What's new?
- I was inspired by Roy Peter Clark's The Art of X-Ray Reading to examine the second-to-last paragraph of The Great Gatsby in a blog entry. This is something I discuss with my Advanced Copyediting students at UCSD Extension.
- I'm coordinator for the American Copy Editors Society national conference
in St. Pete, Florida. Sign up for the March 23-25 conference here. - I presented Mnemonize Your Word Choices, a pecha kucha, (20 slides, 20 seconds each) at the ACES 2016. The handout contains dozens of mnemonics.
- I looked at math, numbers and editing for a recent Copyediting webinar. Look for it and some other great classes here.
Questions I am frequently asked
Do I affect the effect or the other way around?
The noun is usually "effect," and "affect" is usually the verb. As verbs, to "affect" is to influence and to "effect" is to bring about, as in "effect change," meaning create change.
Did I lay down or lie down?
You "lay" something. Annoyingly, "lay" also is the past tense of "lie." If you just took a nap, you say "I lay down for a bit." Many people say "I laid down for a bit," but we usually reserve "laid" for when there is an object involved: "She laid the scissors on the mantel."
Is it ever OK to use "they" to refer to an individual
We do it all the time in speech. In writing, it would sure be useful, wouldn't it? You will find that sticklers stickle, but "they" as a singular, genderless pronoun is gaining acceptance.
Beside or besides? Toward or towards?
"Beside" means physically next to. "Besides" means "other than." They used to be interchangeable, but they've grown distinct. Most -ward words are interchangeable, but Americans tend to leave off the "s" while British English writers tend to leave it on.
If I'm talking about a cat, is it "awe cute"? "aww, cute"?
Awe traditionally is fear, respect, wonder. Awesome things are usually not fear-inducing these days, but as awesome as your cat may be, you are looking for "aw, cute." Some dictionaries accept "aww, cute" for particularly cute cats.
Click for more FAQs
Copy-editing services
Presentations, consultations
Writing
Some very nice things (some about me) on Twitter
Clarity through copy editing
A good copy editor takes on the role of reader, making sure the author’s point is understood. A good copy editor helps the author and reader connect. I've been doing this for 30 years.
Knowledge to share
Presentations range from a seven-minute look at confusable words to day-long workshops on writing, copy-editing, grammar, style guides, and other topics. I'm available via webinar, here in Columbus, Ohio, or wherever you want to fly me.
Writing that makes the point
Projects include researching and writing marketing documents, business-to-business letters and newsletters, and internal newsletters. I also researched and wrote an institutional history book.