What they’re saying:
“Deft, generous, wise and insightful, Roy Jacobsen’s experience-based blog is one of the best bangs for the click that any writer will find on the Internet.”—Arthur Plotnik“Writing – Clear and Simple proves that it doesn’t take a professional to write clearly and with impact.” —Top 100 Blogs to Improve Your Writing in 2010
One of “The Top 30 Blogs on Writing” according to the Delaware Employment Law Blog.
"Your website rocks!"—William Van Benschoten
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Category Archives: Humor
Rejection letters as works of art
If you’ve ever submitted a piece, you’ve received a rejection letter. Here’s a grand one, sent to Gertrude Stein from her editor.
Posted in Humor
Tagged bad news, creativity, Gertrude Stein, poetry, publishing, rejection letters
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The impotence of prooreading
Submitted without comment: Correction: This blog post originally stated that one in three black men who have sex with me is HIV positive. In fact, the statistic applies to black men who have sex with men. From tbd.com. (Hat tip … Continue reading
A proposal for a new usage “rule”
Longtime readers know how I feel about people who say “You can’t start a sentence with ‘Hopefully.’” (The short version is “You most certainly can.” Go here for the long version.) Some people will tell you that you can’t start … Continue reading
The agony of writer’s block
From Hugh MacLeod of gapingvoid. (If you like this, you can buy a print here. I’m not affiliated with Hugh in any way other than being a fan.)
Celebrate National Grammar Day!
I almost forgot: Today is National Grammar Day! I haven’t finished eating all of the Valentines Day conversation hearts; I suppose for National Grammar Day I could proofread the ones that are left.
Posted in Humor
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Crash blossoms: Signs and wonders edition
Here’s a crash blossom that appeared in our local newspaper, The Forum, on Tuesday: If this is true, Congressman Pomeroy has missed his calling. He should leave politics and begin a career as a flood fighter. (In case you missed … Continue reading
Posted in Crash blossoms, Humor, Word Choice
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How not to write: A real-world example
I’ve been receiving some comment spam recently for a “paper writing service.” As I have stated elsewhere, I hate spam, and comment spam is no exception. But these things are so poorly written that I can’t resist sharing one with … Continue reading
Is bad writing actually good for something?
Can bad writing actually be good for something? How about some laughs? The Feminist Law Professors blog has collected some of the best examples of writing that doesn’t quite say what the author intended: the Annals of Bad Writing.
Posted in Humor, Writing in its natural habitat
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Plain English in the coffee shop
Hey, coffee lovers! What size is that latte? Short, tall, grande, or venti? Premi, media, or massimo? (Does anyone know what those mean, anyway? Who, other than Italians, knows that venti means “twenty,” as in twenty fluid ounces of caffeinated … Continue reading
Posted in Humor, Plain Language
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