and his original start point is a country divided; between loyal clans, and patrolling English soldiers. After all that has happened in a short time, David must decide if he should he try to get back home.

It’s no small wonder that this story has been made into movies and TV series. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good yarn, with many a twist and turn.