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Originally posted by Fljotsdale: Yeah, more than likely! Pick up a story that you like and know well - maybe one you have read several times - and start to read it WITHOUT concentrating on the ideas. Look at the WAY the writer tells the story. Notice how s/he uses punctuation; how a thought carried from one sentence to the next does not necessarily need to have the subject repeated ('eagle's nest' is EXPECTED to contain 'eagle's eggs, so you only need to mention what sort of eggs they are if they are NOT eagle's eggs). Look at the impact of a short sentence as compared to a long sentence, and HOW the writer uses both to create mood, etc. Particularly look at words that convey tense/time - like shook, shake, shaken. You need to have these consistent or your reader will feel confused. If you can get through a short story doing this diligently you will get some grasp of how to use the language yourself without ever having to look at a book of grammar! (Perish the thought!) Just concentrate on HOW the author writes, not on the story!

thanks, thats gold indeed! I shall look into it!