Editing required: I just found this in an online story -- Pugh and her husband, Gary Michael Pugh, are expecting their first child. The baby is due in March. That's fine, but you could just say that Pugh and her husband, Gary Michael Pugh, are expecting their first child in March.
I also found this on a different web site -- Lynn Hickey, the Texas-San Antonio athletic director, said, “It’s like we have our own little rock star.” I don't like the way they broke up the attribution. They started the sentence that way because there's a quote from another writer above it. It would read better to start with the quote and finish with ," said Hickey, the Texas-San Antonio athletic director.
Passing: William Safire, the grammarian/columnist/novelist whom I've quoted here occasionally, died this week. The NY Times had a column called On Safire.
More later.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Two times two
Two kinds: You might check out the blog entry on Two kinds of people. The writer, Susan Bearman, has commented on this blog, and she's a member of my freelance network, Freelance Writers and Editors.
Comment: Another reader had a comment on a recent blog -- Jane said... What an interesting comment you make about Mr. Scheckner and his sigh. I just read another blog in which the author criticizes dialogue tags that "play double duty." I wasn't sure what she meant but assume she's referring to the same type of sentence you mention. Writers often want to avoid repeating "said" and "asked," but you clearly illustrate the ways in which that kind of avoidance can go too far. Thanks!
You're welcome.
More later.
Comment: Another reader had a comment on a recent blog -- Jane said... What an interesting comment you make about Mr. Scheckner and his sigh. I just read another blog in which the author criticizes dialogue tags that "play double duty." I wasn't sure what she meant but assume she's referring to the same type of sentence you mention. Writers often want to avoid repeating "said" and "asked," but you clearly illustrate the ways in which that kind of avoidance can go too far. Thanks!
You're welcome.
More later.
Monday, September 28, 2009
A different way
Working it out: Most newspapers and magazines are cutting staff and expenses to the bone, but Condé Nast is unusual in the publishing world, according to this NY Times story called Cuts Meet a Culture of Spending at Condé Nast.
Thought for today: Why do "tug" boats push barges?
Whatcha call it: I love unique names for something sporting. In college basketball, you used to be able to hold the ball to run the clock; North Carolina called it the Four Corners, while the Clemson Tigers called it the Tiger Pause.
The Wildcat offense is rearing its head in the NFL, and some Miami Dolphins people are calling it the WildPat for new Wildcat quarterback Pat White. The Philadelphia Eagles call it the Spread Eagle. Think about it.
Needs editing: This was found online -- “We’ve just outgrown this place,” Mr. Scheckner sighed. No, he didn't sigh it; he said it. It might work better as ...," Mr. Schneckner said with a sigh.
More later.
Thought for today: Why do "tug" boats push barges?
Whatcha call it: I love unique names for something sporting. In college basketball, you used to be able to hold the ball to run the clock; North Carolina called it the Four Corners, while the Clemson Tigers called it the Tiger Pause.
The Wildcat offense is rearing its head in the NFL, and some Miami Dolphins people are calling it the WildPat for new Wildcat quarterback Pat White. The Philadelphia Eagles call it the Spread Eagle. Think about it.
Needs editing: This was found online -- “We’ve just outgrown this place,” Mr. Scheckner sighed. No, he didn't sigh it; he said it. It might work better as ...," Mr. Schneckner said with a sigh.
More later.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Flying off the handle
Perceptions: My wife and I were just watching a Southwest Airlines ad on TV that said that bags fly free. There are several ways to look at that, and at least two are bad. When I was a kid, older women were often called old bags, although rarely before their faces. That gives bags fly free a new meaning. My other thought was that, if bags are flying free, they ought to tie them down.
I realize that's nitpicking, but people have nitpicked my headlines to death. I once wrote a headline about John Cook being tied for the lead in the Buick Open golf tournament. The headline was "Cook, three others tied in Buick." Naturally, someone visualized four guys tied up and gagged in the back of a blue Buick. I had a hard time living that one down.
At the same newspaper, I once opened up the paper to a two-page ad. There were six words in the ad, and it was meant to be read left-to-right. I noticed immediately, though, that if you read just the left page, it was a sexual suggestion. We called the ad people -- we were putting out the live newspaper -- and the chief ad salesman laughed it off. The company advertising with us had signed off on the ad, and there wasn't anything we could do. It had been printed days in advance.
Thought for today: Doesn't "expecting the unexpected" make the unexpected expected?
More later.
I realize that's nitpicking, but people have nitpicked my headlines to death. I once wrote a headline about John Cook being tied for the lead in the Buick Open golf tournament. The headline was "Cook, three others tied in Buick." Naturally, someone visualized four guys tied up and gagged in the back of a blue Buick. I had a hard time living that one down.
At the same newspaper, I once opened up the paper to a two-page ad. There were six words in the ad, and it was meant to be read left-to-right. I noticed immediately, though, that if you read just the left page, it was a sexual suggestion. We called the ad people -- we were putting out the live newspaper -- and the chief ad salesman laughed it off. The company advertising with us had signed off on the ad, and there wasn't anything we could do. It had been printed days in advance.
Thought for today: Doesn't "expecting the unexpected" make the unexpected expected?
