The Object Element of a Clause

The object element usually follows the subject and verb in a clause. There are two types of object:

Direct Object

This is usually a person or thing directly affected by the action expressed in the verb:

The fat woman ate a cake. 

       (S)             (V)  (O)d 

I saw Jane.

(S) (V) (O)d

Indirect Object

The indirect object usually refers to an animate being that is the recipient of the action. There is usually a direct object in these clauses also. The indirect object usually comes before the direct object. 

She gave the cat some water. 

(S)    (V)    (O)i        (O)d

I told her my plans.

(S)(V)(O)i   (O)d

What can be an Object?

Noun phrases, including single nouns:

I saw John. We've found a new car.

Pronouns:

John saw me. Now hear this. He did what?

Some subordinate clauses:

John said I'd been foolish.

The Law of Attraction and The Internet

Having read 'The Secret' by Rhonda Byrne a few months ago, I decided that I should apply it to my writing. I've always had a belief that I'm good enough to earn a living from my passion and I think that self belief in everything is important, but especially in a solitary pursuit like writing. 

'The Secret' is also referred to as 'The Law of Attraction' and the basic premise is that we manifest in our lives what we focus on. If we always focus on being poor, then we will be poor. If we always feel angry then we will attract anger into our lives. If we focus on happiness and peace then that is what we will find. Recently, when I was out walking, I put all of my attention on visualising being published. When I got back from my walk, I had an email with my first acceptance. http://www.raphaelsvillage.com/article.php?story=2012092711495327 In that same week I received news of a competition being run by HarperCollins and I knew that I should enter it because I felt like I was attracting things into my life - authonomy Blog | authonomy writing community: Laurence O'Bryan competition winners - I was selected as one of the three winners. Coincidence? Maybe, but it's working so I'm choosing to stay with it. 

One thing I find hard about the law of attraction is maintaining it. Being a writer can be the most invigorating practice, but it can also be exhausting. When I feel like things are not clicking, it can be hard to stay at the keyboard. However, I still love it, and I take solace if two hours writing produces just one good sentence. In spite of this, the less productive times can lead to me feeling less optimistic. I focus on the struggle of writing, the tiredness that I feel for getting up at four in the morning, the questions of whether I good enough and should I believe that I probably won't make a living from it because that's what a lot of people seem keen on telling me. 

What I need at times is a state change and I found this yesterday when I was searching for a quote for a blog entry. I didn't find the quote that I was searching for, but what I did find was thousands of quotes from writers. Suddenly I felt part of a community and I felt much better about my struggle. My mood lifted, I read more and more quotes and then watched a couple of clips from Neil Gaiman and David Mack. 

I realised that the internet is much like the law of attraction. The words that you put in the Google search box is much like directing your attention on it. When you hit enter, what comes back to you is what you've created. Thousands of quotes, or support, came to me from writers the world over, alive and dead, when I asked for it. 

As I've been trying to let go of judgment, I've invested less in internet trolls and negativity, and focused on my positive online interactions. As a result, I've created a very different internet experience for myself. We are where our attention is. So I suppose now that if I want to feel happy, supported, invigorated, I just need to work what I'm feeling and ask Google for the opposite. My partner does a similar thing with pinterest.  

And finally, one of my favourite quotes from yesterdays searching: "You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you." - Ray Bradbury. I believe I create that 'reality' that can destroy me.  

After my recent success with the competition on www.authonomy.com I have decided to upload my recently finished novella, 'Back to Basics' to the website. I'm interested to get involved with the community to see if I can both give and receive feedback. I believe that if I approach this with my only intention being to get my work recognised, then it may not pay off, but if I focus on reading many opening chapters and commenting primarily on other people's work, I believe that good things could come of that.

My intention is to read at least one chapter per day and provide constructive feedback.