Fun day out around Keswick with Oxley the Red Squirrel from Underscar

Hello. My name is Oxley. I’m a red squirrel and live at Underscar near Keswick. Now and again I’m taken out for the day by children who come to stay in this wonderful place and they write about our adventures together. This time I was lucky enough to accompany Zoe, the Quirky Traveller, and her friend Liz, who were staying in Grisedale, Cottage 14, at Underscar holiday homes.

Oxley at Underscar Reception

We headed out in the car to Keswick and the girls bought sandwiches for lunch from what turned out to be one of the few independent stores selling Co-op produce in the country – the Lakes and Dales Co-operative (most are in Scotland, a country which has wanted to be independent for years!). We then went on a walkabout to see what Keswick had to offer. There is a tall tower in the middle of Keswick, called the Moot Hall, which houses the Keswick Tourist Information Office. Inside, there are a lot of leaflets which explain where you could go for really interesting walks. They also sells discounted tickets for the Derwentwater Lake Cruises!

Oxley researching walks around Keswick

We visited a lot of interesting places round Keswick’s main square including Brysons, a bakery which sells yummy cakes and lovely bakes. At Ye Old Friars Zoe and Liz got very excited about all the chocolates and colourful sweets. I found lots of bunny rabbits and chicks – think it was something to do with Easter …

Oxley in Friars, Brysons and John Young Furnishing

In John Young Furnishings I met some old friends including Mr Tod the fox and at Heart of the Lakes, which manages Underscar where I live, I got up close to a very pretty baby sheep.

Oxley at Heart of the Lakes office

By this time we were getting hungry so we parked the car near Derwentwater and walked into Hope Park to eat our lunch. It’s a very pretty park with lots of benches, flowers and even an old bandstand! The pigeons were very interested in our food so Zoe threw them some bits of bread, which they ate very fast.

Oxley having lunch in Hope Park

After this, we went to the Theatre by the Lake to hear a talk about Hadrian’s Wall. This talk was part of Keswick’s annual Literary Festival: Words by the Water. A man called Adrian Goldsworthy explained how it took 10 years and thousands of Roman soldiers to build the 73 miles of Hadrian’s Wall, which stretches from Northumberland in the east to the Solway Firth on the west coast of England. They still don’t really know why the wall was built. He was very knowledgeable and a very nice man and didn’t mind having his photograph taken with me.

Oxley with author Adrian Goldsworthy

Even though the children take me out on trips, I get a bit nostalgic for the places I used to visit with Miss Beatrix Potter, so after we’d spoken to Mr Goldsworthy, Zoe, Liz and I walked beside Derwentwater, one of the most beautiful Lake District lakes and onto Friar’s Crag. From there I could see Owl Island, where my cousins and I collected nuts all those years ago. Luckily I didn’t see the owl, Old Brown; Squirrel Nutkin lost his tail to that owl. He was a VERY cheeky red squirrel!

Oxley at Derwentwater

Liz had never seen Ashness Bridge, which is one of the Lake District’s oldest stone bridges, so we went there next. The bridge is very narrow and nearby there are lots of stones and rocks on which you can climb – and the waterfall is very pretty.

Oxley at Ashness Bridge

Just up the road is Surprise View – and it is a huge surprise to see all of Derwentwater, with Bassenthwaite in the distance and even the Solway Firth on the horizon. If you’re lucky you may also see one of my relatives in the woods; quite a few red squirrels live here.

With Zoe at Surprise View

By this time, the girls were getting hungry again so we started to walk back to the main square in Keswick. On the way, we met a man with an accordion called Rob, who was playing some very jolly music. He was very pleased to have his photograph taken with me and I think the girls would have liked to have danced with him but they needed something to eat.

Oxley with Rob the Accordion Player

We decided to try the Inn on the Square in the heart of Keswick. The girls had a special treat; Chateaubriand fillet steak at the Brossen Steakhouse, which they said was absolutely delicious. I didn’t think so, as I just eat nuts, so I watched until they had finished. Afterwards, Zoe and Liz wanted to go back to the Theatre to hear a talk about a famous artist and poet called Mr Edward Lear, who not only painted wonderful botanical portraits of animals and birds, but also wrote ‘nonsense’ poems. He wrote one of my favourite poems, The Owl and The Pussycat. I was very tired by this time, so Zoe and Liz put me in the car to have a sleep while they went to the talk.