More later.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Advice to beginning writers
Rules for writing: I've only read one book by author Jean Lorrah, but I've read the Vulcan Academy Murders (a Star Trek book) at least eight times. In fact, my wife and I have two copies (in case we both want to read it at the same time). Quick bio: Lorrah got her doctorate at Florida State University and teaches English at Murray State.
Here are some of Lorrah's rules about writing.
By the way, I got a thank-you note from Jean Lorrah for the mention in my blog. Classy lady. She said she needs to update the web site, though.
More later.
Here are some of Lorrah's rules about writing.
By the way, I got a thank-you note from Jean Lorrah for the mention in my blog. Classy lady. She said she needs to update the web site, though.
More later.
More editing/writing blog entries
Blog entries on The Auto Racing Journal:
(a book of great stories about the Intimidator)
(the book of great NASCAR stories)
More blog entries by Tom Gillispie
Anecdotes by Tom Gillispie
Friday, September 25, 2009
My headline ear
I wonder: I apologize in advance for using the NY Times yet again for an editing lesson. In this case, I'm not even sure it's wrong; I just wonder about it.
The headline says After a Disappointing First Season, Girardi Adjusts. To my ear, that sounds like the Yankees are having a bad season but are adjusting. Actually, they struggled in 2008. This year, they have the best record in baseball. The problem is Adjusts. It just doesn't seem to fit.
It might be better to change Girardi Adjusts to Girardi Adjusted or Girardi Has Adjusted. The problem with that is that headline writers avoid past tense if possible. Or you might take another tack altogether: Girardi Has Learned From Difficult First Season.
Jobs site: I just found something called eWriters. It has freelance online writing jobs, so it might be worth checking out.
Ooops: I messed up a headline while working at the local newspaper last night; I work there one night a week on a freelance basis. I put the wrong high-school nickname in the headline, and I'm going to worry about it forever. I still remember my errors from 1979.
Another thought: Newspapers generally prefer to say played host rather than hosted. As in, the Bears played host to the Dolphins. Me? I think hosted is fine.
More later.
The headline says After a Disappointing First Season, Girardi Adjusts. To my ear, that sounds like the Yankees are having a bad season but are adjusting. Actually, they struggled in 2008. This year, they have the best record in baseball. The problem is Adjusts. It just doesn't seem to fit.
It might be better to change Girardi Adjusts to Girardi Adjusted or Girardi Has Adjusted. The problem with that is that headline writers avoid past tense if possible. Or you might take another tack altogether: Girardi Has Learned From Difficult First Season.
Jobs site: I just found something called eWriters. It has freelance online writing jobs, so it might be worth checking out.
Ooops: I messed up a headline while working at the local newspaper last night; I work there one night a week on a freelance basis. I put the wrong high-school nickname in the headline, and I'm going to worry about it forever. I still remember my errors from 1979.
Another thought: Newspapers generally prefer to say played host rather than hosted. As in, the Bears played host to the Dolphins. Me? I think hosted is fine.
More later.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Wishes and work
Thought for today: Normally, you'd only see a quote from Vince Lombardi in a blog or story on football. Today, we'll use his quote about hard work. Lombardi was thinking alphabetically.
"The only place (that) success comes before work is in the dictionary." -- Vince Lombardi
I recently re-read Jerry Kramer's books "Instant Replay" and "Distant Replay", and I wish I could have known Lombardi.
Editorial groups: If you're a writer, editor or general freelancer, you might check out my Freelance Writers and Editors group on Yahoo or The Writer's Rescue on Ecademy.
Blogs: If you have an editing or writing blog (or if you have a particular entry you're proud of), let me hear about it. It doesn't even have to be a writing or editing blog. I just like good writing. Thanks.
More later.
"The only place (that) success comes before work is in the dictionary." -- Vince Lombardi
I recently re-read Jerry Kramer's books "Instant Replay" and "Distant Replay", and I wish I could have known Lombardi.
Editorial groups: If you're a writer, editor or general freelancer, you might check out my Freelance Writers and Editors group on Yahoo or The Writer's Rescue on Ecademy.
Blogs: If you have an editing or writing blog (or if you have a particular entry you're proud of), let me hear about it. It doesn't even have to be a writing or editing blog. I just like good writing. Thanks.
More later.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
A day to remember
Our day: Hi, gentle editorial folk. Happy National Punctuation Day (sixth annual). Today, we can celebrate syntax, hyphenations, colons, semicolons, commas, periods and ellipses. And we can explain to non-writers or copy editors that an ellipses has nothing to do with the moon covering up the sun.
Needs editing: I found this newspaper critique about a TV analyst -- Collinsworth needs to drop a verbal tic that leads him to start sentences with the meaningless, “I’ll tell you what” or “I’ll be honest with you.” If you’re going to tell us something, just tell us. We assume honesty.
I once knew a TV sports guy who larded his work with extraneous words, and he wound up on one of the Major League movies. Maybe they liked the flabby verbiage.
More later.
Needs editing: I found this newspaper critique about a TV analyst -- Collinsworth needs to drop a verbal tic that leads him to start sentences with the meaningless, “I’ll tell you what” or “I’ll be honest with you.” If you’re going to tell us something, just tell us. We assume honesty.
