In my fifty years of editing and writing, I’ve discovered that certain conditions put me in a more productive frame of mind than others. When the conditions aren’t ideal for me, I get distracted easily. Disarray puts me in a jumpy mood, and I don’t stay on task. A review … Read More
For more than twenty years, I have been working on manuscripts at the same desk, sitting in front of a picture window overlooking my lovely backyard. Over the years, countless books, magazine articles, brochures, ads, and scientific reports have made their way across my desk. The writing assignments vary from … Read More
What is the Oxford comma? And who cares about it? Writers, for one. Readers, too. The Oxford comma, also called the “serial comma” or “Harvard comma,” is the final comma in a series of words or phrases. It sometimes appears after the second-to-last item—as in “We had sandwiches, chips, and … Read More