Writing Tips
Word choice matters. How you build your sentence with punctuation is about more than just decorating with ink squiggle confetti. We owe it to ourselves and to everyone who sees our written words to get it right. All right?
Writing Tip 441: If I “do” or “don’t” say so myself
Bragging’s not good, but a little bit of confidence can be powerful. I’m not talking about #humblebrags or #sorrynotsorry comments. When you’re with the right listener and you want to toot your own horn (there’s an expression we need to dive into on another day), what’s the correct phrase to follow your statement of pride? […]
Writing Tip 440: “Invisibility” or “Invincibility”?
Which would you rather have as your superpower: “invisibility” or “invincibility”? To be “invisible” or “invincible”? Both have their perks, but that’s perhaps beside the point. Do you know the difference between these two words?
Writing Tip 439: “Collaborate” vs. “Corroborate”
Ooh, you’re savvy with your words, but do certain pairings like this still trip you up? And how on earth am I relating this to peanut butter? No worries, wordsmiths. You’ve got this, and stay tuned for that second answer. Here’s what you need to know about “collaborate” vs. “corroborate” once and for all:
Writing Tip 438: “Cocoa” vs. “Cacao”
We’re not talking pronunciation differences à la “tomato”/”to-mah-to” or “potato”/“po-tah-to.” We’re not talking regional differences. There is a distinction worth knowing when using “cocoa” vs. “cacao”; however, do you know what it is? And when I say “using ‘cocoa’ vs. ‘cacao,’” I suppose I could be talking about usages in a recipe or in a […]
Writing Tip 437: “Gray” vs. “Grey”
Whether you want to blame Ben Franklin or Noah Webster, sometimes, the English language seems unnecessarily complicated, doesn’t it? The spelling of “gray” vs. “grey” is another such case. But, wait, there is an answer to your question. You just need to specify which gray/grey you’re looking for.
Writing Tip 436: How do you spell “on the lam”? (“On the lamb?”)
Of course you know! Or, do you? How do you spell “on the lam” / “on the lamb” again?
Writing Tip 435: How many sheets to the wind?
Are you imagining laundry hanging up to dry or a bit too much of a celebration? Or if you know where I’m going, here’s your next question: how many sheets to the wind are we talking about? In 1737, Benjamin Franklin published The Drinker’s Dictionary, a list of 228 “round-about phrases” to describe drunkenness. (More […]
Authors on Editing Interviews
In celebration of the publication of Get a Grip on your Grammar: 250 Writing and Editing Reminders for the Curious or Confused (Career Press, 2017), I launched a blog interview series with talented writers working across multiple genres and forms, from fiction to nonfiction to poetry to business writing to journalism and more. No matter what you write, you’ll learn a lot from their insights on their editing processes.