I once knew a TV sports guy who larded his work with extraneous words, and he wound up on one of the Major League movies. Maybe they liked the flabby verbiage.
More later.
A good day
Comments: I rarely get comments on this blog, so my three comments today are special. When I saw I had three comments on three different entries, I assumed there was one writer. No. There were three.
One of the comments was strictly complimentary. Freelance Web Designer Chennai said... Its highly informative. I would be visiting your blog hereafter regularly to gather valuable information.
Thanks. I like to learn new things, too.
The second comment referred to a blog entry on spell check: Tomer said... BTW, a good spell check program is Spell Check Anywhere (SpellCheckAnywhere.Com). It adds spell checking to all programs, including blogs. It also has optional grammar checking. Might be of interest.
There is a spell check on this blog. It's been helpful, since I often mistype words as I type quickly.
The third comment: Lubna said... Wow, I didn't know that no word rhymes with my three favourite colours - silver, purple and orange.
Those are three of my favorite colors, too.
BTW, Lubna thanked me for posting a link on LinkedIn. The story I linked to is at The Story Teller. That particular story is not my own; most of them will be.
Thought for today: Why is the word abbreviated such a long word?
More later.
One of the comments was strictly complimentary. Freelance Web Designer Chennai said... Its highly informative. I would be visiting your blog hereafter regularly to gather valuable information.
Thanks. I like to learn new things, too.
The second comment referred to a blog entry on spell check: Tomer said... BTW, a good spell check program is Spell Check Anywhere (SpellCheckAnywhere.Com). It adds spell checking to all programs, including blogs. It also has optional grammar checking. Might be of interest.
There is a spell check on this blog. It's been helpful, since I often mistype words as I type quickly.
The third comment: Lubna said... Wow, I didn't know that no word rhymes with my three favourite colours - silver, purple and orange.
Those are three of my favorite colors, too.
BTW, Lubna thanked me for posting a link on LinkedIn. The story I linked to is at The Story Teller. That particular story is not my own; most of them will be.
Thought for today: Why is the word abbreviated such a long word?
More later.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
The words to know
Publishing terms: If you're looking to write books, you might check out Nathan Bransford's Book Publishing Glossary. Bransford is a literary agent. I've had three books published, but I have to admit that I know much more about journalism terms than book publishing terms.
In the newspaper world, though, it's copy editor, not copyeditor.
Thoughtful journalism: You might check out The libelous line, a column in the University of Virginia's Cavalier Daily. It's a big subject for a college newspaper.
More later.
In the newspaper world, though, it's copy editor, not copyeditor.
Thoughtful journalism: You might check out The libelous line, a column in the University of Virginia's Cavalier Daily. It's a big subject for a college newspaper.
More later.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Making good/bad choices
Check your spelling: I've enjoyed the blog When Spell-Check Can't Help (although I may not have hyphenated spell check). The blog isn't as much about spell check as it's about poor choices in spelling and grammar. It uses diffuse/defuse, roll/role and emotional ringer/emotional wringer (the latter is correct) as examples.
Here's another blog on spell check called Spell-Checking to Disaster. The blog is called Copywrite, Ink.
Editorial groups: If you're a writer, editor or general freelancer, you might check out my Freelance Writers and Editors group on Yahoo or The Writer's Rescue on Ecademy.
Blogs: If you have an editing or writing blog (or if you have a particular entry you're proud of), let me hear about it. It doesn't even have to be a writing or editing blog. I just like good writing. Thanks.
More later.
Here's another blog on spell check called Spell-Checking to Disaster. The blog is called Copywrite, Ink.
Editorial groups: If you're a writer, editor or general freelancer, you might check out my Freelance Writers and Editors group on Yahoo or The Writer's Rescue on Ecademy.
Blogs: If you have an editing or writing blog (or if you have a particular entry you're proud of), let me hear about it. It doesn't even have to be a writing or editing blog. I just like good writing. Thanks.
More later.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Needs work
Needs editing: Check out this sentence from a NY Times story. But as the Lions prepare for their home opener Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings with one blowout loss to the New Orleans Saints already in their pockets, Schwartz, the progeny of ultracompetent football mentors like Jeff Fisher and Bill Belichick, has been plunged into an alternate universe, where the Lions have struggled for so long that one fan compared watching games to self-flagellation.
First, the sentence is WAY too long. It's meandering. Schwartz isn't the progeny of Jeff Fisher and Bill Belichick; he worked for and with them. They were his mentors. It's interesting to see ultracompetent and self-flagellation on a story about pro football. The writer packed a lot of information into one sentence. I think she reached too far. But that's why we have editors. Or need them.
Da Vinci editing: If you like to find fault with Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code, you might look up this story from the Telegraph. It gives the 20 worst sentences from Dan Brown, plus explanations of why they're bad.
Needs editing: The Atlanta Journal's web site has a headline that says "Jackets lose first game of season." The problem is that Georgia Tech didn't lose the first game of the season. It suffered its first loss of the season.
More later.
