Posts in this category focus on tips and advice on writing and editing.
In an election year, if you’re not already an ideologue who has chosen sides, how can you possibly wade through all of the political rhetoric and claims (especially in social media) in order to decide what’s true and what’s not?
Learning to think critically can help. You may still get fooled by something that’s not true (we all have at some point, haven’t we?), but you’ll at least have a fighting chance to discover the truth.
The enemy is not fundamentalism, it is intolerance. – Stephen Jay Gould
What makes your point of view more correct than mine? Most of us believe we’re correct in our beliefs, but who is to say who is right and who is wrong about any number of topics?
While most graduates go their separate ways after the commencement ceremony, one group of 13 doctoral program alumni worked together to write a business book, People Practics: 17 Practical Tactics for Business & Nonprofit Success, released Tuesday. It is based on what they learned about organizational psychology. These new “doctors” graduated in April from Phillips Graduate University in Chatsworth, Calif., a standalone graduate school of psychology that was recently renamed the Phillips Education Center for Campbellsville University.
Continue reading Book by Diverse Graduate Students Provides Business Tips Based on Psychology
As kids, we’ve all learned a few words incorrectly because we never heard them said aloud. What were yours? A couple of mine were “fiery,” which for years I mentally pronounced “feery” instead of “fire-ee.” Then there was pico de gallo, which I happily intoned (in my head) as “peekoh duh gallow.” (Obviously, I was not a bilingual kid.)
Another example of those kinds of mistakes happened when my son was three and, walking down the street, he said in his cheery little voice, “Don’t step in the poop dog!” (Hey, it was cute at the time.) And one day you might ask me why I thought Christmas was on December 24 until I was 13.
Pssst! Last week, I talked about how there are no real secrets to writing well, but there are tools and processes that you can follow to make you better at it. I shared some of the tools I use as I edit and write and promised that this week I would give up my secrets about the specific processes I use when I’m writing.
The true secret about writing better is that there really are no secrets. There are just writers who are willing to pass along what works for them. Do a search on Amazon for “writing tips,” for example, and you’ll see more than 20,000 options for books that can teach you how to be a better writer. In other words, anything that used to be top secret about how to write, well, that cat escaped from the proverbial bag long ago.
You may think it’s time—that you’re ready to market your business or yourself, or both. But if you’re not a marketing expert, you may wonder where to start.
Continue reading Market Yourself with a Book That Highlights Your Expertise
Yesterday I received an email followed by a text from a former boss asking if I was available to do something for him quickly. Surprised, I shot back a quick, “What do you need?” After all, he knows I do freelance work. But I was already suspicious before I got the fraudulent request to buy seven $100 gift cards. Why? Because the communications were full of errors.
Continue reading So You Put a Comma in the Wrong Place. Who Really Cares?
Do you have a Grammar Nazi among your family or friends? If you’re one of mine, you do. Me! I correct a lot of grammar mistakes, although as a freelance editor I typically get paid to do it. And I tactfully ignore the mistakes my friends and family make.
Continue reading What Can You Learn from Your Favorite Grammar Nazi?
I’m Dr. Deborah Jackson, and I am a freelance editor and writer. Thanks for joining me!
Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton
Áccent on Words 