Editorial Notes = clarifying information, additional insight, annotations

Hiya Reader,

One of my favorite writing and editing avoidance time wasting activities is browsing houses on Zillow. (I used to go to open houses just for fun, but haven't since before Covid. ) I'll just pick a city and see what's for sale in a certain price range. I'm not looking to move — yet — but I enjoy looking at the photos and daydreaming. Honestly, it's instructive about the relative cost of living from location to location, too. And there are a couple of sites online I visit sometimes that showcase unusual homes — think castles, cabins, church conversions.

My enjoyment of home tours is the only way in which I would have been a good realtor.

Anyone else have an innocuous "escape" activity?

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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.

I spotted this gem in a recent real estate listing: "This charming home features a large living room perfect for entertaining guests, a spacious chef's kitchen with granite countertops that will make cooking a joy, and a master bedroom that offers a peaceful retreat from the hustle and bustle of daily life."

What's wrong here? Everything sounds nice, but it's a parade of clichés.

"Charming," "perfect for entertaining," "will make cooking a joy," "peaceful retreat from the hustle and bustle"—these phrases are so overused they've lost all meaning. The result reads like real estate Mad Libs.

Sometimes the most dangerous writing isn't obviously bad; it's invisibly bland.

Actionable Tip of the Week

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

I recently had a conversation with a client about writer's block. I've written before that I don't really believe in such a thing (ever heard of talker's block? No? Of course not! We just do it!) though I acknowledge being stuck when seeking perfection.

Here's a radical approach...[keep reading the article]​

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Reader Question of the Week

Marcus wrote: I keep seeing "on accident" instead of "by accident" everywhere, including in published articles. Is this actually correct now? Should I be using it?

Marcus! You've hit upon one of those generational language shifts that make grammarians break out in hives. "On accident" is indeed gaining ground, particularly among younger speakers, but it's not standard in formal writing—yet.

The traditional pairing is "by accident" and "on purpose," which creates a logical parallel. "On accident" likely emerged through analogy with "on purpose," which makes linguistic sense even if it makes traditionalists cringe.

Fact: language does naturally evolve. However, in professional writing, stick with "by accident." For better and for worse, writers are often held to conservative standards (read: established conventions). Save "on accident" for a youthful character's dialogue or when talking to friends of your teenagers.

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Link of the Week

​I would love to have a framed print quality version of this photo for my wall.​
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~Helene, your writing sherpa

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