The finer points of grammar, punctuation and consistent style, as well as when they do—and do not—matter.
The cartoon caption contest that appears in each issue of the New Yorker magazine has become a habit. It’s fun. It’s challenging. And, the experience is pointing up larger lessons about writing and creativity. Lesson One reaffirms a course I took in grad school taught by Glenn Karowski. Although textured and comprehensive, the main take-away can be summed by the class’s name: “The creative process.” Not creative magic. Not voodoo. … [more]
Here’s a clip that’d be worth watching just for its novelty value. It’s about grammar in general, spelling in particular, and it’s entertaining. You might even laugh. It also says a few things I’ve been saying over the years, but with a wit—not to mention Brit accent—that makes it more fun to listen to than my flat Midwestern drone. The best points (said better in the clip): How you spell, … [more]
It was oddly reassuring to stumble upon the “blog” of “unnecessary” quotation marks. Kind of like going to a church-basement support group and finding out you’re not suffering alone. Knowing that others share a pet peeve can make it seem less peevey. (Except that the blog’s creator, Bethany Keeler-Jonker, doesn’t consider quotation marks a peeve. “I just think it’s funny to misinterpret them,” she writes on her FAQ, “almost always.”) … [more]
There’s probably a moral to the story that follows, probably something about the unexpected magic of creative sparks and how hard you have to fan to ignite them. Two months ago, I entered the cartoon caption contest that’s in each issue of the New Yorker magazine. I had been flipping to the weekly contest, probably since it started, but never before entered. I’d read through others’ entries and, if I … [more]
The differences between a professional and an amateur writer can be subtle, but I’ve jotted down ten ways amaterus give themselves away. These are goofs I screen for before releasing my work to clients and, even when you can’t hire a writer, you can use this list to give your own drafts a professional sheen. Ellipsis A good rule of thumb: If you’ve never heard “dot, dot, dot” called “elipses” before, you probably shouldn’t use it. Elipsis … [more]
