5 Things I Learned About Writing from Grammarly

5 Things I Learned About Writing from Grammarly 5 Things I Learned About Creative Writing from Using Grammarly Martin Cavannagh is a writer and member of the Reedsy team. When he's not writing blog posts about publishing, he can be found scrawling short stories and writing screenplays in his free time.Spelling and grammar checkers have come a long way since the early days of Microsoft Word. Back then, we would learn to hate the green squiggly line that appeared under sentences - along with cryptic suggestions for improving your document - to the point where we’d turn off the grammar check to preserve our sanity.One of the most prominent online writing services emerging in recent years is Grammarly. It’s an app that integrates into your browser, allowing it to scrutinize the spelling and grammar in your tweets, Facebook updates, and emails. You can tweak the software to what you’re writing, tailoring it for US or UK English, for example. It will also vary its suggestions depending on whether you’re writing a blog, an essay, or a medical journal.Full disclosure: Re edy has recently become an affiliate of Grammarly - however, that has given us a chance to test drive it for the past month. In fact, this post is currently being checked using their service. And while I doubt automated grammar checkers can replace the job of a proofreader anytime soon - it has had the unexpected benefit of allowing me to examine my writing tics and improve my natural writing style.So, based on my everyday use of the app, this is what I’ve learned in the past month:1. Don’t rely on passive voiceThat's one of the most common ‘complaints‘ I get from Grammarly. And while it isn’t necessary to eradicate all instances of passive voice, it can often improve your writing. One of the most useful things I find with using Grammarly is its constant reminder to get to the point and not get bogged down by wordiness.Long sentences are not necessarily a bad thing, and sometimes entirely required. But as the Grammarly app points out, â€Å"the average number of words per sentence should range somewhere from eight (very easy) to twenty (somewhat difficult) words per sentence. Sentences longer than thirty words are often very difficult to follow.†So unless you’re the ghost of David Foster Wallace, you may wish to break long sentences into a series of shorter ones. Also, by varying their lengths, you can create a much more satisfying reading experience. We’ve heard it said that you should ‘write music’ - meaning that the rhythms and changing pace should be as important as what the words mean.It’s worth noting that Grammarly is incredibly helpful for writing emails and letters. I would go so far as to say it can even aid y ou in polishing a draft of the book you’re writing. I would not, however, recommend using it to write your first draft. Editing-as-you-go can often hamper your productivity and break up the flow of ideas, which is crucial when you’re in the process of â€Å"creating.†And while writing software has become incredibly sophisticated - it has yet to reach the point of being able to replace a professional proofreader. And until we get to that point, it’s always worth considering getting a qualified pair of eyes to look through your manuscript before publication.Do you use a program to help you sharpen your prose? If so, we’d love to find out about it and hear about your experience. Share your thoughts, comments, and questions in the box below.

