5 Common Writing Errors…And the Ridiculously Easy Ways to Avoid Them
Writing is rewriting-at least it is for me and every other writer that I’ve encountered (if you can write perfectly the first time through without editing, call me, I’ll give you my job!). Often, however, we simply do not edit our work properly because we are unaware of the awkwardness within our own writing styles. Editing is such a daunting process that we often don’t know where to begin (and we should at times, just hire an editor!), so I’ve compiled a list of 5 really common mistakes that I see in writing all the time. Perhaps if we can work to avoid these mistakes, our writing will require less editing and will communicate our message more effectively.
1.Avoid txting your formal writing.
Text messaging has fundamentally changed the way that you and I write these days. Because we want to communicate our messages quickly and effectively by way of the little phone keypad, we as a culture have invented a shorthand for use in texting that is powerful and effective. However, we often take our text messaging skills into the realm of formal writing, and frankly, it makes our writing look idiotic. I cannot count the number of times that I have seen the letter “u” used in formal writing to replace the word “you,” or “4get” instead of “forget.” This language is fine for the phone, but when writing an essay or paper, be careful to avoid it.
2.Avoid shifts in verb tense.
It has probably been a long while since your last high school grammar class, but I’ll bet that the phrase “verb tense” still has an ominous ring in the cobweb laden recesses of your brain. Simply put, verb tense is what tells us when an action occurs. Consider the following examples:
1.John Titor travels through time.
2.John Titor travelled through time.
3.John Titor will travel through time.
What are the differences in these examples? All three sentences communicate slightly different meanings, because the actions within them occur at different times. Sentence 3 occurs in the future, and sentence one occurs right now.
It is very important that we scrutinize our writing in regard to verb tense, because sometimes we can inadvertently shift when the action is occuring in our writing, and our writing becomes confusing to our reader. Take a look at this example:
The restaurant hires workers who have violated immigration laws.
We get the point, right? The restaurant is currently in the habit of hiring people who aren’t abiding by immigration law. The problem occurs because we don’t know exactly what is meant by the sentence. Does the restaurant hire people who have only done this in the past, or does it hire people who are currently violating immigration restrictions? To answer these questions, the sentence could be rewritten this way:
The restaurant hires workers who violate immigration laws.
Now the meaning is clear. We know that this particular restaurant is currently involved in hiring lawbreakers.
Verb tense is a subtle problem, so examine your sentences carefully to make sure that the actions that you represent occur at the same time and make sense chronologically.
3.Avoid falling into the affect-effect trap.
The words affect and effect are two of the most often interchanged words in the English language. The problem with these words is that they are so alike in sound that we often don’t know when to use which word.
Fortunately, the fix to this problem is very simple, and just involves the memorization of the two connotations of the words. Affect is an action (connect the “a”s in your mind. affect=action) and effect is a thing. As long as you keep these connotations in your head, you will never again use a phrase like “to effect a change.”
4.Make sure that descriptive phrases are near the words they describe.
This common error often yeilds very humorous results. Take a look at this example:
The boy sat on a park bench that Pam dated.
Wow, Pam must be one of those few people in the world attracted to outdoor furniture! Hmmm…probably not…It is more likely that the author meant that Pam dated the boy who was on the bench, so a fix for this sentence would be.
The boy that Pam dated sat on a park bench.
Make sure that you place descriptive phrases as close as possible to the words that they describe, or you will get the same kind of strange reaction. Don’t just assume that the reader will make the proper connection; most smart readers will, but they will also consider you dumb for making such a blunder.
5.Don’t place your trust in a machine for spell-checking!
With each update, Microsoft Word and other word processing programs are getting better and better and correcting spelling problems, but they stil don’t begin to approach the level of scrutiny that a human eye has in editing. The problem with the computer spell-checker occurs when you as the writer mistype a word so that it spells another word. Consider this example:
The young man filled out his employment from and placed it on the desk.
The computer wouldn’t have caught the spelling error in this sentence, because the author has accidentally spelled a new word. Instead of typing “form,” he typed “from,” and the only thing that will notice this error is a human eye. You must reread your entire work for spelling errors; don’t just look for the squiggly lines that MS Word and others produce.
Editing is a daunting process, but if you’ll avoid these five common mistakes, you’ll be able to move quickly move on from the editing for grammar process to the editing for content process that most of us feel more comfortable with. What do you think? What are some common errors that you’ve noticed in your own writing or the writing of others?
Some Great Advice
Some of you have suggested that I scrap the home-made blog design in favor for a bit more professional approach. I have acquiesced to your requests. I have decided, although I am still going to work to hone my design skills and prepare an excellent design for Jeremyscottkillian.com, that in the name of expediency, I am going to have to use a powerful theme such as the one you see here to present my writing portfolio. Check back often for site and design updates, because I guarantee that this won’t be the last design shift for jeremyscottkillian.com!
A Break in the Silence
The blog has gone silent for a while, and this is with very good reason. I have decided to go back to the drawing board regarding my blog design, and I’ve been spending the last few weeks redesigning the blog. Expect that, in a few days, a newer, brighter jeremyscottkillian.com will emerge, like a phoenix from the ashes!
