How do you remember which word is right?
This past week, an author questioned if I’d used the right word. Should the sentence refer to the decision to add or to ad an accessory to his car?
As I responded to his email, my brain invented a memory trick to distinguish the two. “We want the word related to ADDitional,” I wrote, “not ADvertising.”
And other reasons you may need an editor.
“I hope I don’t catch flack from my wife,” the author wrote me, “for having to write on Mother’s Day.”
I understood what he meant, even if he didn’t type flak.
What’s the difference? The first means a publicity agent. The second is a burst of anti-aircraft fire. I know which one I’d rather catch.
How can you insure … Continue reading
Can you condense what you need to say?
A few months ago, I met a writer whose article I plan to print in the magazine’s next issue. He’s a font of true-life anecdotes.
Like other natural communicators, he enjoys telling longs stories. But he could, if pressed, tell a short version.
For writers, that’s a wonderful skill.
I wanted to include my new friend’s article. But … Continue reading