First, the sentence is WAY too long. It's meandering. Schwartz isn't the progeny of Jeff Fisher and Bill Belichick; he worked for and with them. They were his mentors. It's interesting to see ultracompetent and self-flagellation on a story about pro football. The writer packed a lot of information into one sentence. I think she reached too far. But that's why we have editors. Or need them.
Da Vinci editing: If you like to find fault with Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code, you might look up this story from the Telegraph. It gives the 20 worst sentences from Dan Brown, plus explanations of why they're bad.
Needs editing: The Atlanta Journal's web site has a headline that says "Jackets lose first game of season." The problem is that Georgia Tech didn't lose the first game of the season. It suffered its first loss of the season.
More later.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Rhyme this
It doesn't rhyme: No words rhyme with silver, purple, month and orange. Try it.
Needs editing: I just saw a TV network with LESS COMMERCIALS at the bottom of the screen. It's not less commercials; it's FEWER commercials. Take my word for it.
House it: A Fresno State player scored two touchdowns Friday night, and some guy on ESPN said that he housed it twice. Gag.
Cool stuff: Have you heard of a palindrome? It's a word that's spelled the same forward and backward (kayak, level and racecar are examples, although I think of race car as two words). ... Only four words in the English language end in 'dous': tremendous, horrendous, stupendous, and hazardous.
Blogs: If you have an editing or writing blog (or if you have a particular entry you're proud of), let me hear about it. It doesn't even have to be a writing or editing blog. I just like good writing. Thanks.
More later.
Needs editing: I just saw a TV network with LESS COMMERCIALS at the bottom of the screen. It's not less commercials; it's FEWER commercials. Take my word for it.
House it: A Fresno State player scored two touchdowns Friday night, and some guy on ESPN said that he housed it twice. Gag.
Cool stuff: Have you heard of a palindrome? It's a word that's spelled the same forward and backward (kayak, level and racecar are examples, although I think of race car as two words). ... Only four words in the English language end in 'dous': tremendous, horrendous, stupendous, and hazardous.
Blogs: If you have an editing or writing blog (or if you have a particular entry you're proud of), let me hear about it. It doesn't even have to be a writing or editing blog. I just like good writing. Thanks.
More later.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Running the gauntlet or gantlet
Word games: Remember the Clint Eastwood movie "The Gauntlet"? Eastwood faced all kinds of obstacles while taking a prostitute, played by Sondra Locke, from Las Vegas. At one time, a gauntlet was a glove for a set of armor, and a gantlet was a series of tests.
The second definition of gauntlet comes closer here.
If dictionaries are changing the word, it won't last long.
The second definition of gauntlet comes closer here.
gaunt·let 2 also gant·let (gôntlt, gänt-) n.Definition of run the gantlet:
1. a. A form of punishment or torture in which people armed with sticks or other weapons arrange themselves in two lines facing each other and beat the person forced to run between them.
b. The lines of people so arranged.
2. An onslaught or attack from all sides: "The hostages . . . ran the gauntlet of insult on their way to the airport" (Harper's).
3. A severe trial; an ordeal.
1. to be punished by means of the gantletWhy did I bring this up? I just found gantlet used correctly. Early in Wednesday's practice, the skill-position players ran a gantlet of blocking pads thrust at them by teammates.
2. to proceed while under attack from both sides, as by criticism
If dictionaries are changing the word, it won't last long.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Shooting your own
Not-so-friendly: I always cringe when military folk talk about friendly fire. There's nothing friendly about it. Pat Tillman, the former NFL player, died of friendly fire (killed by his compatriots), and I believe that Confederate general Stonewall Jackson died the same way. Jackson was shot in the arm; it was amputated, but he got pneumonia and died.
I've tried to think of an alternative for friendly fire. Shooting your own?
More later.
I've tried to think of an alternative for friendly fire. Shooting your own?
More later.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Watching words
Word games: I just found the word "umwelts," which looks German. It is. Turns out it means environment or surroundings. I can't imagine using it -- I'd come off as a smart*** -- but each to his own. ... I also found "crapulous," which sounds like a cross between fabulous and something you don't want to get involved with. It means (1) given to or characterized by gross excess in drinking or eating, or (2) suffering from or due to such excess.
Bad biz: Business must be bad in the business of business, since the magazine Business Week is struggling. Check the NY Times story. But it's not just Business Week; all print media outlets are battling.
More later.
Bad biz: Business must be bad in the business of business, since the magazine Business Week is struggling. Check the NY Times story. But it's not just Business Week; all print media outlets are battling.
More later.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Book reviews
After further review: You might check out the book reviews at Book Reader's Heaven, a blog featuring various writers. The most recent book under review is "Courage of Fear" by Barbara Boyer.
More later.
More later.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Iron Horse-ing around
Comparing eras: NYTimes.com ran an interesting story today about an article that ran 80 years ago. Lou Gehrig was portrayed an unsophisticated mama's boy who fished for eels and ate his mama's cooking. The story is called The Iron Horse and the New Yorker Profile. The reason for the article? Derek Jeter tied Gehrig, nicknamed the Iron Horse, on the New York Yankees' career hit list.