Recommended Sites
There are several blogs that I commonly frequent in relation to freelance work. These blogs have huge followings and RSS subscriber lists, but they also have great content.
Entrepreneur’s Journey first introduced to me to the idea of blogging as a business model. Yaro Starak, the friendly Aussie administrator of the site, fills his content with useful information. Yaro has really found a specific voice in his niche, and he is considered an authority figure in the realm of internet and blog marketing. He hosts a podcast from time to time, and there is more useful content on his blog than any one person could absorb. I don’t know how he does it, but Yaro continues to provide new and exciting information for the internet-based business person.
Problogger.net is one of the largest sites about blogging on the internet, and one might suggest that Darren Rouse is the most influencial blogger of our time. Darren’s friendly and patient voice has helped literally millions of wanna-be bloggers find footing in the blogosphere, and he continually improves his blog in creative and useful ways. Darren hosts a short weekly vidcast that highlights his wit and gives great pointers about building a blog. Although Yaro is often more informative, Darren stands out by being the most encouraging blogger out there. After reading Darren’s blog, I feel that success at blogging might actually be attainable.
What is it with Aussies and blog success. Freelanceswitch is a great resource in my particular niche, freelance work. This site has new contributors all the time with tons of great ideas and powerful suggestions for those establishing a freelance career. The forums are a great place for freelancers to network, and the subscription only job boards are an incredibly valuable asset for the aspiring freelancer.
For those of you interested in blog design, you have to check out WPDesigner.com. This site is directly responsible for the design of Jeremyscottkillian.com, although I am sure that Small Potato is not willing to take credit for it. I first discovered this site through its “So you Want to Create a Wordpress Theme” series, and as a I took each lesson, I began to learn more and more powerful information about WordPress Theme Design. Check it out if you have any interest at all in WP design, and you’ll find a user-friendly blog with tons of great information. Subscribe to the RSS feed, and you’ll receive the latest Small Potato E-book on WP theme design!
Recession Benefits the Blogosphere?
Here in the United States, the economy stands on very shaky ground. Because of the partial collapse of the housing market, the American economic growth rate has slowed to a crawl, and many foresee the economy of America taking a substantial step backward.
Many economists are predicting a significant recession in the global economy, brought on by the crash of the American market. Businesses all over the world are already bracing themselves for this eventuality. In a recession, consumers typically spend less, so businesses have to decide where to make cuts based upon smaller sales’ income.
Based upon what I’ve observed, I think that it is safe to say that freelancers suffer tremendously during times of market uncertainty. Because businesses are less likely to expand in tough times, they don’t have as much need for freelancers to improve and promote products. As a resut, freelance businesses are forced to offer more competitive pricing, and probably lose business in the process.
I have a feeling, though, that the blogosphere will not be nearly as hurt by economic recession. As a matter of fact, I’ll jump out on a limb here and predict that blogosphere and other similar Web 2.0 style outlets will actually prosper should a world-wide recession become a reality. Therefore, I hiighly recommend that internet-based freelancers become involved in blogging as a way to generate both active and passive income.
I think that there are several reasions that the blogosphere will be a successful market in the case of a recession:
Internet Growth
Regardless of what happens in the stock market, I don’t know that anyoe could be brave enough to say that Internet use will decline because of recession. It is estimated that almost a billion and a half people access the internet, and those numbers increase daily. No recession, no matter how severe, could possibly quell this growth. Even if people are feeling more squeezed, and as a result can’t afford broadband rates, every indication is that the price of broadband access will continue to fall as technology improves. It might be that, in the near future, free internet broadband access will be available to most people worldwide.
The Death of “Old Media”
Newspapers are experiencing a tremendous decline in readership. Magazines are scrambling to draw readers back to their glossy pages, but they are feeling extreme economic pressure based upon a smaller subscriber base. Does this mean that the populace is less informed regarding news? Not at all. Most people get their news and information from television and the internet, and many industry analyists suggest that these two mediums will be one and the same within a decade.
The Blogosphere to the Rescue!
With such a shift in media interest by the average consumer, blogging has a tremendous opportunity. Because blogs cost nothing to access, even when times are hard, blog traffic will not decrease. As a matter of fact, I contend that with less loose change to spend on print media, consumers will actually turn to blogs even more than they have already. It may very well be that the blogosphere will flourish in a time of financial hardship.
Though companies will cut back on advertising dollars, I also predict that they will be more willing to advertise in the blogosphere, because blog authority will increase. It is a tenuous risk to advertise in a newspapaer or magazine whose readership is waning, but placing a banner link or ad on a site that draws in 500 guaranteed visitors and more a day will seem a sure-fire way to draw in more customers.
Will the blogosphere save the economy? Probably not, but as financial hard times approach, a wise freelancer should jump into the blogosphere in their niche and attempt to build as much authority as possible, knowing that recession will actually make this business model very lucrative.
