Writing enticing product descriptions is a great way to give your customers information about your products. This description usually gives your customers the benefits and highlights of your products while compelling them to make a purchase.
Writing product descriptions takes work. You can’t simply throw some words together and expect it to sell your product. Unfortunately, even the most talented product description writers make mistakes. The following are five common grammar mistakes found in product descriptions.

1. The person.

Product descriptions need to be consistent across the board. They should have the same style and tone so as not to confuse your readers. Too often, product descriptions bounce from first person to second person to third person. Before you can write a product description, you need to decide which person you want to use and stick with it throughout all of your descriptions. Don’t use first person in one and then third person in the next.
2. Fragments.

Sometimes companies try to put too much information into a very small space. In order to fit in all the details, these companies will use multiple fragments in order to highlight the best features. While this will help ensure that you include all the necessary information, having a product description comprised of only fragments will make it hard to read. If your customer has a hard time reading your description, they’re not going to make a purchase.
3. Apostrophes.

Apostrophes can trip up any writer, which is why proofreading is important. Apostrophes are used to show possession or to indicate a contraction, and there is a difference between the two. If you misuse apostrophes, it can confuse your readers. When your reader is confused, they won’t gain the necessary information from your product description. Plus, it looks like you don’t care enough to proof your work before publishing it.
4. Subject/verb agreement.

Writing product copy can be overwhelming, and sometimes, it can be a bit monotonous. But this doesn’t mean that you can slack as a writer. Your subjects and your verbs have to relate to each other. Single subjects use singular verbs. If you are placing plural subjects with singular verbs, it looks poorly on you as a writer, and it will deter customers from making a purchase.
5. Numerics

Most product descriptions contain numbers, usually in the form of height and weight. Different style guides suggest writing numbers differently—that is, writing them out or using the numerics. Depending on what style guide you follow, you need to be consistent. If you are spelling out some numbers and using numerics for others with no rhyme or reason as to why, it can confuse your readers.
If you plan on writing product descriptions, use these common mistakes as a guide of what not to do. Take your time to create a great, informative description that will make your readers feel as if they need your products. And always make sure to proofread your work. Misspellings and improper grammar are a big turn off.

Mark Weatherford is a high school English teacher, published author, and dedicated father. He is obsessive about proper grammar usage and always insists his students proof their work with a grammar checker to ensure it abides by all necessary grammar rules.

What makes a story great? Good question, with an involved answer. The thing about a great story is that you would think it’s all based on opinions. Well, that may be somewhat true, but not totally true.
While a lot of stories are dependent on the opinion of the reader, a lot of readers tend to want the same things.

So let’s start with the basic concept of story. What does the word story mean to you? I once heard an author describe story as characters in conflict. Characters with impossible dreams. Characters willing to do anything to reach their dreams. That pretty much sums it up for me. I mean, what’s the point of reading a story if there was no conflict? “Jane woke up happy, met the man of her dreams, and now they’re getting married. The end.” Wow – who cares?

Let’s face it, we love to read about characters who are suffering. I think part of the point in reading a story is to be able to grow with the characters. If the characters are not in conflict, then they are probably not growing either. The conflict is what draws us in. It makes us want to turn the pages to see how the character is going to overcome whatever obstacle they happen to be facing.

Another key to a great story is a great character. Readers want to idolize the characters they’re reading about. My dad recommended a fantasy book once. I won’t give the name because I don’t want to make fun of the author. This author was actually quite gifted. The world he created was very original and the conflict and plot twists were fabulous. But I just couldn’t get through the whole thing.

Because the book was so well written and came recommended, I tried to finish it. I pushed myself to read until I was halfway, and then finally put it down. Why? Because I hated the main character! He was totally self-absorbed, wallowing in his own misery. He raped a girl and then didn’t seem to feel any remorse whatsoever. The girl’s mother was his guide and she knew what he had done to her daughter, yet he didn’t appear to even feel awkward around her. I just couldn’t read through this man’s journey because I didn’t like him and didn’t want him to win.

Please note that there are characters in the fictional world who could also be described as egotistical and depressed. However, those characters usually have some redeeming qualities that make the reader want to cheer for them anyway.

Another note is that it’s not just the main character who needs to be well written, but all of the characters. Even the ones who are around for a few pages should still come across as third dimensional instead of two dimensional.
The story also needs to have a good flow to it. There needs to be ups and down throughout the whole book that can all be tied together by the end.

And, finally, the author’s voice needs to be their own. There has to be some way the author describes the story that readers can get into. Of course, this one is pretty subjective because some people prefer a different kind of voice. But the point remains that the author needs to be themselves while they write and not try to imitate someone else. I should also mention that basic grammar also makes the story flow well.

There have been so many times that I will read a classic, like something from Jane Austin or Alexandre Dumas, and just think “How did they do it?”

