Adjectives...

On one of my Dunnett lists today, Olive quoted Wordsmith quoting Strunk & White quoting Mark Twain:

William Strunk and E.B. White, in their highly-regarded book, The Elements
of Style, say:

"Write with nouns and verbs, not with adjectives and adverbs. The adjective hasn't been built that can pull a weak or inaccurate noun out of a tight place."

They have a point. Nouns and verbs work better especially when you're trying to paint a picture with words. Adjectives and adverbs are to nouns and verbs as painting is to stenciling.

But adjectives have their place. There are times when a well-chosen adjective (literally, one that lies [next to a noun]) can do the job of many words, such as when the purpose is to convey an idea quickly and succinctly.

So don't be afraid to use them, with restraint, particularly if you can find a fresh adjective. This week we'll feature five of these much-maligned words, words that drove Mark Twain to verbicide* ("When you catch an adjective, kill it").

I find this reassuring.

FIC Torchwood (drabble) - Sainthood

Title: Sainthood
Fandom: Torchwood
Characters: Jack
Challenge: tw100, All Hallows
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Not mine, no claims, all property of the BBC.
Notes: No spoilers. Cross-posted to my LJ, and tw100.

( Sainthood )

TORCHWOOD/DOCTOR WHO: Couple meme...

I was reading the LJ of atheneunknown and I saw that a couple of weeks ago she had a 'couples survey' meme. It was meant to be about one's real life, but I thought it would be more fun to apply it to slash couples of one's choosing. Imagine your favourite slash pair as a couple living together, or long-term lovers living apart, and fill in the blanks.

So, first: ( Jack and the Doctor... )

Donald Strachey: Couples meme...

Part 2 of (so far) two parts.

I was reading the LJ of atheneunknown and I saw that a couple of weeks ago she had a 'couples survey' meme. It was meant to be about one's real life, but I thought it would be more fun to apply it to slash couples of one's choosing. Imagine your favourite slash pair as a couple living together, or long-term lovers living apart, and fill in the blanks.

I wanted to do this one partly because it's fun and I've started writing Donald/Timmy slash, and partly because I wanted to see whether (and to what extent) maaseru agrees with my answers. Or anyone else - I'm quite eager for Donald/Timmy discussion.

So, secondly: ( Donald and Timmy... )