THEN and THAN and what the what?

Quick Grammar Tip

So, I talk about all sorts of writing things all week long with people:

1. Structure.

2. Hooking your readers.

3. Plot and character development.

4. How to deal with buttheads.

5. How to deal with yourself when you’re the one being a butthead.

My favorite advice though? It’s the grammar advice because:

1. It is a little less subjective.

2. It makes you look smarter when you know the grammar and punctuation things.

3. It helps your readers understand you.

So, this week, I’m just going to give you the quickest advice about THEN and THAN

According to Merriam-Webster (which is what you should be using if you’re writing a novel in the U.S.),

“The way to keep the pair straight is to focus on this basic difference: than is used when you're talking about comparisons; then is used when you're talking about something relating to time.

“Than is the word to choose in phrases like smaller than, smoother than, and further than. And it's the word that follows other, rather, less, and more.

“Then—the option to choose when time is involved—fits in the phrases just then and back then, and after words like since and until. It's also in the phrases and then some, every now and then, and even then.”

So, if you’re saying:

I went to the walk the dogs and then they pooped everywhere.

Well, then it’s showing that one thing happened after the other, right? It’s about the time things happened.

So, if you’re comparing things, then you use than. (Look! I used both in that conditional sentence like I’m a show-off or something!)

Oh my word, Sparty Dog’s bum-bum is quadruple the size of Pogie Dog’s bum-bum.

However, because it is ENGLISH the language of ‘oh my gosh, seriously?’ things aren’t that easy.

As Merriam’s writes,

“In a handful of cases, though, than is used to say that something happens immediately after something else—that is, it's used when you're talking about something relating to time. So in "No sooner had I explained the rule than an exception came to mind," it's than not then that's required. And also in hardly had I explained it than and scarcely had I explained it than. (Sorry…)”

Cool, right?

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Places to Submit

Podcastle.

Genre: Fantasy podcast. Length: Up to 6,000 words.

Payment: $0.06/word for original; $100 for reprints, $20 for flash fiction reprints.

Deadline: Opens July 1, 2023.

Wandering Aengus Book Award

Closes on Monday, July 31, 2023 11:59 PM PDT (in 21 days)

The Wandering Aengus Book Award seeks full-length manuscripts of literary prose or poetry. Submission period is July 1 to August 31, Pacific time. Our standard contest fee is $30 US dollars. However, for authors who are out of work or in very difficult circumstances, we have made up to 25 fee-free submissions available while they last. If you are employed or have a regular source of income, please reserve these opportunities for those who deeply need them.

Paid submissions can be found at https://duotrope.com/duosuma/submit/wandering-aengus-press-NtMFK.

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RANDOM WRITING EXERCISE

This is from Imagine Forest,

“Take a snack break. While eating your snack write down the exact taste of that food. The goal of this creative writing exercise is to make your readers savour this food as well.”

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