08.30.08
Posted in Writer's Resource at 4:46 pm by Administrator
(www.merriam-webster.com)
This is a resource I use many, many times every day. Of course the site includes a free basic dictionary, complete with pronunciation help. If you’re not sure how to spell a word, you can take a stab at it and the search feature will give you a list of possibilities. You can also access a thesaurus, unabridged dictionary, medical dictionary, Spanish-English and French-English dictionaries, and more. (Some of these may be premium services that require a subscription, but access to the basic services is free.) Then there is the word of the day, word games, Word Central for kids…I could go on and on.
Be warned, if you’re a word person (and what writer isn’t?), you can easily get sidetracked and spend an hour of writing time browsing around this site. I speak from experience.
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Posted in The Word at 4:41 pm by Administrator
The Word will deal with quite a few homophones (words that sound alike but have different spellings and meanings). These can be tricky, especially if you’re in a hurry, are relying on spell-check, or never learned the distinctions between these words.
Recently I’ve seen quite a few people write “threw” when they meant “through.” What’s the difference?
Threw is the past tense of the verb throw.
Through can be a preposition, adverb or adjective meaning (among other things) “into at one side of and out at the other side of.” (Please see your dictionary for additional meanings.)
He threw the baseball through the window.
(Definitions taken from The Merriam-Webster Dictionary.)
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Posted in Newsletter at 4:36 pm by Administrator
Eric entered the room full of books out of breath and looked nervously around seeing nothing out of place except the shards of the broken vase scattered on the floor in the corner by the display case, and he smelled that strange smell again, fear and something more, something burning as he gingerly touched a piece of the vase with the toe of his boot wondering…
Well, this could go on and on, but as you can see, it already has. Here we have a fine example of a run-on sentence, complete with dangling modifiers, and it looks as if this meandering sentence is just getting cranked up. The problem with run-ons is they don’t allow the reader to come up for air. Instead, the sentence rushes on and on with endless bits of information, almost always resulting in reader confusion, and often leading to reader dizziness. Dizzy readers tend to stop reading, which is probably not the response you’re hoping for. So let’s work on breaking those run-ons into more manageable pieces.
First, how do you know if a sentence is a run-on? The easiest test is to read the sentence out loud. If you get to the end of it and you’re dying for air, there is most likely a problem with the sentence. Also, if you get to the end of the sentence and have no idea what it said, there is most likely a problem with the sentence. The end of the sentence should be related in some way to the beginning, and the reader should get there via one or more easy-to-follow steps. Long, complex sentences are fine if they are well written, but sentences that wander here, there and everywhere will also lead your readers to wander…probably to another book.
Having identified a run-on, how do you fix it? Let’s look more closely at our sample sentence. What are the basic events?
· Eric enters the room
· He sees the broken vase
· He smells something odd
· He touches a piece of the vase
· He begins to wonder…
Wow, that’s a lot of activity for one sentence. You can help the reader out by breaking the action up. Let’s try:
Breathless, Eric burst into the library and looked around nervously. Nothing seemed out of place, except the shards of a vase scattered on the floor near the corner display cabinet.
Better. Now the reader will not become breathless along with poor Eric. We’ve also turned the “room full of books” into a “library” and tightened up the description of the broken vase. Oh, and did you notice that in the original the room full of books seemed to be out of breath? We fixed that too. Moving on:
He noticed that strange odor again—fear and something more, something burning. Eric gingerly touched one of the shards with the toe of his boot and wondered…
Now as long as Eric’s wondering doesn’t get out of control we’re on our way to writing a coherent paragraph, full of sentences that get the reader from the beginning to the end without gasping for air or getting dizzy and confused.
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Posted in Writer's Resource at 3:07 pm by Administrator
This is the classic that belongs on every writer’s bookshelf. Seriously, if everyone who writes in English would read and follow the advice given in The Elements of Style, the world would be a better place (and I would be unemployed). This short, inexpensive little gem provides a usage guide, a section of commonly misused words, and a very practical “Approach to Style.”
Some of my favorite bits:
“Use definite, specific, concrete language.”
“Write in a way that comes naturally.”
“Be clear.”
