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Quick Thoughts: Hit Send

4/13/2022

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At some point, you have to just hit Send.

Could you have continued to make improvements?
Maybe.
Could there still be some errors?
Probably.
Could the readers hate it?
Sure.
Could you have goofed up and sent the wrong file?
Yep.
​
But the thing won’t fulfill its purpose if you don’t send it off. An imperfect document shared is always better than a perfect one that never sees the light of day.

​Rebecca Miller is a professional copyeditor and general fan of all things having to do with the written word and the English language.
You can check out her website at Oakdale Editing or connect through Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, or Email.
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Quick Thoughts: Write It Down

3/28/2022

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Do you have brilliant thoughts that flash in your head at random times and then disappear soon after? Me too!

Why don’t we write them down?

Maybe your insight is just what the world needs.

Maybe you look back a day or a week later and find that brilliant thought wasn’t so brilliant after all.

​But you’ll never know unless you write it down!

​Rebecca Miller is a professional copyeditor and general fan of all things having to do with the written word and the English language.
You can check out her website at Oakdale Editing or connect through Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, or Email.
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My Reading Life: A Book Journal—March Book Pick

3/14/2022

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My book recommendation for this month isn’t exactly a book in the sense we usually think of one. It’s not a novel or a memoir or even a how-to. Rather, it’s a book that’s partially already written and partially waiting to be written by me. I’m talking about a reading journal.

Your life isn’t the same as mine; the things I find valuable might be useless to you. But then again, you might find value in them too.

​And one of the things I’m finding value in right now is My Reading Life, a book journal created by Anne Bogel.
​

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Quick Thoughts: Exclamation Points and Profanity

2/28/2022

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​Exclamation points are like profanity.
  • Their appropriateness depends on the situation and your audience.
  • Sprinkling one or two in from time to time can enhance your message.
  • But using too many diminishes their impact and makes you look foolish.

​Rebecca Miller is a professional copyeditor and general fan of all things having to do with the written word and the English language.
You can check out her website at Oakdale Editing or connect through Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, or Email.
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Compliment or Complement?

2/21/2022

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​If you do much reading at all, you’ve probably seen these two words mixed up, one for the other. It’s one of the more common errors in the English language.
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Are You Weary? Or Wary or Leery?

1/10/2022

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Photo by Viajero from Pexels

“I’m weary of anything that looks too easy. If something seems too good to be true, it usually is.”
“Be weary of anyone who calls or emails you and asks for your personal information.”

I have to admit that this use of weary is one that grates on my ears every time I hear it (or read it).

However, it’s becoming a more and more common error. And as much as I want to harumph and grumble like the word snob I often am, it’s an understandable one.

​But it’s also easily avoidable once you’re aware of it.
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When Is New Year’s Capitalized?

12/29/2021

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Photo by rovenimages.com from Pexels

Most of us know that the names of holidays are capitalized, but there are some holiday names that are capitalized only some of the time. How do you know when to capitalize and when to use lowercase?
​
With holidays like Christmas, it’s not a problem, but New Year’s Day is a whole other problem. Part of the problem is that we often shorten it to New Year’s and also refer to the coming year as the new year.
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For Sale vs. On Sale

11/27/2021

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Photo by Kindel Media from Pexels

Today’s post is going to be a short one, directed at those of you in sales and marketing, whether that’s for your own small business or for a large corporation. (It also allows me to rationalize voicing one of my pet peeves.)
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It’s becoming more and more common to see these two phrases being used interchangeably. However, they’re not the same, and an informal poll among editors from all over the world confirms it.
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Speaking in Pictures

11/10/2021

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Photo by Rachel Claire from Pexels

Most of us decide to become writers because we have a message to share with the world. Unfortunately, our instincts often get in the way of sharing that message in a way that readers can absorb.

I’m just as guilty as the next person. I think of what I want to say. Sometimes (usually), I lay it out in a list or outline. Then, I baldly state what I have to say and wonder why no one responds. It’s a lesson I know in my head but am still working on putting into practice. (See most of my blog posts for examples.)
​
Are you guilty of this too?
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Double-Checking Idiomatic or Unfamiliar Terms and Phrases

9/1/2021

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Photo by Wallace Chuck from Pexels

A miniscule portion of the living, evolving creature we know as the English language gets passed along to us through the written word. So many of the everyday words and phrases we use came to us verbally, making converting them into a written language with standardized spelling especially difficult.
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And while the internet and social media come to us largely through writing, I think we can all agree they have not been a help with spelling and grammar.
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    Rebecca has a passion for helping you fill the world with great literature and making sure said literature doesn't get passed over for the lack of a little editing.

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