Few vs. Several

Few vs. Several Few vs. Several Few vs. Several By Maeve Maddox Reader Norma H. Flaskerud wonders about few and several. She thinks a few refers to maybe 2-3 items while several refers to maybe 3-6. Her husband says a few is 4-7 items. Few is the opposite of many. It derives from words having the meaning of small and little. It is related to Latin paucus (little, few) and even puer (child/boy). Old English feawe/fea derives from a Germanic root meaning little. The number implied in the word few is more than two, Beyond that, trying to specify how many more is fruitless. I expect the New Testament writer was anticipating more than 2-7 converts when writing: Many are called, but few are chosen. In 1940 Winston Churchill was referring to the pilots of the Royal Air Force when he wrote: Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few. The Few became a name for this group of fliers: 2,353 British subjects and 574 volunteers from overseas. Several comes from a word meaning existing apart. Before it came to mean more than one (about 1530), it was used with the meanings separate, various, diverse, different. In legal use several preserves the meaning of separate. In the following example it is used to show that liability is enforceable separately against each party the contractual liability of each company to insured is several and not joint In keeping with its original meaning, several may be used to separate one group from another: A large crowd of soldiers gathered to protest the law. Several were women. The word several, usually an adjective or pronoun, has also been used as a verb. A farmer or community would several a large expanse of land into smaller parcels. It would seem that few and several can imply any number you want them to. By the way, in checking the Churchill quotation, I re-read the speech in which it appears. Its worth the time of any writer who is looking for models of beautifully-written English prose. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:20 Computer Terms You Should KnowHow to spell "in lieu of"Word Count and Book Length

First Steps in Plotting a Novel

First Steps in Plotting a Novel First Steps in Plotting a Novel First Steps in Plotting a Novel By Maeve Maddox Sterlin writes: My girlfriend says plots are a dime a dozen, but I feel different. I am trying to write my story and I am loaded with themes, but no plot, nothing to drive the themes or story. Can you offer any tips or techniques for devising a plot? In one sense the girlfriend is correct. The writing section of any library houses dozens of books offering ready-made plots. One plot seems to be enough for many action stories: The hero is attempting to stop an assassination or foil plans to destroy the world. Reversals and disasters occur at predictable intervals before the action-packed climax and spectacular successful outcome. Theres nothing wrong with stories like that. We all enjoy them, especially as movies, but theyre not especially memorable. If your ambition is to write a novel that will linger in the readers mind after the last page, plotting requires a less mechanical approach. Many writing teachers describe plot as the skeleton of the novel, but I dont think thats quite the right metaphor. Picturing plot as skeleton suggests that the other elements of the novel can be hung on it or peeled off. I think that creating the right plot involves combining character and story in such a way that the result is a fused whole. Plot, character, story, theme and setting should bond with one another like the molecules in vulcanized rubber. What tips or techniques have I to offer? Only what Im doing myself as I begin my newest fiction project: 1. Read one of the many books about plot, for example 20 Master Plots and how to build them by Ronald B. Tobias. 2. Describe the story you plan to write in one sentence. If you cant say what your book is about in one sentence, you dont have a clear enough idea of what youre trying to do. 3. Decide what the main character wants more than anything else in life. The plot will grow out of this desire. 3. Write a character description of the protagonist that includes appearance, likes, dislikes, fears, childhood trauma, occupation, etc. Plot is behavior. The kind of experiences your character has had in the past will determine how he behaves in the future. What he fears will affect his actions. Plot grows from character. 4. Make a timeline for the events of the novel. This will give your plot anchor points. 5. Make a map that shows where all the action will take place. This will help you gauge distances and figure the length of time necessary to move your characters from one place to another. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Fiction Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Dialogue Dos and Don'tsThe Difference Between "will" and "shall"Is "Number" Singular or Plural?