The worst font

Poor Comic Sans.

This is the font that everyone loves to hate. Just type “Comic Sans” into YouTube and watch all the videos come up! Type “the worst font” into Google and Comic Sans is the answer.

Yet it was originally designed for use in comics—comics/Comic fancy that!

It was only when people started using it for serious typography that purists revolted. It’s playful and quirky, not sober and serious like Times New Roman.

In my opinion there’s more than enough space in writing for both. But maybe don’t send a submission to a publisher in Comic Sans. And don’t use it for CVs either. Save it for birthday parties and fun occasions.

Oh, and steer clear of Papyrus as well. It has its own coterie of haters.

Helen Woodall
helen.woodall@gmail.com

Helen is available to line edit and/ or content edit fiction and non-fiction. Rates on application.

The Semicolon: Grammar's Most Misunderstood Punctuation Mark

For many publishers, the only time a semicolon is permissible, is as a winking emoticon in an editing comment bubble.

But they were actually invented for a reason. That reason is to break up a longer sentence into more easily understood chunks. Sometimes a comma just isn’t good enough, yet to make one sentence into two means there’ll be far too many short sentences.

Unfortunately too many authors treat semicolons as an excuse to write very, very long sentences that leave the reader confused and exhausted trying to follow them.

This is a light-hearted, yet pertinent, article about when—and when not—to use semicolons.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/10/semicolon-use_n_6290546.html?ncid=tweetlnkushpmg00000031

Helen Woodall
helen.woodall@gmail.com

Helen is available to line edit and/ or content edit fiction and non-fiction. Rates on application.

Typos can kill you

Pat yourself on the back if you saw the typo on your first read-through of the picture. You're doing way better than the government clerk in the story below.

How a typo destroyed 124-year-old company Taylor & Sons

This is a story for everyone who thinks editors are a waste of time, and that anyone with a basic grasp of language doesn’t need a proofreader.
Ah no. It doesn’t work like that. Your work needs to be accurate whether you’re an author, a blogger, a graphic artist, a signwriter or a legal clerk. Especially the legal clerk.

A multimillion dollar company employing 250 people went bust because a clerk put an “S” on a name.
Their business unraveled and inside two months they were bankrupt. Since then they’ve successfully sued the government department that made the boo boo for 17 million dollars.
Trust me. Editors and proofreaders are much cheaper than that!
Proofread your work!

The full story is here:
http://www.news.com.au/finance/business/how-a-typo-destroyed-124-year-old-company-taylor-sons/story-fnda1bsz-1227199567162


Helen Woodall
helen.woodall@gmail.com

Helen is available to line edit and/ or content edit fiction and non-fiction. Rates on application.

How to be derogatory without using naughty words

Someone pointed this blog post out to me. It’s a list of old-fashioned words used to express disbelief in people or what they say.
It should be compulsory reading for people who can’t verbalize two consecutive sentences without swearing. Here are some great new socially acceptable words to add to your vocabulary.

How many do you remember your grandparents using?

Check out: http://www.buzzfeed.com/emmyf/silly-old-timey-words-you-should-start-using-again#.oq4waQn9v


Helen Woodall
helen.woodall@gmail.com

Helen is available to line edit and/ or content edit fiction and non-fiction. Rates on application.