Proofed Positively

Welcome to Proofed Positively!

PP Fees 2022.docx PROOFED POSITIVELY EDITING/PROOFREADING 2022 A sample edit of one chapter is recommended for authors who have not worked with me before. I edit in Word using Track Changes. Authors unfamiliar with Track Changes can find many helpful videos on YouTube. During the editing process, errors (grammar...

This morning I was trying to write a bio and describe what I bring to the table as an editor. Self-promotion has never been my strong suit, but I powered through. I don't have a degree in English, but I worked for 40 years and writing was part of almost every job I had. When I was the summer school administrator at Woodberry Forest Schhol, my supervisor was the head of the English department. and I had best come correct when dealing with him! Looking at communication from a different angle, when I was the plant manager's admin at Perdue, I wrote the company newsletter and had to ensure it could be enjoyed by a staff of highly varied reading ability. I learned not to speak above my target audience. It doesn't matter how eloquent you are if you're not understood, eh?

But I think the things that most informed how I set up my process for editing were my own experience with an excellent editor and contrasting that with the horror stories I heard from other authors. Editors who never explained the changes they made. Editors who sent the manuscript back with all changes already accepted. Editors who weren't willing to teach or answer questions. Editors who simply ran the document through software. Too many editors who were out of reach financially for too many good writers.

I'm trying my best to NOT be any of those things.

Guilty as charged.

"Why aren't you writing books yourself anymore?"
I get asked that question regularly, even by my charming husband. My answer is the same every single time.
When I'm editing, I do my best to immerse myself in that author's characters and story. I wake up mornings thinking about what I worked on the day before and often realize something else needed to be corrected or questioned. I SO wish I could rip through edits and catch every single thing in one pass, but that's never going to be me. Things have to percolate in my brain and, like our old, clogged-up Mr. Coffee, it can take more time than I like.
So... if I ever find myself with nothing on my editing schedule for more than a few weeks, I might actually write something. Or clean out a closet. It could go either way.

My schedule is a little thin this coming fall, so if you are looking for an editor, get in touch and we'll chat about your project.

Someone asked me recently what the most common error I see (and correct!) during editing. Without a doubt, it's the punctuation and capitalization related to dialogue tags. I was going to write a looong post about it, but I found this video that does a very good job of saying what I would have typed. Check it out and see if you've been doing it right... or not so right. lol
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkSM-EWb2zY

I am well aware that language, grammar, and punctuation evolve over time. It's not like we still write in the style of Shakespeare, right? Even so, I hate that some of these changes come about purely by the repetition of error. More than repetition, the proliferation of mistakes being made so frequently, they become acceptable. Some of it's no big deal. It doesn't chap my ass that towards, forwards, and backwards are now okay when the addition of the s on the end of the word was once a firm no-no. Nauseous used to mean the thing that made you nauseated, but now they're the same thing. There is now literally no word that means exactly that and we all use literally and figuratively willy-nilly.
But I'm drawing the line here and now at ya'll. I don't give a damn how many times I see it that way, it is NEVER going to be correct in any book I write or edit.
This is a hill I will die on.
:)

I intended to write a post explaining passive voice, but I don't think I could do a better job than this YouTuber.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSRc9CVkeNY

How to Use (and Eliminate!) Passive Voice Cutting passive voice is an easy way to improve and de-clutter your prose. Here's how to make your sentences active, and the cases where passive voice might ...

Here we are in 2022, hoping things will be different and better than the last two years of rip-roaring fun. :)
I had such hopes to begin a YouTube channel in support of this page last year, had my intro and outro done, a list of topics I wanted to cover, and... I discovered our internet is too wimpy in this rural area to do live streaming. Even a recorded video would take a day to upload and bring every other wi-fi device in our household to a standstill. Posts will have to do.
Stay tuned and check out the pinned post for info on how I do what I do and what I charge for it.

LET'S TALK SEMICOLONS
I know what you're thinking--no, let's not. I heard it said a few years back that the semicolon was obsolete. I'm guessing whoever started that rumor just didn't know how to properly use it. Until the style guide still favored by the big publishing houses says to stop using it, it's still useful in creative writing. But let me set your mind at ease--you can avoid using them altogether if you're willing to use a more periods or conjunctions.

Typically, there are two instances you want to use a semicolon. The first is very easy to understand, but doesn't come into play that often. When you list a series of items and the items contain commas, you separate them with semicolons.
EXAMPLE: The band was scheduled to play shows in Des Moines, Iowa; Richmond, Virginia; Detroit, Michigan; and Athens, Georgia.