Edward Lear talk at Words By the Water Literary Festival

We finally got back to Underscar where Liz and Zoe got out a bottle of red wine and relaxed. They seemed very happy with their luxurious apartment. Grisedale has 3 bedrooms and a great view out across the Italian-style gardens, towards Keswick and the lake. I love living at Underscar; I think I’m a VERY lucky squirrel!”

Underscar Holiday Rentals near Keswick

Oxley dictating his story to Liz at Grisedale Cottage

Many thanks to Liz McGillivray for writing out Oxley’s story. We had a lovely few days staying at Underscar, a timeshare property which also rents out its luxurious holiday cottages.

Take a look round Grisedale Cottage, Underscar

Find out more about Underscar Holiday Rentals here. When you stay, you or your children can borrow Oxley for a day out from the Reception at Underscar and write your own story in the big red journal. I’m sure he’d love to see you …

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Writing Your First Novel: How to Fix an (Accidentally) Autobiographical Novel

Some of you may be participating in our 100 Day Book program, writing your first novel on your own, or kicking around the idea of starting that manuscript.

Writing your first novel is hard. It’s a struggle. It’s a learning process.

And it’s often autobiographical, even if you don’t mean it to be. And that’s okay.

Wait, My Main Character Is Me!

Every character is a piece of the author. I mean, how do you “write what you know” if you can’t use who you know?

The thing with writing your first novel is that the main character will most likely be based on yourself. Heavily based on yourself.

My first finished novel was a dramatized version of my life at the time. I didn’t realize it when I was writing, but my main character was me. Her sister was my sister. Her husband was my husband. I believe I made up one character (an elderly neighbor woman) but other than that I basically just changed the names.

Even if you find your first draft to be “too you,” don’t panic. It’s not a waste of time, and you can still save it from collecting dust for eternity.

5 Reasons to Roll With It

You might be saying, “I didn’t mean for this to be autobiographical. Now I have to start over.”

No, you don’t.

Here are just a handful of reasons to go with the flow and keep writing your first novel:

1. You’re getting into a writing habit.

Writing requires dedication, time management, and a ton of patience. Just like anything else important, you have to prioritize your writing time and set goals and deadlines for yourself or you’ll never finish.

With your first novel, you’re practicing your writing habit by discovering what time of day you write best, learning how many words you can reasonably produce in each session, and developing your “process.”

2. You’re practicing your technique and finding yourself.

Writing is a lot of work. Structure, character arc and development, B plots, tone, style, etc. are all things you need to keep track of when writing a novel. Because your life is so familiar, using it as material makes it easier to focus on the finer points and lets you develop your writing style without having to concentrate as much on characters or original storyline.

When you move on to the next book, you’ll be much more confident in your writing.

3. You’re learning to differentiate characters.

A common problem with new writers (and let’s face it, some seasoned ones) is all their characters are the same. They talk the same, react the same, sometimes even look the same.

Drawing from people in real life can help with this. You know how your sister would react, what her speech patterns are, that annoying little half grin she gets when she’s right and knows it. No one else is like her. Writing “her” into your book will help you develop richer characters in later stories.

4. You’re learning to use real life.

But I just said you shouldn’t use real life, right? Not exactly. You will always use real life as a basis for your stories, but life should be a trigger for inspiration instead of copied verbatim.

As you’re writing your first novel, you’re learning to take notes, to watch people’s mannerisms, to recall weird conversations you had three years ago. You’re learning to pay attention. (And hopefully you’re learning to always carry something to write with.)

5. You’re going to finish a novel!

Remember how you wanted to write a novel, which is why you started the process to begin with? You’re still doing that!

Even if it never sees the light of day, you will have written your first novel. It will exist.

And when you move on to the next idea, you’ll be old hat at this whole novelist thing.

Up the Stakes

I know it seems like I’m saying writing your first novel is just a practice run, but that’s not necessarily the case. Besides the above reasons to stick with it, I have another secret:

You can still save this book.

So your main character is you at the core. She’s doing what you do daily. She’s taking her dog for a walk, going to the grocery store, fighting with her partner. She’s constantly doing something, so you feel like there’s a ton of action.

But where’s the conflict?

A list of action is not a story. There must be conflict. Your private life probably isn’t very dramatic, and that’s okay. You can still use instances of your life to write your novel.

