Hello Reader,

I had to look this up, but PEAD is an acronym for Presidential Emergency Action Documents. Basically, these docs lay out the action plan for any number of horrifying potential emergency situations, so should one occur (martial law, for example) the president need only sign on the dotted line.

Somehow, "Beef with Snow Pead" now seems a bit more frightening.

Sorry about the green beans, too. Many regrets.

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Example of the Week

Sometimes this is a good example—or a great one. Sometimes this is a bad example—or just a funny blooper. Sometimes a combination. You never know.

The adage states real estate's three most important qualities are location, location, location. Along those lines, the three most important processes in self-editing are simplify, simplify, simplify (or clarify, clarify, clarify—choose your preferred synonym). And yes, that includes many classic novels on the canon which stumble under the burden of overwriting.

That's in no way to say I believe all reading should be easy—give me a good meaty chunk of writing to gnaw on any day.

The question does not fall into binary results. Something can be complex but clear and succinct, just as something else can be simple but muddled and redundant.

Consider Abraham Lincoln's famous Gettysburg Address, reproduced in entirety on the Library of Congress site. Clocking in at just ten sentences, the speech is gorgeously written, with specific language, strong nouns and verbs, and total clarity of purpose.

Could the opening have been dumbed down to "Eighty-seven years ago" rather than "Four score and seven years ago?" Sure. But would that edit have enhanced simplicity (or clarity)? Debatable.

What isn't debatable is that generations of United States middle schoolers would not be required to memorize a speech that began in such a flat way. And would any of us name that tune in four notes without the poetic (yet clear) language?

Actionable Tip of the Week

A trick to add to your self-editing toolbox right now!

In the corporate side of my career, I've been part of five rebranding/brand evolution campaigns. As crazy different as each was—more unalike than I am from my sister, and lemme tell you, that's a ton—the one commonality was that each new branding required a thorough style sheet.

Similar to, and some cases an extension of, style guides (Chicago Manual of Style, AP Stylebook, MLA, APA, etc.), a style sheet is a more concise document that serves as an in-house style guide, usually supplementing one of the larger style guides such as those I just mentioned.

Why am I telling you this? What do style sheets have to do with you?

If your writing is lengthy or public and therefore will eventually involve a proofreader, please do everyone a favor and create a style sheet listing your preferences.

Early in the movie Eternal Beauty, Sally Hawkins' character is fed up with receiving Christmas presents she hates. So she buys and wraps the gifts she wants, opens them in front of her family, gushes over how perfect everything is, and hands each "giver" a receipt for reimbursement.

By creating your own style guide, you are giving yourself the gift of deciding exactly how you want everything to appear. Style sheets ensure consistency in voice, punctuation/capitalization, spelling, vocabulary, and the like—i.e. everything in your draft that might not always be represented in exactly the same way. You can easily search your own manuscript for these items, and your proofreader(s) can easily follow your style sheet to ensure adherence to your preferences.

Want to see samples? Google "editing style sheet templates" for tons of inspiration on formatting and items to include. Most are free—no gift receipts required.

Reader Question of the Week

Jo wrote: Help me settle an argument. What is your opinion on the use of two spaces after a period?

Jo! Delete the extra space! A vestige of the land-before-computers when we all worked on manual typewriters, the second space after a period has formally been recognized as incorrect by Microsoft Word, MLA, APA, CMOS, AP, and every other style guide I know of. Plus, most importantly, by yours truly.

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Link of the Week

I recently sat through a "death by Powerpoint" meeting. If you have no idea what this means, trust me that your life is all the better for ignorance.

An oldie but goodie link goes to Lincoln's Gettysburg Address constructed as a Powerpoint. Read the cover page, then see the presentation slide by slide using "click here to start." Definitely simple. But good? You be the judge.

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I ❤️ Hearing from You!

Comments? Tips on style sheet best practices? Disagree with single spacing after periods? Just reply to this email or click this link.

Thanks for Reading!

~Helene

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