It used to be that an exclamation point conveyed intensity. But with the rise of the internet, the exclamation point is undergoing a transformation. Have you noticed? Many people think it’s no longer effective to use only one. According to a recent article in The Atlantic, “Digital communication is undergoing exclamation-point inflation.” Because people are […]

Writers of nonfiction sometimes incorporate quotes into their writing. Quotes, used sparingly, can be powerful—they can give your ideas the appropriate impact you’re looking for. But when you incorrectly punctuate your quotes, it creates inconsistency and disorganization that will weaken your ideas. There are rules to remember about punctuation when using quotes. It’s not okay […]

I often find that writers like to emphasize words by capitalizing the initial letter or by capitalizing every letter. Sometimes it seems like writers randomly select words to capitalize. This use of capitalization makes it difficult to understand a writer’s intended tone. In casual communication, such as emails and texts, use of all caps is […]

Sometimes I edit documents that are overflowing with big words. I recently helped someone with a graduate school admissions essay that was made up almost entirely of big words; and some were quite unusual. It made the writing sound silly. Members of the admissions committee might have needed a dictionary just to get through it—this […]

This post is a reflection of a post from last January with a list of helpful things to remember when working with your editor. I’ve added three items to that list: Your editor isn’t hoping to rip your writing to shreds. You want your editor to be honest with you and do his or her […]