“Look at this!” Everyone in the darkened room gasped. We were at an editing conference, and the keynote speaker, a noted journalism expert, had placed a scan of a magazine cover on the display screen. A large, red circle drew attention to the mistake: “February” had been misspelled as “Febraury,” and the typo had gone
To Err Is Human—It’s What Comes Next That Matters Read More »
Like it or not, artificial intelligence (AI) is here to stay. And while experts may argue about the pros and cons of these programs, one potential pitfall is clear: AI is not yet ready to replace human editors. Consider this—a real example I got from ChatGPT: ChatGPT (ChatGPT.com) changed “countries” to “regions” but left “New
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One easy way to rile a grammarian is to misuse your apostrophes. The rules are pretty simple: Is your word pural? (That is, are there more than one?) Then add only an s (or an es if the noun ends in an s, x or z)—no apostrophe is needed. This rule applies even for numbers
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Compare these two sentences: By implementing a marketing strategy and focusing on customer relations, John was saving the company money and contributing to the bottom line. John’s marketing strategy focused on customer relations to help the company save money and increase its bottom line. Notice how the second version is a bit clearer and easier
How to “Zing” Without the “Ing” Read More »
The Oxford comma is one of the more confusing rules of grammar. That’s because it’s not really a rule. It’s more of a suggestion. Also known as the serial comma, the Oxford comma is used before the conjunction (usually “and” or “or”) in a series of three or more things: “Eggs come with a choice
The English language is full of surprises. The other day I was reading about flamingos and was, well, tickled pink when I learned what a group of flamingos is called: A group of these leggy, gregarious pink birds is a flamboyant. The word “flamboyance” means “strikingly bold and showy,” a description that fits these birds
A flamboyance of flamingos Read More »
You might be surprised to learn that the answer is c. In addition to being one of our more familiar punctuation marks, “comma” is the common name for a species of butterfly (Polygonia c-album) found in Europe, North Africa, and Asia. The comma is a staple in the world of punctuation. It can be overused
Which of These Is a “Comma”? Read More »
ChatGPT launched just last November, and already it seems like everyone has started worrying about how artificial intelligence programs like this one are going to affect our world—and maybe even take our jobs. I decided to take this question right to the source. Could ChatGPT replace human editors? Here is ChatGPT’s reply: While CHATGPT is an
Even ChatGPT Agrees—AI Doesn’t Replace Human Editors Read More »
The deadline looms, the clock is ticking … and the screen is still blank. That feeling of desperation can feel impossible to overcome. Writers will share all kinds of methods for “beating the block.” Here’s what works for me: Go for a walk. It’s quick, easy and free, and it can jumpstart creativity in surprising
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Instead of telling the reader what happened . . . “Julianna felt hot and tired after her walk.” Use actions, thoughts, sensory descriptions, and emotions to describe a scene or to show how a character is feeling . . . “Julianna burst into the kitchen, her face flushed and sweaty. She threw her jacket on
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