Larry M. Edwards's Blog, page 8
July 12, 2016
Ten Most Common Errors Made by Writers: #6
From the Editor’s Eye
The 10 Most Common Errors Made by Writers
(And How to Fix Them)
The fifth of a ten-part series.
#6. A Tense Moment: Word Context, Past & Present
You and I are sitting at a bar, having a beer, and I tell you about an incident that occurred last week, while driving home from work: At a stop light, in the car next to me, I saw a friend I hadn’t seen in ten years. Then, pointing out a little irony, I add that just yesterday I had thought of him and wondered what he’s up to...
July 7, 2016
Ten Most Common Errors Made by Writers: #7
From the Editor’s Eye
The 10 Most Common Errors Made by Writers
(And How to Fix Them)
The fourth of a ten-part series.
#7. Three Dots and Out: Give Your Ellipsis Elbow Room
Ellipsis points indicate omitted text or, in dialogue, hesitation. Ellipses are also used in “three-dot journalism” (gossip columns) to give the impression of rambling thoughts.
An ellipsis comprises three points or dots. Sometimes you see four dots, but that’s when the mark is used at the end of a complete sentence—the...
July 5, 2016
Ten Most Common Errors Made by Writers: #8
From the Editor’s Eye
The 10 Most Common Errors Made by Writers
(And How to Fix Them)
The third of a ten-part series.
#8. Word Contortion: Homophones Can Trip (if not amuse) the Reader
Some folks confuse similar-sounding words and use them in an inappropriate context. These are the homophones I encounter most often, in published works as well as unpolished drafts.
Yeah, yeah, I know more and more people are using voice recognition software to dictate their work and this type of error may c...
July 1, 2016
‘The music commenced’— Gettysburg turns tide for Union army
I posted this last year, but it deserved repeating . . .
One hundred and fifty-two years ago today, “the music commenced” at Gettysburg. The quoted phrase comes from Private Oney F. Sweet, who made reference to the artillery barrages that signaled the beginning of battle.
Confederate General Lee had marched his army from Virginia into Pennsylvania, and the Union forces made a counter move to cut him off. They collided at the small town of Gettysburg.
Sweet and his comrade...
News you can use — July 1, 2016
Reblogging . . .
Violent Loss Resources Newsletter, July 1, 2016
News you can use … collected for you in June. (Scroll down to see all.)
Contents include:
Topic of the Month: The Criminal Justice Process
Question of the Month: What tips do you have?
News: Orlando
Inspiration: I’ll Cry Again
Book Resource: Accidental Truth
What you missed last month
Murder Survivor’s Handbook Chapter Six: The Criminal Justice Process 
This chapter is full of hel...
June 30, 2016
Ten Most Common Errors Made by Writers: #9
From the Editor’s Eye
The 10 Most Common Errors Made by Writers
(And How to Fix Them)
The second of a ten-part series.
#9. Commagain? Oxford Comma, Comma Splice & Dialogue Punchuating Bag
The comma, the plow horse of punctuation, has several uses. This piece addresses three of the them: in a series (the serial or Oxford comma), as a comma splice, and when punctuating dialogue.
Commatose
As copy editor for the San Diego Reader, I witnessed a shouting match between a fellow copy editor and the...
June 27, 2016
Ten Most Common Errors Made by Writers: #10
From the Editor’s Eye
The 10 Most Common Errors Made by Writers
(And How to Fix Them)
The first of a ten-part series.
#10. They’re, Their Now: Contractions & Homonymic Convergence
Our ears (and eyes) play dirty tricks on us when it comes to contractions and the words that sound like them. The process can cause us great anxiety as we think back to our eighth-grade English class and try to recall the rules Ms. Bitterlip laid out for us.
I encounter these examples most often:
They’re, Their, Th...From the Editor’s Eye: The 10 Most Common Errors Made by Writers
A ten-part series.
Introduction
The other day I went to the dentist (yes, editing is a bit like pulling teeth) and my hygienist told me she had just read a book written by one of her other patients. She liked the story, but she said the book had so many errors that it distracted her and left her feeling embarrassed for the author. She debated whether she would read any other books by that author.
Errors in written material are like potholes in roads.
With the ever-increasing number of books b...
June 22, 2016
Book Review: The Fine Print of Self-Publishing, Sixth Edition
The Fine Print of Self-Publishing: A Primer on Contracts, Printing Costs, Royalties, Distribution, Ebooks, and Marketing (sixth edition) by Mark Levine is a “must read” for anyone thinking of self-publishing a book, or who has already published and wants to consider other options.
Not only does the primer cover the basics described in its title, it reveals the stark financial realities—“warts and all”—of self-publishing that many authors either do not understand or haven’t learned by doing th...
June 7, 2016
News You Can Use – June 1, 2016
Violent Loss Resources Newsletter, June 1, 2016
Violent Loss Resources Newsletter, June 1, 2016
News you can use … collected for you in May. (Scroll down to see all)
Contents will vary somewhat month to month, as we close out this month, our contents include:
Me
Topic of the Month: The Homicide Investigation
Question of the Month: What tips and lessons would you like to pass on to others?
Resource of the Month: Black’s Online Law Dictionary
Inspiration: Some things hav...
