Tag Archives: editing

Ask Dalya: Do you recommend a notebook, paper or oral digital recorder for ideas and thoughts, like traditional writers have used?

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Q: Do you recommend a notebook, paper or oral digital recorder for ideas and thoughts, like traditional writers have used?

 A: Yes, I think it’s a good idea to start thinking of yourself as a “writer” – even if you only sit down to craft a piece occasionally. You want to invite ideas to come to you whenever and wherever, and you should be ready to capture them.

I carry a small notebook around with me wherever I go. But I could just as easily take notes or record my thoughts on my mobile device. Going back through my notes later is a great way to relive my recent ‘aha’ moments and maybe even add an additional thought that has been brewing in my mind. A journal is an expanded version of this little notebook, and I also recommend keeping one. In addition, I keep a little notepad by my bedside to keep notes before or after sleeping. These methods have come through for me countless times. Continue reading →

New online article: “Eliminating Unintended, Accidental, Repetitive Redundancies”

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The second installment of my article series on Opportunity Knocks is now online. In the series, called “Putting on the Polish,” I share some tips on how to put that final touch on your documents to make them stand out and shine.

The first article was about how to cultivate conciseness. This second article is called “Eliminating Unintended, Accidental, Repetitive Redundancies” and starts out like this:

Did you notice that my title contains two redundancies (unintended/accidental and repetitive/redundancies)? Dramatic or humorous effect is the main reason that occasional repetition can be a good thing, if used well (more on that later). In most cases, however, purging your document of all forms of redundancies helps a lot.

There are actually several ways you can be redundant. Kind of ironic, don’t you think? As you might have guessed, this technique is another great way to cultivate conciseness….

Read the full article HERE.