There is nothing like working as copy editor in an area of writing with strict guidelines to make you appreciate creative writing. Because in the world of journalism and house rules, creativity is often put on a sacrificial altar — well, if you haven’t earned the right to use “I” — to meet strict viewpointsContinue reading “Why I love creative writing”
Tag Archives: grammar
Who Said What: Dialogue Tags and Properly Punctuating Them
Dialogue tags play a vital rule in fiction. They provide clarity to readers about who is speaking. Of course, not every quote requires a dialogue tag, but it should be a rule of thumb that where there is the potential for confusion, a tag should be placed. So what is a dialogue tag? They areContinue reading “Who Said What: Dialogue Tags and Properly Punctuating Them”
Pause before you place that comma
Just because you have two or more adjectives before a noun doesn’t necessarily mean you need to place a comma between each one. This is one of my biggest pet peeves as a copyeditor, right up there with hyphens attaching a -ly adjective to another adjective (ex. publicly-owned building should be publicly owned building) orContinue reading “Pause before you place that comma”
To hyphenate or not to hypenate
As a copy editor, I have to read a lot of freelancers’ articles, and often times, I am amazed at the interesting grammar choices they bring into the sterile, grammar disease-free environment of our editorial office. They bring in grammar flavors of the month, going in cycles of wanting to put a comma here oneContinue reading “To hyphenate or not to hypenate”
Blood & Ink 