Why should I mention this? It's interesting to compare a story from the '30s with one today. As they article said, no one would write a story like this about Jeter.
The whole thing: I love stuff like this. This sentence -- 'The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog' -- uses every letter of the alphabet. Is there a z? Yes. A q? Yes. An x? yes. They're all there.
More later.
Why should I mention this? It's interesting to compare a story from the '30s with one today. As they article said, no one would write a story like this about Jeter.
The whole thing: I love stuff like this. This sentence -- 'The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog' -- uses every letter of the alphabet. Is there a z? Yes. A q? Yes. An x? yes. They're all there.
More later.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Networking
Editorial networks: If you're a writer or editor, you might check out the Freelance Writers and Editors network on Yahoo and The Writer's Rescue on Ecademy. I'm the leader of both.
Keeping quiet: I would have used the word quieter, but a caption for photos from the Hubble Space Telescope used the term more quiescent. So I looked it up.
No, I can't imagine using quiescently as an adverb.
More later.
Keeping quiet: I would have used the word quieter, but a caption for photos from the Hubble Space Telescope used the term more quiescent. So I looked it up.
* qui·es·cent
* Pronunciation: \-sənt\
* Function: adjective
* Etymology: Latin quiescent-, quiescens, present participle of quiescere to become quiet, rest, from quies
* Date: 1605
1 : marked by inactivity or repose : tranquilly at rest
2 : causing no trouble or symptoms
synonyms see latent
— qui·es·cent·ly adverb
No, I can't imagine using quiescently as an adverb.
More later.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Another fine mess...
In a word: My wife just used the word frowsy, an unfamiliar word, so I looked it up.
Head games: The N.Y. Times had an interesting headline on a Maureen Dowd column -- "Less Spocky, More Rocky." I assume they were referring to the movie "Rocky" and the TV show "Star Trek." No way of knowing for sure. ... Dowd used the word ensorcelled, so I had to look that up, too. Comes from the word sorcery, means bewitch or enchant. I always liked Elizabeth Montgomery. Nice nose.
Unkindest cuts: Here's a blog called Editors Suffer From Recession Cuts. It hits home with me. I lost two jobs within eight months in May of 2008 and January of 2009.
Needs editing: Got this from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution — Atlanta's five-game losing skid has likely diminished the team's postseason chances. You can't have a winning skid, so Atlanta's five-game skid... should work just fine. ... Ten-times NBA All Star guard Allen Iverson, currently a free agent, said on Wednesday he was moving to the Memphis Grizzlies. Iverson is a 10-time all-star, not 10-times.
More later.
frow·zy also frow·sy (frouz)
adj. frow·zi·er also frow·si·er, frow·zi·est also frow·si·est
1. Unkempt; slovenly: frowzy clothes; a frowzy professor.
2. Having an unpleasant smell; musty: a frowzy pantry.
Adj. 1. frowsy - negligent of neatness especially in dress and person; habitually dirty and unkempt; "filled the door with her frowzy bulk"; "frowzy white hair"; "slovenly appearance"That means my dog is a mess.
Head games: The N.Y. Times had an interesting headline on a Maureen Dowd column -- "Less Spocky, More Rocky." I assume they were referring to the movie "Rocky" and the TV show "Star Trek." No way of knowing for sure. ... Dowd used the word ensorcelled, so I had to look that up, too. Comes from the word sorcery, means bewitch or enchant. I always liked Elizabeth Montgomery. Nice nose.
Unkindest cuts: Here's a blog called Editors Suffer From Recession Cuts. It hits home with me. I lost two jobs within eight months in May of 2008 and January of 2009.
Needs editing: Got this from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution — Atlanta's five-game losing skid has likely diminished the team's postseason chances. You can't have a winning skid, so Atlanta's five-game skid... should work just fine. ... Ten-times NBA All Star guard Allen Iverson, currently a free agent, said on Wednesday he was moving to the Memphis Grizzlies. Iverson is a 10-time all-star, not 10-times.
More later.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
One man's take on the media
Creepy media: Here's a CBS Sports column on the creepiness of the media following the Michael Vick/dogfighting fiasco called Thank clueless media -- and you -- for Vick saturation. The creepiness won't end soon, because Vick will be able to play for the Philadephia Eagles in about three weeks.
Peeve this: If you have a lot of pet peeves (and I do), you might try the web site snippets.
Jobs in journalism: Maybe it's just the holiday weekend, but there aren't many jobs on JournalismJobs.com.
The obvious: I was watching TV yesterday, and they showed a shot of Richard Petty. Under his name it said RACING LEGEND. Well, duh. It's like Babe Ruth and Muhammad Ali; doesn't need explanation.
Helping yourself: Here's a blog on 25 things journalists can do to future-proof their careers. The first one is about starting a blog.
Needs editing: In an Associated Press story on the president speaking to school children, it read: Upon arrival at the school, Obama's motorcade was greeted by a small band of protesters. One carried a sign exclaiming: "Mr. President, stay away from our kids." The first sentence would read better as A small band of protesters greeted Obama's motorcade at the school.
Writing help: Here's an article on writing strong but flawed characters.