The second common use of a semicolon is when two independent clauses are joined without a conjunction. In non-grammar geek language, when the words on either side of the semicolon work as a complete sentence, not a fragment. The use of a comma in this case is incorrect. and is probably one of the most frequent errors I correct when editing/proofreading.
EXAMPLE: John walked into the back yard, calling for Daisy; his voice echoed through the quiet neighborhood.
As you can see, the semicolon could be replaced with a period, turning it into two separate, complete sentences. Or it could be replaced with the conjunction and, making it one long and kind of clunky sentence. Since the two independent clauses are so closely related, the semicolon is the best option here, IMHO.

If you're still reading--still awake--and have questions, feel free to ask. :)

This article says it better than I can. There's no rule against beginning sentences with "and" and "but." You just need to be thoughtful about it. Have you ever listened to a person being interviewed who starts every sentence with "and?" Hmm. Maybe they actually just never end any sentences. lol
https://prowritingaid.com/art/1228/starting-a-sentence-with-and-or-but-should-you-do-it.aspx

Starting a Sentence with “And” or “But” – Should You Do It? You can forget what you were taught in school – it is okay to start a sentence with "and" or "but" after all. Here's why.

Courtesy of my cousin, Linda Sedillo!

THOSE @ #$(*& COMMA RULES
When a phrase/clause begins with "as," do you always precede it with a comma?
NOPE.
But based on what I'm seeing lately, an awful lot of folks are thinking they do. Here's an easy way to tell if you need a comma or not without having to relearn how to diagram sentences. Life's too short for that! lol
https://www.magnumproofreading.com/post/blog-proper-punctuation-comma-before-as

Do I Need to Use a Comma Before "As"? In many sentences, if there is no comma before as, then as means “in the way that” or “while.” When you insert a comma before as, its meaning changes to “because.”

Do people who insist on incorrectly saying would of instead of would have also use the contraction would'f?
Asking for a friend.

Did you know the term skid row originated from the lumberjack trade? The skid road was the route used to move the felled trees to the point of transport and could be quite long. Shops and restaurants (and probably brothels) would spring up along the track to take advantage of the crew's paydays. Eventually the name morphed into skid row. Sooner or later, the lumberjacks would move on and the businesses would lose their customers and become derelict.

You can wow 'em with that at your next cocktail party. :)

If my husband sees this, I know he's going to want this sign. You can guess where.

Exactly.

**QUIZ TIME**
Which sentence has no grammar errors?
A. I never dreamed her and I would get along so well.
B. I asked her nicely to lie down on the bed.
C. No one likes Game of Thrones more than me.
D. Give the sandwich to whoever is the hungriest.

WORD OF THE DAY
Foist - to impose or force upon, especially by stealth or deceit

Provocative and often false information is being foisted upon the American public by those with a specific agenda.

My charming husband attempted to foist a pizza with black olives on me, claiming the mistake must have been made by Nico's.

"Foist your cheap, knockoff s**t elsewhere. There's no H in Prada."

Kate Hawthorne shared this with me.

I'm going to put together a video and a one-pager about varying your sentence structure this week.
I can picture you glued to the edge of your seat.

A quick word about the articles a/an and the.
Use a/an to identify nonspecific nouns.
Use the to identify specific nouns.
Examples:
Ellen reached into the kitchen cabinet and grabbed a coffee mug.
Ellen reached into the kitchen cabinet and grabbed the mug with her initials on it.

Don jumped on a bus and headed downtown.
Don jumped on the bus that goes to the mall.

A car cruised slowly down the alley.
The car I'd seen earlier cruised slowly down the alley.

You can always throw in a possessive pronoun when appropriate.
The waitress placed a steaming mug in front of Ellen.
Ellen raised the mug to her lips and blew gently.
After taking a sip, she placed her mug on the table.

That Ellen likes her java.

I told you spellcheck won't catch everything. :)

THIS IS A TEST. IT IS ONLY A TEST
Which sentence is free of errors?
A. I love the beach dude, but the salt water reeks havoc on my hair.
B. But, my guilty conscious showed all over my face.
C. Her strong legs clamped around me like a vice.
D. I'd like to go with you, I always have a great time at the zoo.
E. When I get back home I'll let the dogs out.
F. I waited in front of the store and, as expected, was cooling my heels for quite a while.