Just up those stakes.

If your main character goes to the grocery store, what happens? Does she get mugged in the parking lot? Does she run into an old flame? Does she have a mental breakdown after finding out the store is out of her favorite toilet paper?

Something has to rub your main character the wrong way in order for there to be a story. Find the conflict and you’ll have a book, whether your characters are a little too true to life or not.

(A NOTE FOR THOSE MEANING TO WRITE AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR: This section applies to you, too. You still need to have conflict in your story. The difference is you need to remember what the conflict was at the time instead of making it up.)

Keep Moving Forward

Even if upping the stakes doesn’t turn your raw material into shiny gold, it’s okay.

After my first novel turned out too true to life, I stagnated a bit. I put it in a drawer somewhere. (I have absolutely no idea which drawer now, but I’m sure the poor manuscript has a nice layer of dust and some expired coupons to keep it company.) I wondered if I should try to revise some more and decided it wasn’t worth the effort. The story just felt done to me.

Knowing that made me worry I didn’t have any imagination or writing chops. But I picked myself up and wrote a couple bad short stories. I started three other novels that didn’t get off the ground.

I kept writing.

It didn’t take long for me to get out of my slump. A little while later, I was practically bursting with ideas to write about. I’d trained my brain to write and opened the floodgates of inspiration in the process. The next novel was a dark fantasy, with characters that had personalities all their own and a world that was drastically different from my local grocery store.

Now I have so many ideas, it’s hard to keep up.

Keep writing. Keep practicing. The rest will fall in line.

Is your book a little too autobiographical? What are you going to do to up the stakes? Let me know in the comments!

PRACTICE

Today I want you to take fifteen minutes to write about something you did today. A conversation, a shopping trip, cleaning your house, anything. Keep it as true to life as possible except for one thing: conflict. Up the stakes.

When you’re done, share your writing in the comments. Don’t forget to comment on your fellow writers’ work!

The post Writing Your First Novel: How to Fix an (Accidentally) Autobiographical Novel appeared first on The Write Practice.

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Toulon Garage Custom Putters: Expectation vs. Reality

One of my favorite memes these days is the “Expectation vs. Reality” meme. Just Google that phrase and you will see what I’m talking about. Basically, it’s that difference between what a Big Mac looks like in advertising photos, and what one looks like when you unwrap one in person. Rarely does the actual experience or product live up to the expectation.

Last summer, Toulon Design launched its online design interface for the Toulon Garage, which allows golfers to design custom putters from the comfort of a computer screen, and then have that putter built and shipped directly from Toulon to your doorstep. Sure, the process also requires a not insignificant charge on your Visa, but consider it the cost of ordering a putter that exactly meets your needs and wants. What excited me at its launch, and still excites me today, is the incredible number of custom options that the Toulon Garage system gives the golfer access to during the design process.

Since its launch, I’ve probably designed a dozen putters using the Toulon Garage interface. If nothing else, it’s excellent digital entertainment. Sure, it’s no Fortnite, but I do enjoy exploring the possibilities.

And that brings us back to the nagging question about the Toulon Garage system, or any online ordering system. Is what you see online in digital renderings genuinely representative of what you will find when the product hits your porch?

That, dear readers, is what we will be exploring today.

Oodles of Options

When I first attempted to calculate the number of options available in the Toulon Garage system, I came to the conclusion that there are over six million different possible putter configurations. To be fair, I just made that number up (math is hard), but I know that once you factor in the number of head choices, finishes, stamps, grips, loft/lie adjustments, and so on, the number of possible putters will be bigly HUGE.

The nearly endless putter possibilities contained in the Toulon Garage should allow for most golfers to select his or her ideal putter characteristics. That’s what we are doing today. I have put together a design based on my play and aesthetic specs, and now we can compare the digital version to the putter that was constructed.

Let’s take a look at some of the key options and see if the reality lives up to expectation.

Hand and Head Designs

Hand was easy, since I’m right-handed, but I want to call attention to this choice since our southpaw golfers often times get no love from golf companies. The Toulon Garage has some love for the lefties, but it’s limited to three models, and admittedly the computer mock-up graphic is still right-handed. Still, three left-handed options is better than no left-handed options.

As we move to the other side of the ball, the list of head options jumps to ten, and this is probably where I have spent most of my putter daydreaming time, mulling over the possibilities.