Colin Ferguson and the Long Island Railroad Massacre

Colin Ferguson and the Long Island Railroad Massacre On Dec. 7, 1993, Colin Ferguson, a man long bothered by what he considered racism, boarded a Long Island commuter train and began shooting at the passengers with a pistol. The incident, known as the Long Island Railroad Massacre, resulted in six people killed and 19 injured. Background Ferguson was born on Jan. 14, 1958, in Kingston, Jamaica, to Von Herman and May Ferguson. Herman was the managing director for Hercules Agencies, a large pharmaceutical company. He was highly regarded and one of the most prominent businessmen in Jamaica. Colin and his four brothers enjoyed many of the privileges that come with wealth in a city where extreme poverty is common. He attended Calabar High School and, from all appearances, was a good student who participated in sports. At the time of his graduation in 1974, his grade average was in the top third of his class. Fergusons idyllic life came to an abrupt halt in 1978, when his father was killed in a car crash. His mother died from cancer not long afterward. Soon after both parents died, Ferguson had to cope with the loss of the family fortune. All the losses left him deeply disturbed. Move to the United States At 23, Ferguson decided to leave Kingston and move to the U.S. on a visitors visa, hoping for a fresh start and a good job on the East Coast. It didnt take long for his excitement to turn to frustration: The only jobs he could find were low-paying and menial, and he blamed racism in America. Three years after his arrival in the U.S., he met and married Audrey Warren, an American citizen of Jamaican descent who understood the cultural differences that affected her husbands ability to get along. She was patient and understanding when he lost his temper and went into rages, expressing his racial bigotry toward white people who he felt stood in his way. The couple moved to a home in Long Island, where he continued to rage about the mistreatment and disrespect he was shown by white Americans. He had been born to one of the top families in Kingston, and government and military luminaries had attended his fathers funeral. But in America, he felt he was treated as nothing. His hatred toward white people was deepening. Married bliss didnt last long for the couple. Warren found her new husband to be hostile and aggressive. They fought regularly and more than once the police were called to their home to break up a fight. Just two years into the marriage, Warren divorced Ferguson, stating differing social views as the reason. Ferguson was emotionally crushed by the divorce. He did clerical work for Ademco Security Group until Aug. 18, 1989, when he fell from a stool on the job, injuring his head, neck, and back and losing his job. He filed a complaint with the New York State Workers Compensation Board, which took years to come to a resolution. While he waited for their decision, he attended Nassau Community College. Disciplinary Problems at College He made the deans list three times but was forced to quit a class for disciplinary reasons after a teacher filed a complaint that Ferguson was overly aggressive toward him in class. That prompted him to transfer to Adelphi University in Garden City, New York, in 1990, majoring in business administration. Ferguson became very outspoken about black power and his dislike of whites. When he wasnt calling everyone around him a racist, he called out for violence and a revolution to overthrow white America. Ferguson alleged that a white woman at the library shouted racial epithets at him when he asked about a class assignment. An investigation found that no such incident had occurred. In another incident, Ferguson interrupted a faculty member giving a presentation about her trip to South Africa, allegedly shouting, We should be talking about the revolution in South Africa and how to get rid of the white people and Kill everybody white! After fellow students tried to calm him, he chanted, The black revolution will get you.   In June 1991, as a result of the incident, Ferguson was suspended from school. He was invited to reapply after satisfying his suspension, but he never returned. Brush With the Law In 1991 Ferguson moved to Brooklyn, where he was unemployed and rented a room in the Flatbush neighborhood. At the time it was a popular area for West Indian immigrants, and Ferguson moved right into the middle, but he kept to himself, rarely saying anything to his neighbors. In 1992 his ex-wife, who had not seen Ferguson since the divorce, filed a complaint against him, claiming he had pried open the trunk of her car. Anger was boiling up inside Ferguson, and he was nearing the breaking point. In February he was taking the subway when a woman attempted to sit in an empty seat beside him. She asked him to move over, and Ferguson began screaming at her, pressing his elbow and leg against her until the police intervened. He attempted to get away, calling out, Brothers, come help me! to African-Americans on the train. He was arrested and charged with harassment. Ferguson wrote letters to the police commissioner and the NYC Transit Authority, claiming the police had brutalized him and were vicious and racist. The claims were later dismissed after an investigation. Worker's Compensation Claim Settled It took three years for his workers compensation case against Ademco Security Group to be settled. He was awarded $26,250, which he found unsatisfactory. Stating that he was still suffering from pain, he met with a Manhattan attorney, Lauren Abramson, about filing another lawsuit. Abramson later said she asked a law clerk to join the meeting because she found Ferguson to be threatening and uncomfortable to be around. When the law firm rejected the case, Ferguson accused members of the firm of discrimination. During one phone call, he referenced a massacre in California. Many at the firm began locking their inner-office doors. Ferguson then tried to get the New York State Workers Compensation Board to reopen the case but was rejected. However, Ferguson was placed on a list of potentially dangerous people because of his aggressiveness. Fed up with New York City, Ferguson moved to California in April 1993. He applied for several jobs but was never hired. Gun Purchase That same month, he spent $400 on a Ruger P-89 9 mm pistol in Long Beach. He began carrying the gun inside a paper bag after he was mugged by two African-Americans. In May 1993, Ferguson moved back to New York City because, as he explained to a friend, he didnt like competing for jobs with immigrants and Hispanics. After he returned to New York, he seemed to be deteriorating quickly. Speaking in the third person, he went on rants about blacks striking down their pompous rulers and oppressors. He showered several times a day and chanted continuously about all the black people killing all the white people. Ferguson was asked to vacate his apartment by the end of the month. The Shooting On Dec. 7, Ferguson boarded a 5:33 p.m. Long Island commuter train leaving Pennsylvania Station for Hicksville. On his lap were his gun and 160 rounds of ammunition. As the train approached the Merillon Avenue Station, Ferguson stood up and methodically began firing at passengers on both sides, pulling the trigger about every half second and repeating Im going to get you. After emptying two 15-round magazines, he was reloading a third when passengers Michael OConnor, Kevin Blum, and Mark McEntee tackled him and pinned him down until police arrived. As Ferguson lay pinned to a seat, he said, Oh God, what did I do? What did I do? I deserve whatever I get. Six passengers died: Amy Federici, a 27-year-old corporate interior designer from MineolaJames Gorycki, a 51-year-old account executive from MineolaMi Kyung Kim, a 27-year-old New Hyde Park residentMaria Theresa Tumangan Magtoto, a 30-year-old lawyer from WestburyDennis McCarthy, a 52-year-old office manager from MineolaRichard Nettleton, a 24-year-old college student from Roslyn Heights 19 passengers were injured. The Note Police searching Ferguson found several scraps of notebook paper in his pockets bearing headlines such as reasons for this,  racism by Caucasians and Uncle Tom Negroes, and a scribbled reference to his February 1992 arrest that referred to the false allegations against me by the filthy Caucasian racist female on the #1 line. Also among the notes were the names and telephone numbers of the lieutenant governor, the attorney general, and the Manhattan law firm that Ferguson had threatened, whom he referred to as those corrupt black attorneys who not only refused to help me but tried to steal my car. Based on the notes, it appeared that Ferguson planned to delay the killings until he was beyond the New York City limit out of respect for outgoing Mayor David Dinkins and Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly. Ferguson was arraigned on Dec. 8, 1993. He remained silent  during the arraignment and refused to enter a plea. He was ordered held without bail. As he was escorted from the courthouse, a reporter asked him if he hated whites, to which Ferguson replied, Its a lie. Investigation, Trial, and Sentencing According to trial testimony, Ferguson suffered from extreme paranoia involving many races but mostly centering on the feeling that white people were out to get him. At some point, his paranoia had pushed him into devising a plan of revenge. To avoid embarrassing Mayor Dinkins, Ferguson had selected a commuter train headed to Nassau County. Once the train entered Nassau, Ferguson had begun shooting, selecting some white people to gun down and sparing others. The reasons for his selections were never made clear. After a circus-like trial in which Ferguson represented himself and rambled on, often repeating himself,  he was found guilty and sentenced to 315  years in prison. As of November 2018, he was in the Upstate Correctional Facility in Malone, New York. Source:The Long Island Railroad Massacre, AE American Justice