One of our readers recently asked if we could explain the difference between especially and specially. The words especial and special can be used almost interchangeably. They both mean something which was “out of the ordinary” or even “exceptional”. Merriam-Webster defines especial as meaning “being distinctive”: as a: directed toward a particular individual, group, or … Read more
One reader asks: “What advice would you give to someone who has bags of passion and loves life and just happens to have lots of stories and would like to know how to publish or where to publish?” I’m really glad this reader writes from the heart. A short story which is meaningful to you, … Read more
Some confusion appears to exist regarding the use of pour and pore. Charlie complains that he has to pour through stacks of badly-written letters to the editor every day. In this context the word should be pore. The usual idiom is “to pore over.” Apparently the preposition “through” has entered into use, as in the … Read more
It’s easy to trip up when speaking or writing, but what do you call the results when you do? A few weeks ago, I wrote about eggcorns. These are errors in which people guess wrongly the meaning, origin and spelling of certain expressions. An example would be writing or saying ‘flaw in the ointment’ instead … Read more
No-one knows it all, and as a writer I use several sources of research for my articles and ebooks. Aside from the resources I use to research particular topics, there are also several essential books I need related to the craft of writing. Here are the books on my bookshelf which I couldn’t do without. … Read more
One of our readers, Justin, recently wrote to ask: When proofreading a peer’s article on the solar system, I realized that she, and I, are unsure of the proper use of “that” and “which” in a sentence. Below is [SIC] two examples of the same sentence, one using “that” and the other “which.” “To our … Read more
Any freelance writer starting out these days could be forgiven for thinking all that’s required is a laptop with Internet access, and a telephone. But there’s more to think of; hidden extras which will be needed somewhere along the line if a serious attempt is to be made. Here’s a list of the most important … Read more
One of the best ways to make your writing stronger is to cut unnecessary words. Many people tend to over-write, often in a similar way to how they would speak. Words creep in that add no meaning and can make a piece of writing sound vague and woolly rather than confidence and precise. Just This … Read more
Mari, one of our readers, writes: Perhaps…you could address a problem that seems to have reached epidemic proportions: the difference between pique, peek and peak. Recently I have been inundated with people giving ‘sneak peaks’ and having their curiosity ‘peeked’. I pointed out the “peak” for “peek” spelling myself in an earlier article. It’s an … Read more
Sometimes I’m more amused than annoyed by spelling errors and incorrect word choices that I see in blogs and comments. Here are a few. Let your imagination soar! 1. Looking for a laptop for my mother… she only needs a bear-bones laptop. 2. Someone said this to me one time and I balled my eyes … Read more
I just heard James Oberstar (D-Minn.) chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee spokesman accuse the Federal Aviation Agency of both misfeasance and malfeasance. Here’s the comment as reported in the Los Angeles Times: “The FAA would have us believe this was an isolated incident and that the damage is contained, that it was … Read more
If you’ve ever had aspirations towards fiction-writing, you’ve doubtlessly heard the advice to keep a notebook on you at all times, to jot down those elusive flashes of brilliance that come at the most inopportune moments. It’s definitely a good idea to have pen and paper to hand as much as possible – however, the … Read more