USE OF the singular “their” and “they” drives me nuts. There. I said it. In case you don’t what I’m talking about, here’s an example: Someone left their mess in the kitchen. They should clean it up. Here’s another: Everyone knows they should tell the truth. The rule is pretty simple: Use […]
MOST WRITERS have day jobs. That’s a fact. There are those who begin writing in earnest after retirement or who are fortunate enough to be supported by other means or who manage to carve out a writing career when they are young, but these are the minority. A quick web […]
I WANT to let you in on a secret: Word’s Find and Replace feature is an indispensable editing tool. Here are just a few ways you can use Find/Replace to improve your writing: Revise passive to active verb construction Find useless adverbs Discover unnecessary prepositional phrases Correct simple formatting problems, such […]
WRITERS tend to use the terms “revision” and “copyediting” interchangeably, but there are some important differences between the two; they are separate activities accomplished at different stages of the writing process, and both are important to crafting a good piece of writing. What are they, how are they different, and why […]
SOMETIMES IT SEEMS that I have been a mother for a very, very long time. My eldest son was nineteen when my youngest was born, and though they are all adults now, they will always be my children — always a source of care, concern, and love. Being a mother […]
