Judy Hagey Editor

Write Justified

Writing Tips

Beware the Zombies

I’m supposed to be writing a review of Steven Pinker’s Sense and Style, but like the student who waited until the last minute to read the book, I’m not in a position to write a full review—yet. With Halloween on the horizon, and Pinker’s reference to zombie nouns, I thought a blog on those might be more apropos than trying to bluff my way through a full book review. I am not a fan of horror films or literature (with the exception of Stephen King), so my knowledge of zombies is limited. Suffice to say that for our purposes the …

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The Secret to Getting Published

When Diane Holmes’s grandmother divulged the untold story of her mother—a secret she’d kept from adolescence to her death bed—Diane took on the mantel of family historian and storyteller. While her grandmother’s story caused a sensation within the family, Diane saw more in her grandmother’s life—courage and resilience in the face of difficulty and loss. It has taken nearly 75 years for Grandma Bernadine’s story to reach the written page, and that is a narrative in itself. While Diane mulled the account of her grandmother’s life from her own adolescence, a 2014 New Years resolution propelled her to finally put …

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Writing Tips

If you’re using the corona virus-induced isolation to write, check out this helpful infographic from Mignon Fogarty, the Grammar Girl, for the frequent writing mistakes that even published authors make. Thanks to Quick and Dirty Tips | Grammar Girl for this infographic.

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Is There an Echo in Here?

Some years ago, a discount department store ran an ad in which two similarly dressed persons appeared. The announcer—in a loud, annoying voice—called out article after article: a dress shirt from a high-priced department store compared to a similar shirt from the discount store. “It’s the same thing.” After each item—the slacks, the tie, the shoes—he repeated in the increasingly obnoxious tone, “It’s the same thing.”

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Flag That

Today is Flag Day in the U.S. Betsy Ross is credited with creating our national emblem despite little historical evidence. But that hasn’t stopped us from setting aside a day to honor the Stars and Stripes—representing the shared ideals and values of disparate states.

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