Margins and spacing, check.

Chapter headings, check.

Sub-headings, check.

Reviewing rules of grammar regarding dialog... checking.

I had no idea about all the new grammar rules that are out now. Well, considering that my last writing / English / typing class was back in high school (which was, well, a long time ago) I guess many of these "new" rules could have been around for a long time.

For example, in 1994, when writing a list that contained three items or more, a comma followed each item up to the last:

Item one, two, and three.

Now, apparently, that is incorrect - the last two items on the list do not have a comma between them:

Item one, two and three.

The use of quotations and some punctuation have also changed. Has it really been that long for me? As I continue to stumble through this manuscript looking for these unknown errors I'm starting to question, for the first time really, whether or not I am truly cut out for even writing such a project.

I wish I could blame society... Believe me, I wish that. That I could say that this mightn't be happening if we could settle on proper language and grammar rules and stick with them.

That maybe so many people out there have refused to learn proper grammar and so we caved to the mediocre and changed the rules to accomodate them.

But, of course, it's not society's fault. Not the mediocre or the lazy... It's a sign that I am rusty; that hobby writing alone is not quite enough to keep up your skills and stay up to date with changing trends and rules.

That I should have been trying harder to stay on top of my game. Trust me, it will be a lesson I'll not soon forget.