Is it aitch or haitch? Should have or should of?

Aitch or haitch. (H) ❓ Is it C-R-O-N-S-aitch-A-W or C-R-O-N-S-haitch-A-W? I’ve heard myself saying β€˜haitch’ this year. Ssh. That’s just between us.🀫 βœ”Aitch ➑ haitch ❌used to be a line I’d never cross. Years of wincing when I heard it – it used to be my pet peeve – ensured that those particular sounds wouldContinue reading “Is it aitch or haitch? Should have or should of?”

What I’m editing in 2021: fantasy, post-apoc and more!

Plague doctors. Post-apocalyptic wastelands. Dragons. 2021 looks exciting! Of course, I’m talking about the proofreading and editing work I’ve got booked in. Familiar territory! With some new challenges. 🐲I’m doing a 450000-word fantasy boxset in January to ensure accuracy and consistency throughout. Can’t wait to get stuck in. 😷 In February, I will proofread aContinue reading “What I’m editing in 2021: fantasy, post-apoc and more!”

What is the plural of reindeer? Is it reindeer or reindeers?

The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Son: Mum, why is Rudolph not on my jumper? All the other ones are there. Me: Some people don’t consider Rudolph to be one of the traditional reindeers. Son: Reindeer. πŸ˜‚ TouchΓ©, boyo.

December 15th 2020. Fantasy novel: top proofreading spots.

It’s only 10.45 and I’ve already saved The World. That’s the name of the novella I’ve proofread this morning. πŸ”Ž Here are my top #proofreading spots from the manuscript. 1️⃣ The wyvern’s took to the air. ❌ ➑ wyverns βœ” 2️⃣ “I feel like a raised you.” ❌ ➑ I raised βœ” 3️⃣ She didContinue reading “December 15th 2020. Fantasy novel: top proofreading spots.”

Is it loose or lose? And other top proofreading spots.

πŸ”Ž Today’s top #proofreading spots from an adventure Bildungsroman. Including loose vs lose, amongst others… ❌ All hell broke lose ➑ loose βœ” ❌ a eighth ➑ an eighth βœ” ❌ hypthesis ➑ hypothesis βœ” πŸ”Ž A lot of people make the lose/loose error, but it’s usually the other way round. I think it’s becauseContinue reading “Is it loose or lose? And other top proofreading spots.”

Is it deduce or deduct? And what is a deduction?

❓ Deduce or deduct? πŸ”Ž Let Sherlock Holmes be your guide. πŸ•΅οΈβ€β™‚οΈ When Sherlock Holmes works something out, he deduces. He reaches a conclusion based on the facts that he has uncovered. πŸ’° Whereas, deduct means to subtract or take away. HMRC deducts tax from your pay. πŸ–Š For the verb form of these words,Continue reading “Is it deduce or deduct? And what is a deduction?”

Best proofreading or editing spots? When the name of something has changed. Consistency is the key.

πŸ”Ž Want to know my all-time favourite type of proofreading spot? When I catch that the name of something has changed. 🍦 Like the same ice cream parlour with two different names in two different chapters. 🏘 Or the same street with two different names in two different chapters. πŸ“„ I catch these inconsistencies byContinue reading “Best proofreading or editing spots? When the name of something has changed. Consistency is the key.”

October 20th 2020. Top proofreading spots.

πŸ”Ž Top #proofreading spots from a manuscript I’ve been working on today. ❌ She thrusted the blade πŸ”ͺ ➑ thrust βœ” ❌ We were on route πŸš— ➑ en route βœ” ❌ The community were celebrating πŸŽ‰ ➑ was celebrating βœ” So, we have an irregular past tense verb, a French borrowing and an agreementContinue reading “October 20th 2020. Top proofreading spots.”

October 7th 2020. Top proofreading spots.

πŸ”Ž Top #proofreading spots today. ❌ I had ran πŸƒβ€β™€οΈ ➑ I had run βœ” ❌ glistening from copious amount of oil πŸ’§ ➑ a copious amount / copious amounts βœ” So, we have a past participle issue and an agreement issue. Glad to be of assitance cleaning up the manuscript before it’s published.

The perils of Find and Replace.

The perils of Find and Replace. 😬 A writer told me about a time recently when he used Find and Replace on Word to change all references of ‘he’ and ‘she’ to ‘they’, and ‘his’ and ‘hers’ to ‘theirs’. Unfortunately, he did a ‘replace all’ and did not have ‘whole words only’ selected so itContinue reading “The perils of Find and Replace.”