If you don’t own The Elements of Style, buy it. If you own it but haven’t read it in years, dust it off and re-read it. You will be a better writer for having done so.
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Posted in Newsletter at 3:04 pm by Administrator
The distinguished-locking genital man steeped namely from the hoarse drown carriage.*
What’s wrong with this sentence? The spelling. Oh yes, I ran spell-check. In fact, about half of those words were chosen using spell-check. They’re all real, honest-to-goodness, correctly spelled words; unfortunately they make no sense when you put them all together. Unless you’re in the business of creating word puzzles or writing surrealism, this is not the kind of sentence you want on your page.
Spell-check is a great tool. I use it every day. Spell-check is handy, but it is not a mind reader. It won’t always magically produce the word you are looking for, and it won’t point out words that are spelled correctly but used incorrectly. Relying too much on spell-check leads down the dark path of “genital men,” “hoarse drown carriages,” and even “my voice is little horse.”
Your most important task as a writer is to say what you mean. Simple, right? Well, yes, provided you choose the right words. Spell-check can help you do that, along with a dictionary and your very own brain. When spell-check highlights a misspelled word and gives you options of real words to choose from, resist the temptation to pick the first one and move on. That’s exactly how I came up with “genital man.” Unless you’re absolutely certain the first word is the right word, stop and think about it, say the word out loud, check its definition in the dictionary. And never, ever use spell-check as a substitute for proofreading. Never.
Taking the time to choose the right words—using all the tools available to you—will improve your writing and keep your readers reading, guaranteed.
(* I meant to say, The distinguished-looking gentleman stepped nimbly from the horse-drawn carriage.)
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Posted in The Word at 3:03 pm by Administrator
If you confuse these two words, trust me, you are not alone. So what’s the difference?
Lie is an intransitive verb meaning “to be in, stay at rest in, or assume a horizontal position.” Its forms are: lie, lay, lain, lying.
I like to lie on my sofa.
I lay on my sofa all day yesterday.
I had lain on the sofa the previous day as well.
I was lying on the sofa when I should have been working.
Lay is a transitive verb meaning “to put or set down.” Its forms are: lay, laid, laying.
Please lay the book on the table.
I laid the book on the table yesterday.
I had laid the book on the table before she asked me to.
I was laying the book on the table when she came in.
(Definitions from The Merriam-Webster Dictionary.)
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08.26.08
Posted in Editorial Musings at 8:16 pm by Administrator
You’ve undoubtedly heard of the Grammar Vigilantes, the two 28-year-olds who have traveled the country correcting America’s typos along the way. Recently, however, they got a little carried away and edited (or “defaced” or “vandalized,” depending on your point of view) a sign at the Grand Canyon. Bad vigilantes. Bad.
When I first heard of the Grammar Vigilantes and their mission I was solidly behind them, and I mostly still am. Honestly, I’ve been tempted many times to do just what they do, particularly when misplaced apostrophes on a menu take my appetite away. I imagine myself wearing a mask and a cape, wielding a mighty red pen with which to right the grammatical wrongs of the dining world. As I stride out the door with my cape swirling dramatically behind me, the diner patrons would whisper, “Who was that masked editor?” Actually they would probably say, “What a nut. Somebody call the cops,” which is why I have never actually done this.
Still, the fantasy persists. Think about it—wouldn’t the world be a better place if we all treated our language with a little more respect? There is something truly sad about seeing intelligent, college-educated adults dropping random apostrophes into plural word’s (sorry—I meant words).
No doubt the Grammar Vigilantes share our concern and are only trying to make the world safe for properly placed apostrophes and commas, not to mention dedicated high school English teachers and cape-wearing editors. But, guys, next time ask before you edit. It’s the polite thing to do.
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08.23.08
Posted in Editorial Musings at 5:20 pm by Administrator
Whenever I tell someone I edit books for a living, the most common response is some version of “Ooh, you get to read books all day!” Sometimes their eyes go all dreamy and I know they’re picturing themselves kicking back in an easy chair, a cup of coffee or herbal tea in one hand, a good book in the other, and a hefty paycheck in the bank (presumably from the last good book they read). I can’t fault anyone for thinking this way—heck, that’s my dream too!—but the reality of the editing life is not quite like that.