For this project, I chose the Rochester head. I tend to putt better with blades that lean more toward a squared-off aesthetic. I was back and forth a bit with the Columbus notchback, but I preferred the look of the Rochester at address.

EXPECTATION VS REALITY

I think that the rendering of the head was pretty spot-on for this category. My focus was on the profile of the Rochester at address, and the delivered putter matched the expected look. What I saw on the computer translated to the real-world design.

Neck and Finish Designs

There are three neck options available for the Rochester, and since I know that my stroke prefers the flow neck, the H5 flow neck was my neck of choice. Besides, flow necks are so hot these days.

As for the finish, my design plan for the Rochester was to murder it out. With this goal in mind, the only finish choice was black. I like the copper option as well, but this one was heading in a darker direction.

EXPECTATION VS. REALITY

This time, I’d say that the finished product exceeded the digital expectation. The neck fits with the head flawlessly. It’s hard to imagine that there are two other neck options. The H5 neck just looks like it is the one that belongs there.

The black finish was also exceeded my expectations. This is a very dynamic black, and in fact, it’s not just black. You can see rainbow hues around the edges of the cavity. There is a prismatic nature to the black in person, whereas the online black looks more like you dipped the putter in black enamel.

Paint Fill and Stamp Designs

Since I was murdering out the putter, I went with black paint wherever possible. I considered using some gray to add a bit more contrast, but in the computer model, the black paint appears to be a different enough shade of black.

What to stamp is always a bit confounding to me. Should I even stamp the putter at all? Sometimes less is more. Since we were exploring what the Toulon Garage can do though, I went with thematic “Roll Noir” stamping on the bumpers.

EXPECTATION VS. REALITY

Black paint worked as expected. It was black, and just a little different in color when compared to the putter’s overall black finish. Sitting behind the ball, the sight line has plenty of alignment-assisting contrast.

The bumper stamping was pleasantly surprising as well. On the computer, the simulation looks like someone just added a text box on top of the putter photo. In person, you can see that the stamping was done by hand, maybe even Sean Toulon himself! Probably not, but a person did stamp the putter. I really like that there is a bit of human touch to the putter and that the putter was not just carved out of metal by the machine. For me, it makes this personalized putter feel a bit more personal still.

Shaft, Grip, and Static Design Options

Keeping with the theme, I chose the black shaft option, along with the white SuperStroke Pistol GT grip. There are a ton of grip options, but unfortunately, there's not an all-black option in the mix, so the black and white seemed the next best choice.

Back in January, I was fortunate enough to complete a SAM Lab putter fitting while visiting Callaway HQ. Based on those findings, I went with 1° flat and 1° strong.

EXPECTATION VS. REALITY

 

I experienced zero surprises when I placed the putter on the bending machine and learned that it was exactly 1° flat and 1° strong. Specs need to be right if this putter is going to do more than decorate a wall.

The Outside-the-Box Box

I think that you have figured it out by now that the Toulon Garage Rochester definitely exceeded my looks-on-the-computer expectations, but the putter was only part of the excitement.

When you open the box, the putter is displayed on foam mounts, as opposed to just stuffed in a box with shipping material. I liked that they had included a couple of stickers and that the headcover was a special Toulon Garage design.

Then I noticed that there was a little box in the box.

Included is a Toulon branded pitch tool, and a metal certificate of authenticity. For lack of a better term, these little additions are just plain cool. The metallic card is nice detail and a fantastic way to document the extraordinary putter you had made.

While I was looking at the certificate, I noticed that there was a little finger hole in the foam off to the right, and upon lifting up the certificate, I discovered a Toulon Garage coin. Such a fun surprise, and a great way for Toulon to make the purchaser feel like they are getting something truly special.

It is Expensive

Once all was said and done, the custom Toulon Garage Rochester slapped the wallet for $754. I’m willing to bet that some of you lost interest right there. I get that, $750 for a putter is an impossibility for many, much like the monthly nut to afford a new BMW is beyond the borders of many bank accounts. High-end stuff comes with high-end prices, and those prices can be exclusionary.

For some though, the price will be accessible, and will actually seem quite reasonable. Putters tend to last longer in the bag, and hold value better than other clubs. You'll take more strokes with your putter than any other club, so why not have one that is fully customized for your game? We putter lovers can come up with all sorts of reasons to justify the costs, right?

