Tight writing is a skill worth developing. And by tight, I don’t mean drunk. I mean saying the most in the least amount of words.
“When you have only a sentence or two, there’s nowhere to hide.”
via NYTimes.com.
Editing & Revision
“A good copyeditor can win over a resistant writer. Approaching him as we would an abused puppy, we try to build trust. We ask intelligent questions that express understanding and respect. We assure him that our work will be transparent and the editing negotiable. We emphasize collaboration.”
via “Leave My Prose Alone”: The Resistant Writer – The Subversive Copy Editor Blog.
One space after the period or two spaces? This is one of the more hotly–and tediously–debated issues in writerly circles. (Another is the serial comma.) I’m a one-spacer myself. That’s Chicago Manual of Style
In Slate, Farhad Manjoo explains why you should never use two spaces. But I’m not all that rabid about it. (Two spaces just seems silly to me, but certainly not worth arguing about.) If you want to hang onto your two spaces, just be consistent so you won’t drive your editor or typographer mad. If you want to change, but find it difficult, you can rig Word’s “AutoCorrect” function to fix it for you as you type.
MAD about Words
is the brainchild (and heartchild) of
Mary Ann de Stefano