It might be a horrible thing for a writer to admit, but I think if I had been living in those times, I wouldn’t have pursued a writing career. I am not a great writer off the top of my head. I can get a great idea and start to write it, but the book just doesn’t become fabulous until it’s been through at least five revisions. So when I think of Jane Austen writing by hand, I wonder how many drafts she had to write before she sent it to the publisher. (I should also mention here, that I have horrible handwriting and I’m not sure if I would have been able to read all of my own work. Sad, but true!)

So first off, kudos to all those authors that used to write with a quill, pen, and even a typewriter. I’m of a spoiled generation where I get to use my computer with spell check, copy and paste, etc. I really don’t think I could make it happen without these wonderful tools at my disposal!

Anyway, that was a really long rant, but while I was thinking about this, it also brought my mind to a fun question: what kind of writer are you? Everyone has a different writing process. Some have to write an outline of their story before they can start. Others just start writing and see where the story is going to take them.

I’m a little more like the latter, with a small exception. While the story isn’t concrete before I begin typing away on the computer, I do like to have detailed bios of my characters before I begin. For me, the characters are the ones who make the story move along the way it does. Sometimes I’ll have an idea of where the plot is going, but once I get there, I just know that my character wouldn’t do X. Therefore, X won’t lead to Y, then Z. Instead my character would do A, which will take the plot to B, and so on. It’s amazing how many times I have changed my story around just because I feel like my character wouldn’t take a certain action. But it always seems to work better than how I had originally thought it, so I stick with this method.

Feel free to leave a comment and tell me what kind of a writer you are. I know one person that draws a picture of each scene before he begins writing a story. I’m crap at drawing, and so could never adopt that one. However, I do like to write diagrams of the setting so I can better describe it. I don’t usually do that until my first revision. I know another author who embodies the word of organization. She will make an outline, draw pictures of the settings she’s planning to use, has notes of research about the settings, and complete character bios before she ever types the first word of her story. That’s probably the method I would have taken if I was living in the eighteen hundreds.

I should note that most authors are very good at doing research, but a lot of them tend to write as they do research or will write the story first, then do research to make sure it’s as realistic as possible.

Anyway, what is your method? I’d love to hear it!

I’m a writer. My debut novel, Dissension, is coming out in February. It’s book one of a trilogy and I haven’t finished book two or three just yet. My publisher has me on a schedule to have each book come out on an annual basis, so the other books will be finished soon enough. But is writing my life? I wish! I would love to be a full time writer and have nothing else on my plate. But I come from a world called reality, and things generally don’t work that way.

I have been blessed with my loving husband and two beautiful children. My husband makes enough that I get to stay home and take care of the kids while he works, so in that regard – I’m very lucky! However, staying home and taking care of young kids who aren’t old enough to go to school does take up quite a bit of my time. I’m also involved in helping out in my community through my church and I am working really hard to lose weight. So the majority of my time goes to my children, I make it a priority to workout Monday through Friday, and once a week I am doing something for my community.

So where do I find the time to write? I make time. My schedule is just one of many examples of writers and their busy lives. For those who don’t have a sugar daddy (just a joke, hubby, I promise!), they have a day job that takes up plenty of their time along with other commitments. But we all have one thing in common: we’re busy, and yet writing is a priority to us so we make time for it. I can’t give specific examples on other writers, but I can tell you little things that I do.

First off, nap time. When my toddler takes her nap, my older son has quiet time in front of a movie and I get some writing done. Sometimes, my son will require me to attend to him here and there, so it’s definitely interrupted, but it’s something. Even if it’s just fifteen minutes a few times a day – it does add up and you will benefit from trying. I also have my kids on a tight sleeping schedule, so they’re in bed by eight o’clock at the latest every night. This gives me at least two hours of work. You have to keep in mind that it’s not just writing that I’m doing. I also need to do quite a bit of social networking, writing content for this very blog, and other things like that. It’s pretty fun to do, but it does take up time, so it must also be factored in.

I spend my time with my online critique group on Saturdays. My husband gets to have special play time with our kids while I send out my work to be critiqued and then critique other people’s work. I also have a critique group that I meet with in person once a month and a writing group that has monthly meetings. So those nights that I am away, I just call my days off from writing. This usually works well, because after going to those monthly meetings, it gives me a lot of ideas and motivation to keep writing.

Of course, I still need to spend some time with my husband. I love him and like having quality time with him, so we always make sure we can spend Saturday and Sunday nights together (after the kids have gone to bed). There are times when I can’t stick to this schedule due to extended family commitments and whatnot, but as long as I stick to this as much as I’m able to, I am productive enough to generally meet my writing commitments.

I’m not saying this kind of a schedule works for everyone. Some people are a lot more busy than I can imagine, and they still find a way to sit down and work on their novels. The point of this blog is not to tell you what to do or how to find time to write. It’s just to simply say that if you want to write, you can make that time to do it. You can be successful in whatever writing goals you may have in mind for yourself. There may be some sacrifice involved – maybe you will have to lose an hour of sleep each night to get your writing in. But you can do it.