Another way to explore the justness of the cost is to compare what you get from the Toulon Garage to what you would get and pay for a 2018 Custom Shop customized Scotty Cameron Select putter. You can take the stock Cameron putter ($399), and quickly add another $150-$300 depending on what you want done cosmetically (aka adding lots of purple). That'll get you up to Toulon Garage pricing and while there are lots of options available at the Cameron Custom Shop, changing finish and neck style are not among them.

Both the Cameron Custom Shop and the Toulon Garage will allow you to create a personalized putter for about the same cost, but the Toulon Garage system allows you to alter the physical nature of your putter to a greater extent, which makes for a putter that is comparably more customized than personalized.

It’s worth noting too that the Toulon Garage lists their turnaround time in days, while the Custom Shop will probably take weeks to get your putter back to you.

The Toulon Garage: Expectation Exceeded

For once, I was not confronted with a droopy-bunned Big Mac when I opened the box. The Toulon Garage Rochester that I received blew past my design expectations by quite a bit. The finish, the stamping, and even the geometries of the putter itself look so much better in person than they did on the computer. Add to that a shipping/presentation box that made me really feel like I had just opened something special, and you get an overall package that should satisfy any custom putter aficionado.

Should you have the desire (and the means) to order one of these putters, you can do so with confidence. Sean Toulon and the rest of his putter crew have developed the user-friendly, digital custom putter system. Sure, you can get great custom putters through other small-run custom putter shops by email and phone conversations, but if you want your putter experience to move efficiently from desktop to doorstep, the Toulon Garage is the stand-out best system right now.

For more information, or to start designing your putter, visit the Toulon Garage website.

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Stay Cool in the Heat with this Simple Breathing Technique

When it gets to a certain point in the year, we all start to yearn for summer. Long evenings sat outside, fresh fruit and salads at mealtimes and the knowledge that if you forget your coat, it really doesn’t matter. Yes, summer is wonderful and we can all appreciate it, especially after a long winter – but when it comes to staying cool in the heat, it can get a little tricky.

Sweaty HIIT workouts are a great way to get those endorphins flowing and keep your energy levels up. However, if you’re stuck in a summer heat wave; exercising, or in fact doing anything that gets your body temperature up, can be the last thing you want to do.

There are many ways to help you stay cool in summer. Taking a cold shower, sipping on some ice water or, if all else fails, putting a bag of frozen peas on your face, are all fantastic ways to keep your body cool when the temperature starts to rise. However, there are also various breathing techniques which can be used to help keep you cool – something many people are surprised by! Practicing a breathing technique will not only help your body to relax, it can also cool down your mind – helping you to cope and stay calm if you’re prone to anxiety, frustration or anger. Plus, breathing techniques can be done wherever you are in the world!

What is Pranayama?

In yoga, breathing exercises are called pranayama, referring to the regulation of the breath. While many of the yogi breathing exercises heat up the body through building energy, there are two that help to keep you cool. These breathing exercises are known as Sitali and Sitkari.

“Pranayama is control of Breath”. “Prana” is Breath or vital energy in the body. On subtle levels, prana represents the pranic energy responsible for life or life force, and “ayama” means control.

What is ‘Sitali' breathing?

The name Sitali comes from Sanskrit, with Sita meaning cooling or soothing, and we can assure you that this breathing exercise does both!

• Sit in a comfortable position with a straight back
• Begin to focus on your breath, using the diaphragm to breathe. You should feel as if you are breathing from your belly and not from your chest
• Open your mouth to form an O shape with your lips
• Fold your tongue at the sides leaving a passage for the air to pass through. Stick your tongue out slightly and open your lips enough to let your tongue through
• Draw your breath in deeply through your curled tongue and into your mouth. Imagine you are breathing through a straw.
• You should notice that the air feels cool, especially as it moves over your tongue. Try to continue to focus on the cool temperature of the air
• Feel your cool breath passing through the lungs and into the abdomen. Try to visualize this cool, fresh air filling your body.
• To breathe out, bring the tongue back into your mouth and exhale deeply through your nose.
• Continue to breathe in this way for a couple of minutes, returning to the deep breathing for a little while when you are finished.

How will Sitkari help improve your Health

Much as our bodies try to help us out the best they can, sometimes they simply don’t play ball, and there’s many of us who cannot roll our tongues in the way Sitali breathing requires, no matter how hard we try!