My opinion: This paragraph was found online today -- Whomever the Dolphins start at wide receiver -- Ted Ginn Jr., Davone Bess and Greg Camarillo clearly separated from rookies Brian Hartline and Patrick Turner during the last week of preseason -- all five wide receivers could see chunks of action on offense. I would go with whoever to start the sentence. Why? Whoever the Dolphins start is a nominal; it works as one word. So it should be whoever.
And that sentence is w-a-a-y too long.
More later.
Peeve this: If you have a lot of pet peeves (and I do), you might try the web site snippets.
Jobs in journalism: Maybe it's just the holiday weekend, but there aren't many jobs on JournalismJobs.com.
The obvious: I was watching TV yesterday, and they showed a shot of Richard Petty. Under his name it said RACING LEGEND. Well, duh. It's like Babe Ruth and Muhammad Ali; doesn't need explanation.
Helping yourself: Here's a blog on 25 things journalists can do to future-proof their careers. The first one is about starting a blog.
Needs editing: In an Associated Press story on the president speaking to school children, it read: Upon arrival at the school, Obama's motorcade was greeted by a small band of protesters. One carried a sign exclaiming: "Mr. President, stay away from our kids." The first sentence would read better as A small band of protesters greeted Obama's motorcade at the school.
Writing help: Here's an article on writing strong but flawed characters.
My opinion: This paragraph was found online today -- Whomever the Dolphins start at wide receiver -- Ted Ginn Jr., Davone Bess and Greg Camarillo clearly separated from rookies Brian Hartline and Patrick Turner during the last week of preseason -- all five wide receivers could see chunks of action on offense. I would go with whoever to start the sentence. Why? Whoever the Dolphins start is a nominal; it works as one word. So it should be whoever.
And that sentence is w-a-a-y too long.
More later.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Visual blog
Blog to watch: Maira Kalman does a terrific visual blog on NYTimes.com called And the Pursuit of Happiness. I especially liked the ones on Thomas Jefferson and Ben Franklin. My wife loved the one on Abraham Lincoln (I may not have found that one yet), and the newest seems to be a weird history of the U.S. Check it out.
More later.
More later.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Writing with style
Keep it simple: During a job interview years ago, a sports editor told me that I had the simplest writing style he'd seen. He didn't see tangled webs in my sentences, and I took that as a compliment.
Recently, one of the readers of this blog commented: "I like your no-nonsense writing style, and appreciate your generosity on this blog."
I can't compare myself to Ernest Hemingway, but I've always used his approach: "My aim is to put down on paper what I see and what I feel in the best and simplest way," he said.
That said, my advice is to use your natural style; don't try to imitate an established writer. If you write like Hemingway, more power to you; just don't leave any guns lying around.
Freelance network: You might try the Freelance Writers And Editors network on Yahoo. It's a three-year-old network with an active membership.
Book him, Dano: I haven't read The Craft & Business Of Writing yet, but you might check it out.
The letter: Here's an example of a great query letter to an agent.
More later.
Recently, one of the readers of this blog commented: "I like your no-nonsense writing style, and appreciate your generosity on this blog."
I can't compare myself to Ernest Hemingway, but I've always used his approach: "My aim is to put down on paper what I see and what I feel in the best and simplest way," he said.
That said, my advice is to use your natural style; don't try to imitate an established writer. If you write like Hemingway, more power to you; just don't leave any guns lying around.
Freelance network: You might try the Freelance Writers And Editors network on Yahoo. It's a three-year-old network with an active membership.
Book him, Dano: I haven't read The Craft & Business Of Writing yet, but you might check it out.
The letter: Here's an example of a great query letter to an agent.
More later.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Tangled mess
Tangled web: If you like tangled sentences, you might check out Prepositions on the Loose on the NYTimes.com web site. Some of the examples are funny, and most aren't that easy to untangle.
Quash this: On Friday night, a writer said that a team managed to squash a rally. I changed it to quash; I doubt that they squashed anyone.
Followers: I see that this blog has attracted 29 followers. Greetings and welcome to you all. I'm thrilled, and a bit humbled, that you're here. If you have any comments or suggestions for blog entries, I'd like to hear them.
More later.
Quash this: On Friday night, a writer said that a team managed to squash a rally. I changed it to quash; I doubt that they squashed anyone.
quash 2 (kwsh)
tr.v. quashed, quash·ing, quash·es
To put down or suppress forcibly and completely: quash a rebellion.
Followers: I see that this blog has attracted 29 followers. Greetings and welcome to you all. I'm thrilled, and a bit humbled, that you're here. If you have any comments or suggestions for blog entries, I'd like to hear them.
More later.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Quotes, jump lines and other stuff
Editing a quotation: Normally, I don't mind adding information to a direct quotation. "It was a great year for (head coach) Joe Schmoe," said John Doe, Schmoe's assistant.
But I found this quote on Thursday: "He’s in [Executive Vice President of Football Operations] Bill Parcells’ office every day, changing player names who are waived, signed, or what have you," Leo Howe said. “He didn’t want to coach, he wanted to be in the front office."
