Learning to recognize the signs…
Since July, I have basically stopped blogging. I didn’t feel that I had anything to say, and I figured that a very telling sign that it was time to give it up was the fact that I had to think hard about what to write about, and if you have to dig deep and think about [...]
For all you men out there…
If you are looking for a word that will give voice to your frustration at your wives’ incessant nagging - and let’s face it, there isn’t a woman among us who can honestly say that she doesn’t derive some deep satisfaction from nagging her husband – look no further. Double Take’s word of the day is “Termagant,” meaning A scolding, nagging, bad-tempered woman; [...]
The three dashes (this is for you, Alan)
One of my readers asked me the following grammar question as a follow-up to this post: I would appreciate a lesson on the use of the hyphen in sentence construction. I use it sparingly when I think I am using it correctly, but I am never quite sure frankly…My question is … can the hyphens [...]
AidelMaidel is engaged!
Okay, perhaps there is something weird about me taking out some tissues when I read the news on AidelMaidel’s blog that she said “yes” to “Mr. Sky High.” I don’t know the woman, for heaven’s sake. Yet here I am crying with tears of joy for this ultra-Orthodox single mother of two. A while ago, I was talking to a [...]
Rules are made to be broken
Any self-respecting editor or publisher will tell you that it is all well and good to have your own individual preferences when it comes to style issues, but what is critical at the end of the day is consistency. Always be consistent. If you choose to italicize a certain transliterated word, make sure to do [...]
If I could turn back time…
I would never have bought the Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffeneger. I had high hopes for this book, and actually bought two copies of it before I even began reading it. I first purchased the book exactly two years ago. I was in Ben Gurion Airport on my way to London, and overcome by [...]
Ten tips on how to turn a writer into a friend, not a foe
During the last seven years of my career, I have not only sharpened my skills as an editor, but I (believe that) I have become a more sensitive human being. I have worked with so many authors of different types and stripes that I have come to the realization that as much as it is [...]
At your service…
If you have any questions that relate to editing and writing, and the English language in general, I am at your service. I can’t promise that I will be able to answer all your questions, but sometimes it helps to hear another perspective.
Rap music…sounds like somebody feeding a rhyming dictionary to a popcorn popper
The subject of this post is a quote from my favorite writer of all times, Tom Robbins. I start reading his books with the knowledge and acceptance that the world will look radically different once I have finished. When I prepare lunch for myself, I half expect the can of baked beans to start talking [...]
Identify your audience
Before you submit your manuscript to a publisher, or better yet, before you begin writing your book, sit down for a minute and consider the potential readership. Ask yourself who you think will most likely want to read this book. This will influence the tone and direction of your book. For example, if you are [...]
keep looking »