Val Dumond

Author

Publisher

Editor

Consultant

Welcome to my website and my world!

Since I was nine years old, I've been a writer (scratching words on paper). My enjoyment of music kicked in about the same time. It took many years to realize that words without music sound tinny and hollow; music without words feel incomplete.

Words speak to the mind.

Music speaks to the soul.

But ahh, to combine the two - that's the fun!

This site is created to help you put words to your music - and music to your words.

Please poke around... there's lots to learn. Browse on your own path or take a shortcut to:

• articles written by Val - find out what's on Val's mind now!
• the grammar quiz
• my new book, Just Words
• the introduction from my book, Grammar For Grownups
• the first chapter in Grammar For Grownups
• writing tips
• request a presentation

The Joy of Challenge

The Best Way to Learn to Write

One of the best ways to learn to write well is to read - with purpose, inhaling not only the images offered by the author, but accepting the words used to create that image. Have you ever read several pages, before you realized you couldn't remember a thing you read? Our third grade teacher, Miss Miller, asked you to read something "for comprehension", then tell her what you read? She did this to make sure you were "getting it", the message.

Here is my challenge for this month - some ideas for special books to read over the summer - if you want to handle our language better and enjoy the trip to get there!

1. Reading Like a Writer, by Francine Prose
2. The City of Dreaming Books, by Walter Moers
3. If You Want To Write, by Brenda Ueland
4. Book, by Robert Grudin
5. and anything written by Steven Pinker (especially The Language Instinct)