That is too much. I might take out the bracketed part and change the attribution to ," Leo Howe said of the Miami Dolphins' executive vice president of football operations. And that last sentence might be better as "He didn't want to coach; he wanted to be in the front office."
Jump lines: I find jump lines interesting. In 1983, I interviewed a guy named Charles Seay, and his last name was pronounced See. Our jump-line style for his story made it SEE SEAY, Page 2-C. Sounded redundant.
Web site: Check out Word Reference. It looks like it'll be a useful site.
More later.
But I found this quote on Thursday: "He’s in [Executive Vice President of Football Operations] Bill Parcells’ office every day, changing player names who are waived, signed, or what have you," Leo Howe said. “He didn’t want to coach, he wanted to be in the front office."
That is too much. I might take out the bracketed part and change the attribution to ," Leo Howe said of the Miami Dolphins' executive vice president of football operations. And that last sentence might be better as "He didn't want to coach; he wanted to be in the front office."
Jump lines: I find jump lines interesting. In 1983, I interviewed a guy named Charles Seay, and his last name was pronounced See. Our jump-line style for his story made it SEE SEAY, Page 2-C. Sounded redundant.
Web site: Check out Word Reference. It looks like it'll be a useful site.
More later.
More SpeedEditor blog entries
Blog entries on The Auto Racing Journal:
(a book of great stories about the Intimidator)
(the book of great NASCAR stories)
More blog entries by Tom Gillispie
Anecdotes by Tom Gillispie
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Freelance work
What I do: Someone mentioned last week that she'd never heard of anyone working on a freelance basis on a newspaper copy desk. It wasn't done so much a few years ago, but cutbacks in newspaper staff will cause changes in the next few years. They're already changing.
Two nights a week, I edit local and wire copy at the local newspaper; I write headlines; I write cutlines (they're called captions by non-newspaper folk). We have a guy who takes stories off the wire and gets a first look at local copy; he's the "slot man" at most papers; here, he's the night editor. We have a guy who handles "agate," the tiny type that takes up a lot of space in sports sections. Another guy puts together baseball roundups and reads stories.
I'm always a rim man, which means I sometimes put together or edit roundups, and I edit stories. I edit the briefs package, stories about football, baseball, tennis, golf, auto racing. I battle dull copy, trying to spiff it up. I look for a good headline that will set a story off. In the last half hour every night, I fight the clock. I "hear" a timer in my head as I race to meet deadline. Sometimes I do more stories in the last 45 minutes than I do in the six hours leading up.
Sometimes, I can take my time and leisurely edit copy; other times, I have to just plow through stories.
When I'm not making cameo appearances at the newspaper, I'm doing other editing and proofreading, including novels, non-fiction books and the occasional ebook. I do the obvious: I look for typos, misspellings and factual errors. But it goes far beyond that.
While editing and vetting a novel last year, I quickly realized that the author had an Army general using a rifle to kill snipers. I told her that it was her business, but a general would never be put in that situation. A colonel? Maybe, but not likely. A major? Possibly.
She laughed. It turns out that she knew that a general would never be caught with a rifle shooting snipers. She hoped that no one would catch it. If I caught it, she said, someone else would; so she turned the general into a major. The storyline immediately became more believable.
One of her characters was a double agent, and she'd use one name part of the time and the other name at other times. I found it confusing, and I told her so. I also reminded her to occasionally add that Joe is a colleague and Jim is a relative; in fact, it wouldn't hurt to give the full name, Joe Martin and Jim Bronson, or whatever the names are. In a 300-page novel, the reader needs help in remembering characters.
In another book, this one about ancient Egypt, she had a character whose name didn't seem to fit the time and place. She changed it.
Most of my work is grunt work, whether it's in fiction or non-fiction books, letters, web sites, term papers or whatever. I look for parallel construction, changes of tense, tangled sentences. If I find a 50-word sentence, I'll look for ways to convert it to a least two or preferably three or more sentences.
I look for the quickest and simplest way to say something.
I ask questions: Does the writer need "utilize" when "use" will do? Can we say this in 50 or 100 fewer words? Is this sentence clear? Can we make it crystal clear?
Is this comma necessary? Should it be a semicolon or a dash? On further review, would this sentence be better with a comma? Is the writer using too many exclamation and question marks? Don't think that these decisions take forever; they're almost instantaneous (I've been doing this 30 years).
The author mentioned above had trouble with punctuation. She'd have a quote with a question or exclamation mark AND a comma -- "We never eat out anymore. Why is that?," Martha asked. She didn't need the comma.
I've been pleased with her improvement. I find fewer typos and outright mistakes. Her copy's cleaner and easier to read. In fact, I'm still reading her work, and she's getting better by the chapter.
Recently, I was "Americanizing" British non-fiction books for sale in the Americas. I change "favour" to "favor," "maximise" to "maximize," and "behaviour" to "behavior." "Loo" becomes "toilet"; "solicitor" turns into "lawyer", and "lift" becomes "elevator." With the help of Google, British slang is translated, and when I can, I change soccer analogies to baseball, basketball and American football. It works better for U.S. audiences.
I do more than that, of course, but you get a flavour, no, flavor of what I do.
