Having occasionally received corrections of my grammar from people who either weren’t listening in school, or who wanted me to adopt rules from the 18th or 19th century, I really liked The very model of an amateur grammarian. (Yes, go right ahead and send me an email telling me the previous sentence is too long and complex. Try it!)
(HT: The ever delightful Language Log. Picture Credit: Easy Clipart)
… provided by Dr. Platypus. I’d add, “Have something to write.” And I’m less concerned about passives than most. (If you think the previous sentence is passive, you need to study some more.)
… from Nick Harrison. (HT: Adrian Warnock) Let me start by saying that good author/editor relationships are very, very important. … Read! Enjoy! Learn!
Dr Dolly Says …ASK YOUR MAMA! By Dolly Haik-Adams Berthelot © 2025 If you are fortunate enough to still have a Mother this Mother’s Day, let’s consider getting to know her a little better. How do you do that after maybe “knowing her” for decades? ASK SOME QUESTIONS! And listen to her answers. Really listen….
I’ve often commented to authors who are doing rewrites that they’re going the wrong way. In general, as an editor, I was hoping for some reduction in the word count while revising. I didn’t realize the tendency to increase the number of words is a scientifically demonstrable fact. There has been a study. And it…
(A sequel to Writers: Consider Your Audience.) You might be thinking that I should have talked first about choosing an audience. You may be correct. On the other hand, I think it’s critical to understand that your audience makes a difference in what you write. Writing can be a lonely task. It’s just you and…
From Dave Black Online: 5) Being the ultimate obscurantist, I’ve been asked (as you know) to present a case for the Pauline authorship of Hebrews next month in Washington, DC. As someone who frequently espouses minority points of view, I found this statement about conformity fascinating: Although conformity generally leads individuals to think and act…
