Jun10

Semicolons, Oh how I loath thee

by CatrinaTaylor on June 10, 2011 at 9:22 am
Posted In: Guest Posts

I’ve been asked to help a friend out and keep his blog up to date while he’s unable to. Sounds delightful until he told me it was his Editors Corner… he’s the editor I’m the writer, rewriter, marketer that kind of stuff… soo… this is what I came up with.

The Semicolon is something Jason (the editor) and I are often conflicted with. This is a pesky little mark in the middle of the page that, for me, disrupts the flow of a sentence. It sits there, separating my goals for the sentence flow and structure and drives me up a wall. Often when the issue comes up, I reformat a paragraph… and my beloved editor finds me entertaining for it. It’s also a very ugly mark, but that’s just my opinion. So… I took some time to look up the proper use of the Semi-Colon and yes, he’s always correct with it.

 

According to the book Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. and EB White, Fourth Edition the proper use of the Semicolon is this:

If two or more clauses grammatically complete and not joined by a conjunction are to form a single compound sentence, the proper mark of punctuation is a semicolon.

Basically, my understanding is that anything we write that could be two sentences but are intended to be one, should be divided by a semicolon.

For example this is correct:

Mel Comley’s books are entertaining. Each one draws you in completely.

but so is this:

Mel Comley’s books are entertaining; each one draws you in completely.

however, should a conjunction be inserted into the flow, a comma would be used as below:

Mel Comley’s books are entertaining, because each one draws you in completely.

 

As such, I still dislike the look of semicolons but I’ve learned my editor is always right with them. I am slowly moving toward using them, a little more often. Maybe, one day, someone will find it common among my work, but that day is not today.

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May23

Comma Basics

by Jason Dodge on May 23, 2011 at 7:22 pm
Posted In: Basic Writing Guides

Even after years of writing, we find ourselves wondering what the basic rules are exactly. Sometimes we look at an editor who has given us a suggestion or a thought and we think they are nuts for it. So we take a moment and look it up, only to find the editor had a clue. The most common rules forgotten revolve around punctuation. Often they are the simplest details that we believe we know and hate to find out we don’t.

For this reminder, we’ll focus on comma usage.

The Serial Comma is the easiest to explain. This is the comma appropriately used when regarding businesses and firms with multiple partners. In this case, the last comma is typically omitted.

Example: Dobsen, Dillard and James Or Staffing Co., Inc.

The Standard Comma is the one most people are easily familiar with. This is the comma that is used when writing a sequence of three or more items with a single conjunction. A comma is used after each term except the last.

Example: The citrus fruits were oranges, tangerines, and grapefruit.

She studied the book, took notes and prepared her speech.

The most challenging use of a comma is in the Parenthetic Comma use. We will go further into the parenthetic comma usage in another post, for now we’ll stick to basics. This use is the single most abused comma usage. The reason for this is simple; exact placement can be easily forgotten. When using a parenthetic statement, you are enclosing it between commas.

Example: The most enjoyable drink, unless you are lactose intolerant, is a strawberry banana smoothy.

Here, the part between the commas could be omitted and still allow for a compete sentence. If this statement were reworded to omit the parenthetic statement it would simply read:

The most enjoyable drink is a strawberry banana smoothy.

The simplest and most easily remembered use of parenthetic commas is in a written date.

Examples: From January through August, 2010

Tuesday, March 8th, 2011

A name or title in any direct address is also parenthetic. This applies in all cases.

Examples: If, Miss, you should refuse my offer, I am unable to promise the desired results.

 

Those are common uses and misuses of commas. Hopefully this will serve as a basic guide and reminder that will aide you in your writing adventure and self editing goals.

 

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Apr15

Hello world!

by Jason Dodge on April 15, 2011 at 11:28 pm
Posted In: Introduction

Hello, and welcome to the Editor’s Corner. Here, I’ll be posting articles and hopefully hosting discussion on all things editing, as well as occasionally venturing into other related subjects such as general writing tips and even the occasional foray into audio/video editing.

 

Since this is my first post here, I suppose it’s appropriate that I introduce myself. My name is Jason Dodge, and I’m a proofread/line editor currently residing in sunny Tempe, Arizona, USA. While I’ve only been editing professionally for a short time, I’ve always had the attention to detail and genuine ‘feel’ for the American English language that fostered my skill in this field. I take a nearly obsessive approach when reading, even recreationally, and I leave absolutely no stone unturned when it comes time to do my job.

 

My first and foremost goal, as an editor, is to make the client a better writer. I don’t simply make corrections – I make in-line notes explaining explicitly what I’d like to see changed and why it needs to be different. For every edit I make, I want the writer to see exactly what led to my decision and how it might be avoided in the future. If I am ever dismissed by a long-term client because their writing has improved to the point that my services are no longer of use, I will leave content that I did my job properly.

 

I am currently the editor at The Writing Network and, at a minimum, I proofread most of the work that passes through. In my free time, I edit video, try out various Linux distributions (Linux Mint is my current distro of choice), and tell stories on Twitter.

 

 

If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to leave a comment or contact me at PJasonDodge@gmail.com. You can also find me on Twitter.

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