Common editing errors

[Bob Pacey]

Capital letters after quotation marks, e.g "Help," He said. This should be 'Help," he said.

using un-necessary words

I sat down on the chair. When we sit it is down so I sat on the chair will do.

I glanced all around. All is not needed I glanced around will suffice.

I felt so very much alone. How alone is alone ? I felt alone says it all.

Some tips from my writing group instructor ?

Bob

[Vic Jefferies]

Keep an eye on that writing instructor Bob. They often have their origins in the same school and before you knows where you is you will be writing in their style and not yours!
There is much to learn (and I suspect there always will be) but double check any suggested changes you receive.
I recently had a poem returned from someone who had altered what I had written and it was very plain that well intentioned person had not the slightest idea of writing poetry and a very limited understanding of punctuation.

[Maureen K Clifford]

Mmmmmm - I side with Vic in his comment but I agree that some superfluous words can be eliminated - like my Rooster with verdant green feathers More perhaps a case of being aware of what one is actually saying when using 'smarter' descriptions perhaps.

[Zondrae]

G'day all,

Yes, a very wise poet warned me very early on by saying. "Be careful from whom you take advice."

Now, Bob, I am not saying that your advice is incorrect. I am only quoting this advice for the benefit of others.

[Bob Pacey]

Please bear in mind that this is a lady who does professional editing and the course was for micro fiction stories where less is better.

Bob

[r.magnay]

You might find this hard to believe....I did after I stopped laughing....some bloke just up the road from here got hooked up in a powerline today, from what I can gather he was on a scissor lift and went up into the powerline, needless to say he got quite a serious electric shock, he may not even survive it as he has been flown to Adelaide and is in a coma. That is not the funny part...of course, the funny part is when the local TV station was reporting it on the news tonight, and the girl reading the news said, and I quote....."Electrocution can be fatal!"...... ...fair dinkum? I think English and the correct use of it is reasonably important!

[Dave Smith]

We had a house burn down in Collie last week and the news reader said.

"The house owner was in jail and not home at the time." ??

TTFN

[Bob Pacey]

Now you are al wandering off the subject ? a bit unusual for this site

Bob

[r.magnay]

Now you are al wandering off the subject ? a bit unusual for this site

Bob

I reckon you might want to read this again Bob, since we are talking about correct use of punctuation...... I didn't actually think I was wandering off the topic, I may have been a bit long winded about the story, but for anyone who doesn't understand....if you get electrocuted you are dead!....and that is fatal!....

[Neville Briggs]

I think Bob, that the advice you are getting about less is more is most certainly applicable to poetry. I applaud your enthusiasm for posting gems that you have found in your little course. Good for you.
I'm afraid I disagree with comments here about being wary of instruction or instructors, the more you learn the better equipped you will be to find your own voice I reckon.

Go for it Bob.