Monday Grammar Minute: The Apostrophe That Got a Little Too Excited

Let’s talk about a tiny punctuation mark that has apparently decided it can go wherever the hell it wants.

Yep. I’m talking about the apostrophe. I see this little guy abused constantly.

People use apostrophes to make words plural.

Please stop. He’s tired.

An apostrophe is generally used to show possession or to create a contraction.

For example:

The dog’s leash
The leash belongs to the dog.

Melanie’s coffee
The coffee belongs to Melanie. (And don’t even think about touching it.)

I’m = I am
Don’t = do not
It’s = it is

But when you’re simply making a word plural, the apostrophe does not belong there.

❌ I have three cat’s.
✅ I have three cats.

❌ We sell book’s.
✅ We sell books.

❌ There are two comma’s in this sentence.
✅ There are two commas in this sentence.

And before anyone says, “But I’ve seen it that way!”

I know.

I’ve seen things.

There are a few exceptions and special cases where apostrophes can be used with plurals, particularly with individual letters, numbers, or situations where clarity is needed. But as a general rule: Plural = no apostrophe.

If you’re just talking about more than one thing, leave that apostrophe sitting quietly on the sidelines.

It has enough responsibilities already.

So this week, before you throw an apostrophe into a plural word, stop and ask yourself:

“Does something belong to someone—or am I just talking about more than one?”

If it’s the second one, ditch the apostrophe.

Your editor will thank you.

And yes, I am your editor. 

Until next Monday, keep writing, keep reading, and for the love of grammar… stop giving apostrophes jobs they didn’t apply for. 

— Melanie
Get It Write Publishing & Editing Co.

And Then, Just Like That… I Had a Book Idea

Last night, my husband and I were sitting around talking. You know. A completely normal evening. Nothing particularly exciting happening. Just the two of us, chatting about life and whatever random things we happen to talk about.

And then he said something... and my brain went: WAIT.

And then: OH MY GOSH. THAT COULD BE A BOOK.

Just like that, I had a new story idea.

Of course, I can’t tell you what it is. Not yet, anyway. Because I’m still in that very early stage where the idea is bouncing around in my head, characters are beginning to form, and I’m trying to decide whether this is actually going to become a book or whether my brain has simply decided it needs another project.

Considering I already have approximately 47 things I could be working on, clearly what I needed was a brand-new book idea.

Naturally.

But there’s something I love about those moments when an idea seemingly comes out of nowhere. One minute you’re having a conversation, and the next, your brain has wandered off and started creating an entire fictional world without asking permission.

Writers, you know what I mean.

Sometimes inspiration comes when you’re sitting at your laptop, ready to write. And sometimes it comes while your husband is talking. Apparently, he’s useful for more than taking out the garbage. 

Anyway… I’m not saying anything else about this one. Yet. But I have a feeling this idea might be worth following.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some characters to meet.

Monday Grammar Minute: Everyday vs. Every Day

Everyday and every day sound exactly the same, but they don’t mean the same thing—and yes, there’s a space for a reason! 

 

Everyday is an adjective. It describes something that is ordinary, routine, or commonplace.

• These are my everyday shoes.
• Reading is part of my everyday routine.
• Sometimes the little, everyday moments are the best ones.

Every day means each day. If you could replace it with “each day,” you need two words.

• I read every day.
• She walks every day.
• I drink coffee every day. (Okay, this one is definitely true.)

The quick trick:
If you’re describing a thing, use everyday.
If you’re talking about when something happens, use every day.

So remember: You might wear your everyday shoes every day—but don’t put them together when they shouldn’t be!

Until next Monday, keep writing—and keep those grammar questions coming!

Maybe I’m Supposed to Be Writing

 

I think I’ve hit a reading lull.

Maybe it’s just one of those things. Or maybe it’s a little nudge telling me that instead of reading someone else’s words, I should be writing my own.

For the past week or so, I’ve had the hardest time getting into a book. And it’s not for lack of trying. I’ve started three books by the same author, and the first two? I didn’t finish either one.

I just couldn’t get into them.

I made it a handful of chapters in, hoping something would click. It didn’t. And eventually, I had to admit defeat and put the book down.

The third book I’m reading by this author seems a little better, though, so I’m hanging in there. Hopefully, this one will pull me in enough to make it to the end.

Because I hate not finishing a book.

I know—sometimes life is too short to force yourself through a book you aren’t enjoying. And I completely agree with that in theory.

But in practice? I struggle with it.

If I absolutely cannot finish a book, I’ll sometimes skip ahead to the ending just to find out what happened. Who did it? What was the big reveal? How did everything wrap up?

Then I can at least satisfy my curiosity before officially abandoning ship. 😂

But maybe that’s okay. Sometimes a book just isn’t for us. Sometimes it’s the author’s writing style. Sometimes it’s the story. And sometimes… we’re simply not in the mood for that particular book.

Maybe that’s where I am right now. Maybe instead of forcing myself to read, I should concentrate on writing for a while.

And honestly, maybe that’s not such a bad thing.

So tell me—what are you reading right now?

And more importantly…

Would you recommend it?

I’m always looking for my next book, even if my current reading slump is telling me I should be writing instead. 

Monday Grammar Minute: Affect vs. Effect

Welcome back to Monday Grammar Minute, where we take a perfectly good Monday and make it slightly more complicated by discussing grammar.

Today, we’re tackling two little words that have been confusing writers for approximately forever: affect and effect.

They sound almost identical. They look suspiciously similar. And they seem determined to make us question everything we learned in English class. But there’s a pretty simple way to remember them.

Affect is usually a verb.

It means to influence or change something.

For example: The lack of sleep affected my mood.

Or: The weather affected our plans.

Something is doing the affecting.

Effect is usually a noun.

It means the result or consequence of something.

For example: The lack of sleep had an effect on my mood.

Or: The new rule had a positive effect on the students.

Think of it this way:

Affect = Action
Effect = End result

And yes, because English likes to keep things interesting, there are exceptions.

Effect can occasionally be used as a verb, meaning to cause something to happen:

The new policy will effect change.

And affect can be a noun in psychology, referring to someone's observable emotional expression.

But unless you're writing a psychology textbook or trying to sound particularly fancy, the A = Action, E = End result trick will get you through most everyday writing.

So the next time you're staring at affect and effect wondering which one belongs in your sentence…

Take a breath.

Remember:

Affect = Action.
Effect = End result.

And if you still get it wrong? Don't worry. That's what editors are for.

See you next Monday for another tiny grammar lesson that will probably make you question every email you've ever sent.

 

Book Review: Caller Unknown

 

Okay… this book was AMAZING. 😳

Think about it: Your daughter is kidnapped. Your husband is in another country. The kidnappers give you instructions, and you have to do something completely unthinkable to get your child back.

So you do it.

But then the plan goes horribly wrong.

Even though you get your daughter back, all the evidence that she was ever kidnapped is destroyed. Now you’re a fugitive, and you have no idea who you can trust.

This was such a riveting, fast-paced suspense novel that I was genuinely disappointed every time I had to put it down to go to bed.

And it really makes you think: What would YOU do?

I obviously believe I would do absolutely anything to save my child. But when everything goes wrong, would you run? Or would you stay and face the law—even if the law might be corrupt and connected to the kidnappers?

That’s what I loved about this story. It isn’t just suspenseful; it makes you question what you would do when the rules, the evidence, and even the people you’re supposed to trust are working against you.

If you love fast-paced suspense, impossible choices, and stories that keep you saying “Just ONE more chapter…”, add this one to your list!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Highly recommend!