Halloween is approaching, so it’s time to visit the pumpkin patch. You might see scarecrows there. Just like scarecrows can deter birds from crops, scare quotes can deter readers from text. Scare quotes are a nickname for quotation marks used around a word or phrase when quotation marks are not needed. It’s not a good […]

Yesterday, I was reading an article in which the author used the terms fall and autumn interchangeably when referring to the season. As I read, I wondered if this was intentional. Rather than focusing on the content of the article, I was distracted by wondering if I was missing something. It’s difficult to follow text […]

It’s apple season. And as you might know, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Or does it? I’ll let the research scientists answer that question. A question I can answer is whether it’s a good idea to use a metaphorical expression like this in your writing. This is an Old English proverb that’s […]

There’s one kind of dinosaur that still exists. It’s the species Thesaurus. Thesaurus is a small, rectangular creature that’s the perfect size to sit on a bookshelf. Its once scaly skin has adapted into smooth paper. Researchers have found that it exists in a variety of colors. Thesaurus is docile; it doesn’t bite. It’s well […]

I’d like to introduce you to two readers: Satisfied, Spellbound Sam Sam is engaged and focused. He’s neither tripping over misplaced punctuation nor lost in ambiguity. He easily finds the information he’s looking for when he begins reading your book, pamphlet, or webpage. He understands what you’re saying because you wrote it in a clear, […]