I remind the writer to proofread and edit his/her work a few minutes and a few days later, time permitting. I tell writers to always get a second or third pair of eyes on your work, and don't trust Aunt Jane or Uncle Bernie. A professional editor can make your writing sparkle and make you look good.
It's all part of editing, and it's rarely easy. Whether I'm editing a book or working the sports copy desk, my job is to help the writer and the reader. I can make the writer's writing shine. My headline, if it's good, can draw in the reader. And my editing will help the reader get the most information in the easiest manner.
It's an invisible job, but the writer can't do his job without me.
And when I'm not editing? I'm writing stories, books, whatever you need. Once, I interviewed a restaurateur for a newspaper story, and he asked if I was a freelancer. He needed someone to write his online bio. I said, yes, sir, I am.
Prices: Several people have asked me what prices to charge. You might look at this article found online: How Much Should I Charge?
Two nights a week, I edit local and wire copy at the local newspaper; I write headlines; I write cutlines (they're called captions by non-newspaper folk). We have a guy who takes stories off the wire and gets a first look at local copy; he's the "slot man" at most papers; here, he's the night editor. We have a guy who handles "agate," the tiny type that takes up a lot of space in sports sections. Another guy puts together baseball roundups and reads stories.
I'm always a rim man, which means I sometimes put together or edit roundups, and I edit stories. I edit the briefs package, stories about football, baseball, tennis, golf, auto racing. I battle dull copy, trying to spiff it up. I look for a good headline that will set a story off. In the last half hour every night, I fight the clock. I "hear" a timer in my head as I race to meet deadline. Sometimes I do more stories in the last 45 minutes than I do in the six hours leading up.
Sometimes, I can take my time and leisurely edit copy; other times, I have to just plow through stories.
When I'm not making cameo appearances at the newspaper, I'm doing other editing and proofreading, including novels, non-fiction books and the occasional ebook. I do the obvious: I look for typos, misspellings and factual errors. But it goes far beyond that.
While editing and vetting a novel last year, I quickly realized that the author had an Army general using a rifle to kill snipers. I told her that it was her business, but a general would never be put in that situation. A colonel? Maybe, but not likely. A major? Possibly.
She laughed. It turns out that she knew that a general would never be caught with a rifle shooting snipers. She hoped that no one would catch it. If I caught it, she said, someone else would; so she turned the general into a major. The storyline immediately became more believable.
One of her characters was a double agent, and she'd use one name part of the time and the other name at other times. I found it confusing, and I told her so. I also reminded her to occasionally add that Joe is a colleague and Jim is a relative; in fact, it wouldn't hurt to give the full name, Joe Martin and Jim Bronson, or whatever the names are. In a 300-page novel, the reader needs help in remembering characters.
In another book, this one about ancient Egypt, she had a character whose name didn't seem to fit the time and place. She changed it.
Most of my work is grunt work, whether it's in fiction or non-fiction books, letters, web sites, term papers or whatever. I look for parallel construction, changes of tense, tangled sentences. If I find a 50-word sentence, I'll look for ways to convert it to a least two or preferably three or more sentences.
I look for the quickest and simplest way to say something.
I ask questions: Does the writer need "utilize" when "use" will do? Can we say this in 50 or 100 fewer words? Is this sentence clear? Can we make it crystal clear?
Is this comma necessary? Should it be a semicolon or a dash? On further review, would this sentence be better with a comma? Is the writer using too many exclamation and question marks? Don't think that these decisions take forever; they're almost instantaneous (I've been doing this 30 years).
The author mentioned above had trouble with punctuation. She'd have a quote with a question or exclamation mark AND a comma -- "We never eat out anymore. Why is that?," Martha asked. She didn't need the comma.
I've been pleased with her improvement. I find fewer typos and outright mistakes. Her copy's cleaner and easier to read. In fact, I'm still reading her work, and she's getting better by the chapter.
Recently, I was "Americanizing" British non-fiction books for sale in the Americas. I change "favour" to "favor," "maximise" to "maximize," and "behaviour" to "behavior." "Loo" becomes "toilet"; "solicitor" turns into "lawyer", and "lift" becomes "elevator." With the help of Google, British slang is translated, and when I can, I change soccer analogies to baseball, basketball and American football. It works better for U.S. audiences.
I do more than that, of course, but you get a flavour, no, flavor of what I do.
I remind the writer to proofread and edit his/her work a few minutes and a few days later, time permitting. I tell writers to always get a second or third pair of eyes on your work, and don't trust Aunt Jane or Uncle Bernie. A professional editor can make your writing sparkle and make you look good.
It's all part of editing, and it's rarely easy. Whether I'm editing a book or working the sports copy desk, my job is to help the writer and the reader. I can make the writer's writing shine. My headline, if it's good, can draw in the reader. And my editing will help the reader get the most information in the easiest manner.
It's an invisible job, but the writer can't do his job without me.
And when I'm not editing? I'm writing stories, books, whatever you need. Once, I interviewed a restaurateur for a newspaper story, and he asked if I was a freelancer. He needed someone to write his online bio. I said, yes, sir, I am.
Prices: Several people have asked me what prices to charge. You might look at this article found online: How Much Should I Charge?
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