-
No damn synchronicity: Synonyms and antonyms
Ever had such a day where things start out great and then you’re confronted with the unexpected and things just unravel? Such was my day. I arrived for a press function 20 minutes before the scheduled start time feeling very impressed with myself – enjoying a mini accolade that was short-lived. By the time my…
-
Five top reasons to hire an editor
You’ve given a massive amount of blood, sweat and tears to your work. Whether it’s your novel, biography, article or academic writing, it still needs that extra polish. It looks fine to you, but your eyes have been over it for the umpteenth time. Even if there are mistakes, tiny as they may be, odds…
-
Do horses eat loose fern? A statement on reporting standards
This week, I was subbing a story about horses that had been rescued from dire circumstances. If not for the language educated among us, the situation could have given rise to an inadvertent mondegreen (when a phrase is repeated incorrectly over time and eventually replaces the original phrase). The reporter had stated that the poor…
-
Through the eye of the needle: biblical idioms
The English language is so rich and diverse that one lifetime is just not enough to master all of it. But I have discovered that as much as English owes many of its idioms to the writings of the great Shakespeare, the bible has made a significant contribution of its own. I hasten to add…
-
Sucking the hind tit : related idioms
Last Sunday, our six-year-old female Staffordshire Bull Terrier gave birth to six beautiful and healthy puppies. One was distinctly smaller than his four black brothers and sister and I feared he would be left to feed off the ‘hind tit’. Among animals that birth multiple young in a litter such as dogs and pigs there…
-
Less is more in the writing discipline
I am reading a book in which the author has swamped the pages with an oversupply of adjectives. Of course, this is just my opinion, but I find the need to qualify every verb and every noun in the sentence an overreach and, worst of all, a punishment to the text. And the reader. It…
-
Six ways to take the stress out of writing a book
For all the aspirant writers out there who want to get a book out of your system, start with an e-book. Here’s how: Getting down to writing: Write that e-book. Just like that. It is almost that simple if you set your mind to it. I never had aspirations to write a book of any…
-
How do you like them apples?
The apple: On first appearance, there’s nothing special about it at all. It’s typically green or red on the outside with a crunchy white interior (if it’s a quality mid-season apple). This seemingly common or garden apple has been installed with the most amazing qualities, least of all for its medicinal properties although ‘an apple…
-
Say it all in the essay
In my school days, I loved writing essays and sometimes the result was so impressive that my teachers rewarded me with the highest marks in the class. Such was the honour that I was called upon to read my composition to my lesser scoring classmates. It seemed that those early years of classroom essay writing,…
-
Why is the world your oyster?
An erudite scholar presented a speech in which he used the phrase, “the world is your oyster”. At first it hit me as the millionth use of a tried and tested and tired cliché, and I silently cringed. Later, on deeper thinking, I wondered why indeed the world was my oyster, or anyone else’s and…
Professional Writing Services
