November 2012 - Judy Gregory Writer

Comma confusion

A few weeks ago, I bought a lovely book about typography: 'Type Matters!' by Jim WilliamsIt's a great sourcebook for information about type design, partly because it builds every point around clear examples The examples are mostly statements about typography, set in different ways so that readers can see the difference that typographic variation can makeThere's one statement in the book that I just can't get my head around, and it's all about the placement of the commaWilliams writes:Typefaces...

All care and no responsibility

Last week I was in Port Douglas (eclipse watching, of course) There are warning signs everywhere - mostly about crocodiles and marine stingersThis warning sign, at Mossman Gorge, grabbed my attention:I like the way that the sign acknowledges that people will swim and acknowledges the ability of people to make decisions about their safetySo often, in places like this, you come across simple statements like 'don't swim here' or 'swimming here is dangerous' Instead, this sign clearly explains what...

Using the 3rd person with children

Why do people refer to themselves in the third person when they're talking to childrenThis week I listened to a conversation between a mother and son while they were collecting new glasses from the optometrist The son looked to be about 8, and was being told that he should clean his glasses every night The mother said something like:'You'll give them to Mummy every night, like your sister does, and Mummy will clean them for you Mummy can look after them'Presumably the boy is used to the...

Fabulous tools for writers

I've just finished reading the book 'Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer' by Roy Peter ClarkIt's perhaps the best 'toolkit-style' book about writing that I've ever come acrossNo 'correctness' discussions here This book is all about how language works, and how to fine-tune the writing craftMy favourite strategies come from the beginning of the book, in the nuts and bolts section I particularly appreciated the discussions about adverbs (use with care and be sure to avoid...