It’s true that I spend most of my day, every single day, day after day after day, reading. Don’t get me wrong—I love reading and I love editing, but at some point it all becomes work. Reading closely to catch typos or decide if you really need to add a comma (or should it be a semicolon?) is not the same as reading for pleasure. I’m always at my desk, editing on screen, with a shelf full of reference books to my left. Those references are not just for show either. I might check four or five different books trying to find a solution for a burning comma/semicolon/colon issue. And yes, deciding how to punctuate a sentence can become a burning issue, and I often end up thinking about commas more than any normal person should.
In the “reading for a living” fantasy, the reader always gets to choose the book. In reality, I almost never get to choose what I read. If I’m in the mood for a fun children’s adventure story and someone sends me a gory, blood-soaked horror novel, I spend the day soaked in blood (metaphorically, of course). This isn’t necessarily a bad deal. I have developed a certain openness and sense of adventure from taking each day and each job as it comes, and I’ve read and learned things I otherwise never would have read or learned. I’ve also ended up loving some books I was absolutely sure I didn’t want to read. A novel about motorcycle racing comes to mind; I thought I would hate it but it turned out to be great fun, and I learned that racing isn’t just zipping around in circles at suicidal speeds. You’re not going to find me in the stands at the local speedway anytime soon, but I’m happy to have had my horizons expanded a little bit.
Speaking of expanding, editing is a sedentary job. I work at home, so the job also offers constant access to a kitchen full of yummy food. An expanding waistline is a definite occupational hazard. I’m not usually tempted to munch all day, so this hazard hasn’t hit me yet, but the possibility is there. So far, my main hazards are backache, carpal tunnel syndrome, tired eyes and numb butt (I’m sure there is a technical term for this last one; sadly, I don’t know what it is).
Oh, and that hefty paycheck in the bank? Very funny—we won’t even talk about my take-home pay.
The moral of the story? Editing is not for sissies! Fortunately, at the end of the day you can always kick back in your easy chair, with a cup of tea and a good book, throw your editing hat in the corner and just read, read, read.
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08.21.08
Posted in Editorial Musings at 7:55 pm by Administrator
We all have our pet peeves (and by “we” I mean editors). Some people get excited about the serial comma; others debate whether alright is really all right. Personally, I sigh in dismay whenever I see someone write “tuff” when they mean “tough,” or “ruff” for “rough,” “nite” for “night,” and so on.
I’m not a spelling or grammar purist by any means. The alright vs. all right controversy? Frankly, I don’t care. Certainly language is always changing. If it wasn’t, I wouldn’t be writing a “blog” on my “laptop.” Watching new words come into use or old words take on new meanings or variant spellings is fun and fascinating for wordy people. But “tuff”? Come on.
The thing is, “tuff” doesn’t look tough. I’ve seen tuff killers, tuff gangsters; I’ve even seen tuff drug lords ruff people up. A tuff drug lord—that almost sounds cute, doesn’t it? And the fact that “tuff” is an actual word (a rock composed of volcanic detritus, according to Mr. Webster’s dictionary) doesn’t help (unless that drug lord is composed of volcanic detritus, which is unlikely but possible).
I honestly don’t understand the motivation behind taking perfectly good words and making them look silly. This phenonemon seems to be quite common with words containing the dreaded “gh” combo (which reminds me I forgot to mention “thru”). I know English has its weirdities and often doesn’t make sense, but is it really so difficult to type “g-h” or “o-u-g-h”? No, it isn’t. Just takes a little practice. Trust me, tough really isn’t so hard.
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08.16.08
Posted in Uncategorized at 2:39 pm by Administrator
Author and editor Sarah M. Andrews is the owner of Sundragon Editing, an independent editorial service. In addition to editing all kinds of documents, from novels to business web copy to college papers, Sarah writes a free monthly newsletter featuring tips and resources for writers. The newsletter is available at the Sundragon website.
Should you have any questions about writing or editing, feel free to email Sarah at editor@sundragonediting.com. She will be happy to help you.
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