James Joyce avoided even the most basic of punctuation marks, Gertrude Stein couldn’t stand the question mark and the misuse of apostrophes has sent even the most laidback grammar pedant into hysterics. No matter what you think of punctuation, it is all around us. So, what are the most important marks?
Having exhausted all the really good box sets on Netflix during lockdown, and with the nights drawing in, I’m revisiting some ‘old’ movies that make me laugh.
For proofreaders and editors, track changes is a familiar Word document command. It allows us to visibly alter the text – from minor deletions and insertions to significant format changes and entire paragraph rewrites.
It’s a familiar scene: you’ve eagerly plunged your hand into the little drawstring purse containing the Scrabble tiles, only to lift out a disproportionate number of word-resisting consonants.
Writing is a personal thing. Whether it is for a blog, a publication or a report, we all have our own style. So, when someone criticises it, it is only natural to become defensive.
Perhaps you have some time on your hands during lockdown and you’re interested in learning more about proofreading and editing, or maybe you have your eye on a career change. We’ve put together a selection of recommended reading so you can get a sense of what we do and how we do it.
I’m calling out obfuscation and weasel-speak. I’ve had enough. Why can’t people (and especially politicians) say what they really mean in language we can all understand?
Here’s a guest post from Jenny, who was once a House of Commons Clerk and is now an Editor at Blackstaff Press. In this blog, she delves into some editorial processes in parliamentary procedure and procedural language.
If you have ever tried a pudding recipe, you will understand that baking is both an art and a science – with results that can be heavenly ego-boosting or as disastrously deflating as an interrupted soufflé.
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