Diction
Idioms
From the Text of Doom: "heads over feet" should actually be "head over heels".
Use an idiom dictionary such as TheFreeDictionary, or just Google the idiom you are not sure of along with the word "idiom".
"heads over feet idiom" has several results that correct it to "head over heels".
Names
Use full names (first then last) whenever a character or person is introduced for the first time.
"MikiShin" -> "Miki Shinichiro"
Capitalization
Remember, all names and proper nouns are capitalized.
"Bermuda Triangle"
"Canary Islands"
"CERN" - Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire
Misplaced/Dangling Modifiers
A misplaced modifier is a word, phrase, or clause that is improperly separated from the word it modifies/describes. Because of the separation, sentences with this error often sound awkward, ridiculous, or confusing.
From the Text of Doom: "She often becomes tired because of her parents's [sic] antics of always deserting her to take care of the castle [...]"
The modifier here is "to take care of the castle." It is misplaced because it is unclear/confusing what word it is modifying. Is it modifying "She," so that she is the one who has to take care of the castle when they leave? Or is it modifying "her parents," who leave her so they can go take care of the castle? The best way to fix this particular sentence is to just rewrite it. "She often becomes tired because she has to take care of the castle when her parents desert her."
Word Choice
When using a more "obscure" word, look up the definition to make sure that it is being used correctly.
"Her parents have a habit of getting lost around the globe (which really, is in their own backyard), a trend that has been prevalent since she was a child."
"prevalent" is an adjective that means something is widespread in a particular area at a particular time
Ex. "The social ills are prevalent in society today."
Here, the writer intends to say that the "trend" has been happening consistently ever since Letica was a child, but "prevalent" only describes something that happens consistently at a particular time, not over time.
"However, Letica has multiple affections and finds herself caught between them."
Affections is not a noun that means people that Letica likes or the objects of affection. It is a noun that means "a gentle feeling of fondness or liking."
With uncommon phrases, look the phrase up on Google to make sure it is an actual phrase.
From the Text of Doom: "crib friends."
This is a very, very uncommon phrase. It is rare to the point where for all intents and purposes, we can consider it as not an actual, real English phrase. Alternatives could be "childhood friends" or "friends since practically the day they were born."
Use the full, formal versions of words as opposed to shortened slang/informal versions.
"info" → "information"
"thru" → "through"
Who vs Whom
If you are like most English speakers, you know that there is a difference between who and whom but you are not sure what that difference is.
Who should be used to refer to the subject of a sentence.
Whom should be used to refer to the object of a sentence.
When in doubt, try this simple trick: If you can replace the word with "he" or "she," use who. If you can replace it with "him" or "her," use whom. Here are two examples:
Who ate my sandwich? (Did he eat my sandwich? Did she eat my sandwich?)
Whom should I talk to about labeling food in the refrigerator? (Should I talk to him? Should I talk to her?)
From the Text of Doom: "She feels a deep affection for MikiShin, who she can't help but keep listening too [sic]."
Should be whom - "She feels a deep affection for MikiShin, whom she can't help but keep listening to."
Use the test: "She can't help listening to him."
American English Spelling
Always use American English spelling.
From the Text of Doom: "Initially disliking the idea of living in the same house with a boy; Letica often fought with Duke at thebeginning [sic] of the series, but finds out from her fairy god mother that she was crib friends with him when they were both babys [sic], and falls head over feet for him before the audience even realises."
"realises" should be spelled "realizes".
Verb Tense
From the Text of Doom: "Initially disliking the idea of living in the same house with a boy; Letica often fought with Duke at thebeginning [sic] of the series, but finds out from her fairy god mother that she was crib friends with him when they were both babys [sic], and falls head over feet for him before the audience even realises."
"disliking" is in continuous present tense, so "fought" should actually be "fights".
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