❓ Do you know your alt codes? Alt+0150 – This is my favourite and I use this a lot: the en-dash, a dash the size of a letter N. It’s the one which Word often does automatically – when you hit the hyphen to move on to a different clause and, as if by magic,Continue reading “How do I get an en dash or an em dash on Word? Using alt codes.”
Tag Archives: forwriters
Is it immanent or imminent? Top proofreading spot.
🔎 Most satisfying #proofreading spot of the day: Immanent ➡️ imminent ⛔ Microsoft Word’s spellcheck did not recognise ‘immanent’ as being incorrect. Why not? 💡 Because ‘immanent’ is a word. It means “existing or operating within; inherent” (Google Dictionary definition). But the author of this #gamelit novel wanted ‘imminent’ as in “about to happen”. That’sContinue reading “Is it immanent or imminent? Top proofreading spot.”
Should I get a second monitor for my PC? Yes!
I treated myself to a second monitor and my efficiency shot up! 🖥️🖥️ When I edit a manuscript, if my client doesn’t have a style sheet, I create one.📃 This one’s shared with the author’s permission: manuscript screen 1, style sheet screen 2–it’s so much easier. Whether fiction or non-fiction, I start by setting downContinue reading “Should I get a second monitor for my PC? Yes!”
Proper nouns. What are they and why are they important in novels?
I do love a good proper noun. They can really anchor you in a particular time and place. 🎯 I don’t mean a ‘right good’ noun. I mean the kind of noun, identified by an initial capital, denoting a particular person, place or thing. 📅The novel I’m currently editing makes good use of proper nouns.Continue reading “Proper nouns. What are they and why are they important in novels?”
Stay home or stay at home? Is the preposition on its way out?
It’s really interesting to see how language is changing in the current #Covid19 crisis. The BBC news app tells us that people are being told to ‘stay home’. On the signs people have been making for their windows, you can see the appeal of the symmetry of STAYHOME four letters apiece. Anyone in the UKContinue reading “Stay home or stay at home? Is the preposition on its way out?”
March 23rd 2020. Puzzle book: top proofreading spots.
🔎 Today’s #proofreading spots are from a fascinating project I’ve been working on: a lateral-thinking puzzle disguised as a furniture catalogue. Errors shared with permission. ❌ inhance ➡️ enhance ✅ ❌ metalllic ➡️ metallic ✅ ❌ ubiqitous ➡️ ubiquitous ✅ ❌ fascimile ➡️ facsimile ✅ ❌ seperately ➡️ separately ✅ Problems like this can occurContinue reading “March 23rd 2020. Puzzle book: top proofreading spots.”
Should mum be capitalised? Should university be capitalised?
🔎 Mum or mum? University or university? In the manuscript I returned this weekend, one issue was the misplacement of capital letters in nouns such as the ones above. My client often opted for the uppercase option but that wasn’t always the correct call. ▪️Keeping mum Whether to use uppercase or lowercase depends on whetherContinue reading “Should mum be capitalised? Should university be capitalised?”
How can I proofread without missing errors?
When I’m proofreading… 👇 👇👇 👇 👇 👇 I read like a small child. 🗣️ I read the words aloud. 🐢I read them slowly. 👆I follow along with my finger. I find this particularly helpful when reading sentences with a lot of two/three letter words in them. Our eyes can gloss over these allContinue reading “How can I proofread without missing errors?”
What even is a ‘proof’? An open invitation to ask me questions about editing jargon.
Jargon, field-specific language. Whatever you want to call it. Do you like it? Find it useful? Does it scare you? I find it fascinating how words can mean so many different things in different industries. Take the word ‘proof’. In editing, a ‘proof’ is the page which is checked for errors prior to publishing. InContinue reading “What even is a ‘proof’? An open invitation to ask me questions about editing jargon.”
What is a modal verb? And is it should ‘have’ or should ‘of’?
Modelling modals. 🎶To the tune of The Model by Kraftwerk.🎶 ‘Could’ is a modal and it’s really good To express possibility so you’re understood. There’s ‘might’, ‘should’ and ‘will’, to use from time to time. It only takes a well-placed one to change a mind. ‘Should have’, ‘could have’, ‘would have’ are the past formsContinue reading “What is a modal verb? And is it should ‘have’ or should ‘of’?”
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