Sitkari is a great alternative, helping to cool our bodies down without the need to fold your tongue in half. Sitkari means hissing in Sanskrit, a sound we are sure you will notice as you practice this method of breathing!

• Assume the same upright position as Sitali. Comfortably seated with a straight spine and relaxed shoulders.
• Bring your teeth together – but do not clench them tightly or tighten your jaw.
• Separate your lips as much as you can without straining yourself. Your teeth should now be exposed to the air and may already feel quite cool.
• Draw the breath in between the teeth – try to focus on the hissing sound that you will hear.
• The air should feel quite cool as it flows between your teeth. Try to imagine this cool air filling your body, flowing through your lungs and down into your abdomen.
• To exhale, close your mouth and exhale deeply through your nose.
• Repeat up to 20 times

To reap the mental benefits of these breathing exercises, as well as the physical cooling effects, try to maintain your focus throughout. This doesn’t mean trying to block thoughts from your head (this is practically impossible!). Instead, focus on the feel of the cool breath through your mouth or across your tongue, and if you notice your attention has wavered, bring your awareness back to this feeling.

Why Does This Work?

Many skeptics are surprised to discover that both Sitali and Sitkari work extremely well when it comes to cooling you down. But why is this the case? Well, when you breathe in through your mouth instead of your nose, the air stays the same temperature until it reaches your lungs. This air is usually cooler than our body temperature, which is why it helps to cool you down. By forcing the air in across the tongue or teeth, the air is moistened. This combination of wet and cold air does a fantastic job at cooling down our bodies.

Breathing through your nose, on the other hand, heats up the air before it gets to your body. This is why most breathing techniques build heat and energy in your body.

What Are The Benefits to Sitali and Sitkari?

Practicing breathing exercises like Sitali and Sitkari does so much more than just cool your body down. The mental benefits of breathing exercises are second to none, helping to reduce anxiety, stress and make you happier! Combining breathing exercises with physical yet mindful activity such as yoga is the perfect way to keep you happy, present and increase your ability to cope with whatever life throws at you!

There are also many physical benefits to practicing breathing exercises like these. Decreased blood pressure, better sleep, and increased immune system are just a few of the benefits you can expect to see from a regular meditation or breathing practice.

Any Risks?

If you suffer from any respiratory problem, such as asthma or bronchitis, these breathing techniques should be avoided. Likewise, if you have a heavy cold or a chesty cough, and find inhaling deeply difficult. There are plenty of ways to meditate that don’t involve deep breathing, so you are perfectly able to reap the benefits without risking your health. If you are unsure then it is best to consult with your doctor.

If you are somewhere very polluted, it’s also best to give these exercises a miss. Breathing in the heavily polluted air is extremely bad for your health, so we recommend waiting until you are somewhere quiet and clean before you practice!

Finally, do not practice Sitali or Sitkari in extreme temperatures. As the air enters your body at the same temperature it is outside, any extreme temperatures are likely to make you very uncomfortable and could even damage your lungs. This includes air that is both very cold and very hot. While it may feel good at the time, it is simply not worth the risk.

We hope you are feeling inspired to give Sitkari or Sitali a go! With summer well on its way, we’re starting to spend more and more time outside, and these breathing exercises are a great way to keep us cool, present and grateful for the moment. While they may not beat the feeling of an ice-cold glass of water or a cold shower after a heavy workout, Sitkari and Sitali are simple and easy techniques to get your body back to the perfect temperature.

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Author bio:

Kosta Miachin is the creator of VIKASA Yoga method – a unique, challenging and effective approach to yoga. He is also the founder of VIKASA Yoga Academy. You can find him online: http://www.vikasayoga.com

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How to Use Possessives to Show Ownership

Possessives are a funny thing. When used correctly, they add much-needed clarity to our sentences. But they seem to confound our apostrophe rules.

Let’s sort out this grammar conundrum, shall we?

What’s a Possessive?

Before we get into the tricky rules, let’s cover the basics.

A possessive is a word or punctuation that indicates the relationship between two nouns.

Sometimes, this uses adjectives: my car, his ice cream cone, our chair, their cat, etc.

Sometimes, this uses pronouns: the car is mine, the ice cream cone is his, the chair is ours, the cat is theirs, etc.

