First Word

The poor exclamation point is always so wrongly accused of overuse. The exclamation point is often double or triple used (as if the first time it's applied isn't enough). Ever notice how people sometimes think that !! makes their point seem even more important or LOUD (we'll dissect the overuse of all caps some other day). I have important information to share for professional writers (or those who aspire to such status). Have you ever read a novel where someone used the exclamation point twice or triple? Okay, I will clarify my point. Ever seen a novel where it was acceptable to use use the period twice? .. you know just to say PERIOD -- PERIOD! Oh, sorry ... PERIOD!! Are you starting to feel enlightened now about overuse about the exclamation point? I have another one for you. You do realize that an exclamation point is not friendly with a question mark?! I see that one used all of the time as if it's correct, too. I'm sorry if you're feeling terribly sad abou...

This video is perfect from "Weird Al" Yankovic! Reminds me of Saturday morning cartoons where I learned things like "conjunction, conjunction what's your function ..." Yes, I just gave away my age, again! Enjoy the video and maybe learn something new like what is the Oxford comma. We don't like the Oxford comma around here, but other strict grammarian have a love affair with it.

At my recent writer's group meeting we began tittering about editorial tricks. One of the women sighed that between all of the style books ( AP Style, Chicago, Strunk and White ) it's hard to get it right or know what is right. I agree. As I imparted some of my tricks, the group got excited. So I thought I would share some of those tricks on the blog. Define X . Use Google and plug-in "define ___" and the proper usage and spelling comes up. This technique is especially useful for hyphenated words and idioms. Idioms . Do we all know the proper usage of certain idioms? Expressions like first come, first served is the perfect example. Is it first to come first to serve? No, it's what I wrote, but an idiom wouldn't necessarily be a common word in a dictionary, right? I always use the "define [idiom]" approach and Google. The search provides the proper expression of the idiom and the proper grammar for the idiom, too. Comma usage . Every style book ...

I edit and read books every day. I know some people are thinking, "You get to read books for a living? Cool! Where do I get that job?" (BTW, if you want that job get a degree in English and find a job as a book editor). I once had a friend of mine say, "I never see you read." Well, friends I read every day all day. So when I'm on vacation don't expect to see my nose in a book. Anyway I digress ... so in reading every day and analyzing writing I see common mistakes. I thought I would share: Redundancy : how many times in a sentence or paragraph can you use the same word twice? The answer is never. It reads and sounds better if you use the same word once. I always suggest that you pull up the Thesaurus if you're having trouble coming up with new words. My joke, "A Thesaurus is a writers best friend." Once in a while it's understandable when you have to use a certain word more than once, but the general rule is to avoid it. Its vs. It'...

Up with the chick-a-dees and the Facebook in-box where I receive these messages from hapless guys who can't spell. What's up with the inability to spell? Now I realize there are those who shorten phrases in text. U know ... and then there is R U ... makes me think of Toys'R'Us. Yet there are those out there who literally cannot spell. I'm not talking sort'a can't spell. I'm talking barely using the alphabet. First, if you're a guy who messages a "publisher" who is also a writer, give this some consideration. Do you think someone who is all about spelling (I'm an editor, too) will appreciate the failure to attend spelling class. What does the ability to spell project? Think about it? In our digital-ease world, you realize that spelling and punctuation take center stage more than ever. You are projecting quite a bit of your "learned" ability in writing. A guy who can't spell the word "beautiful" (thank you for call...

I am chuckling over my headline. I was relieved when I had one splash of cream left in the half-in-half for my coffee this morning. Because "gawd" what would I do without cream in my coffee? I might have to run yelling and screaming in the streets. "Get me some crrreeeaaammmm!" All right enough of the nutty talk for the morning. Would you like to hear the most common spelling mistakes perpetrated by even the most seasoned writers? We'll call them spelling bloopers, how's that? Here we go: Altogether or all together -- if it's completely, totally, it's altogether. Problem is some writers just completely, totally get it wrong and spell it all together. Well that is altogether wrong. Every day or everyday -- if it's happening every day it's everyday (adjective). I go to the movies every day (two words). I am an everyday person (adjective). Comprise or compose -- as a verb we write or create or we compose. As a verb the work is compris...