Blog - Page 22 of 54 - Kris Spisak

Authors on Editing: Interview with Joanna Lee

Writers can be gifted in so many ways–in the way they create characters that readers are attached to from page one, in the way they pace their stories without a wasted word, in the way their settings come alive, in the way they make readers reimagine the world around them or reexamine old subject matter in a new light, and in so many more capacities.

Joanna Lee‘s poetry shows what happens when every single word is chosen with the precision of a scalpel’s slice through skin. She has a gift with language and metaphor; plus, she knows how to throw a book launch like nothing I’ve ever seen before (ask her about it sometime if you get the chance).

This is an Authors on Editing interview that I’m incredibly excited to share.

Trivia: Overmorrow

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Writing Tip 325: Not to “Mix” or “Mince” Words

When it comes to the English language, it’s easy to get things mixed up, but this time, I’m asking you to “mince” it up.

Why, you ask?

No, I’m not making mincemeat pies, nor am I apprenticing with a butcher. I say this because there is a difference between “mixing words” and “mincing words,” and I’ve seen this expression terribly muddled.

Remember:

To “mince your words” means to soften them (just like mincing meat makes it mushy and manageable);
To “not mince your words” (the more common expression) means to tell it like it is and to not hold back, to not soften or make anything any easier.
To “mix your words,” when you confuse an expression or use the wrong word, is something that admittedly happens to us all sometimes.

Thus telling someone not to mix their words is a fabulous example of someone mixing their words. Not that you’d ever do this though, right?

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Trivia: Hiccup Etymology

Hiccup etymology

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Writing Tip 324: “Tack” vs. “Tact”

Writing Tip: “Tack” vs. “Tact” If you think that “tact” is short for “tactic,” well… you’ve got another think coming.

A “tack” is so much more than a pin to hold up your favorite inspirational quote by your desk. As a noun, “tack” can be a pin or flat-headed nail; it can also be a course or approach, as well as a temporary stitch to hold fabrics together. When it comes to sailing (the origin of the expression to “change tack”), there are even more definitions.
“Tact” is a matter of social grace and sensitivity. I recommend you have some tact if you’re choosing the correct others’ grammar.

To “change tact” doesn’t really make sense unless you’re talking about a major shift in cultural and social norms in dealing with a complex situation, which I’m guessing is not what you mean.

Remember, tacks can be handy for many things. It’s good to have tact, but don’t overdo it with your word choice.

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Writing Tip 323: “Scotch Free” vs. “Scot Free”

If your name is Scott and you didn’t make it to the party, you could argue that party is Scott-free, but what about other uses of this phrase?

Is it about being sober? (Scotch free)
Is it about excluding anyone Scottish? (Scot Free)

I’ve heard some great thoughts about where this expression comes from—and what the correct version of this expression actually is—but let me put your mind at ease.

It sneaks into our language often enough that it deserves a moment in the spotlight—a moment in the spotlight before we hopefully make it completely disappear.

Remember, “complimentative” is not actually a word. Neither is “complimentive” or any other variation in spelling.

Trivia: Why is “Mum” the Word?

mum's the word

Authors on Editing: Interview with Brendan Wolfe

Some writers make me want to sit back and take notes. Whether reading his work or chatting with him in person, Brendan Wolfe is one such writer. Enjoy this detailed interview, writers!

Brendan Wolfe editing interview

Brendan Wolfe is the editor of Encyclopedia Virginia, a project of the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities. An Iowa native and graduate of the University of Iowa, he is the author of Finding Bix: The Life and Afterlife of a Jazz Legend, about the early jazz musician Bix Beiderbecke. His work has appeared in The Morning News, the Colorado Review, and VQR. He lives in Charlottesville, Virginia.

"Staff is" vs. "staff are" — What do we do with these people?

Uh, oh. Did I just make you question how you wrote that last email? Or did you just talk yourself into a difference concerning magical staffs versus the staff of your office? It’s not that simple, folks.

Here’s an example of a subject-verb pairing you might write fairly frequently if you’re in the business world, and I’m sorry to say that the “staff is” vs. “staff are” choice isn’t a matter of wizardry vs. human resources—though, maybe if you really get into a conversation about jobs at the Ministry of Magic, it might get a tad more complicated.