And sometimes, it uses apostrophes: Bert‘s ice cream cone, Jenny‘s cat, etc.

“

Possessives indicate a relationship of ownership between two nouns.

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So when do you use each one?

First and Second Person Possessives

I’m partial to first and second person possessives:

It’s tearing up my heart when I’m with you.

If you wanna be my lover, you gotta get with my friends.

The boy is mine.

The main reason I enjoy them (besides their prevalence in pop hits of the late ’90s) is that they’re pretty straightforward. Mine, yours, ours. No messy apostrophes.

Just pick the adjective or pronoun that matches the speaker and fit it into the sentence. Adjectives go before the nouns:

my heart

Pronouns go after the nouns:

The boy is mine.

Easy peasy, right?

Apostrophes: Where Possessives Get Tricky

If first and second person usages are pretty straightforward, third person usage is where the fun begins.

Let’s start with singular possessives.

Singular Possessives

If your subject of ownership is a singular noun, you can go ahead and add the apostrophe and s.

Hanson’s “MMMBop” is the best song with a nonsense chorus.

It gets tricky when your subject ends with an s. If it’s a singular subject, you still add the apostrophe and the extra s.

Britney Spears’s career trajectory has been an interesting one to watch, but she has evolved into a captivating entertainer.

Plural Possessives

Moving on to plural subjects: always, always, always end the subject with an apostrophe only.

The Backstreet Boys’ fan base is devoted and passionate, but I’ve always been an *NSYNC girl.

It doesn’t matter what the object of possession is, or if it’s one thing or many. The subject or owner is what you want to keep track of.

Whose Turn? Yours

Now it’s your turn. Go, use your possessive adjectives, pronouns, and apostrophes with confidence. With these rules mastered, you’ll clear up your readers’ confusion and use possessives like a pro.

(Did you catch all my possessives in that paragraph?)

When do you run into possessive problems? Let me know in the comments.

PRACTICE

For today’s exercise we’re going to practice writing about ownership, paying close attention to apostrophes.

Here’s the prompt: The assistant to a self-centered pop star (male or female) is cleaning up the star’s hotel room. Describe their inner monologue as they work.

Write for fifteen minutes. Post your practice in the comments.

Have fun!

The post How to Use Possessives to Show Ownership appeared first on The Write Practice.

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The Best Cart Bags of 2018

(4) TESTERS WANTED: 2018 Most Wanted PING G400 Drivers

10,071 shots over 245 hours.

That’s how many and how long it took for MyGolfSpy to crown the PING G400 LST the Most Wanted Driver of 2018.

And not for nuthin’, PING’s G400, G400 Max, and G400 SFT were also strong performers.

There were an awful lot of outstanding performers in this year’s Most Wanted testing, which tells us one thing – while there may not be one driver out there that’s best for everyone, there is one driver out there that’s best for you. And with four drivers finishing in the top half of our testing, there’s a decent chance a PING driver may, in fact, work for you.

But let’s put that premise to the test, shall we?

TESTERS WANTED!

Back in school, whether it was math or science class, they always wanted you to check your work. Well, that’s what we want you guys to help us out with. We’re looking for four of you to test and review (and keep) a PING G400 driver – whichever one you feel best fits your game.

It could be the low-spinning, Most Wanted champ G400 LST, or it could be the ultra-forgiving and Tour-proven G400 Max, or the standard G400 or the G400 SFT – it’s your call. Whichever one it is, we want you to give it a thorough going over and let us know how it performs – for YOU.

HOW TO APPLY:

As you know, MyGolfSpy takes its product testing very seriously. All of our reader reviews are published in our Community Forum (click here to check them out). We expect a lot from our reviewers – writing a thorough, detailed and honest review is a full two-month commitment, requiring extensive range and on-course work as well as participation in the Forum itself to answer questions and discuss product performance with other golfers.

That means to be a potential reviewer you must be a registered member of the MyGolfSpy Community Forum, where you’ll find thousands of like-minded golfers from all over the world anxious to talk about golf equipment.

To apply to test, review and keep your PING G400 driver, here's what you have to do:

- First, if you haven't already, please sign up for the MyGolfSpy Community Forum (click here to register).

- Second, apply ONLY in the Official PING G400 Driver Testers Wanted Thread in the Community Forum (click here).

The testers will be announced next week in the MyGolfSpy Community Forum.

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