Access vs. Assess

While deadlines are a great motivator to get things done, they are also a factor that often causes work to be completed quickly. If written content needs to be produced under tight, pressure-driven circumstances, it’s best to have a proofreader on-call to massage out the knots that may occur in first-draft copy.

Careless errors are always a possibility, even if a writer actually knows the difference between two words.

Since “c”s and “s”s in the English language may have the same pronunciation, rushed writers might mistakenly type the wrong sequence of letters when it comes to the words “access” and “assess.”

Here are quick tips to determine the difference between these two words, and type them correctly during Round 1, if you’re working in a fast-paced environment.

“Access” is a verb and a noun.

As a verb, the word means “to acquire, to have”:

I won’t be able to access the password-protected file until I receive
the password.

As a noun, the word means “to possess permission”:

Since the file did not require a password, I already have access to the information.

The word expresses the same idea regardless of the form of speech.

“Assess” is a verb.

To “assess” is “to judge, to determine based on evidence”:

Now that I have access to the pertinent background information, I can accurately assess the situation.

Similar spellings. Not-so-similar meanings. So, how do you regulate your wandering fingertips so that they don’t type “cc” when they intend to type “ss”, or vice-versa?

Access

Having access to something is a privilege. When you get something that you want, most commonly money, the conversational phrase “Cha-Ching!” comes to mind.

Tip: “Cha-Ching” --> “cc” --> Access --> Privileged Access

Assess

“Assess,” the word with the letters “ss,” means “to form a judgment.”

The judgment is made regarding a situation. The word “situation” begins with the letter “s.”

Tip: Assess the Situation

About the Author: Stefanie Flaxman corrects business, marketing, and educational documents in 24 hours to eliminate reputation-crushing mistakes from your writing. She's a professional proofreader and the founder of Revision Fairy® Small Business Proofreading Services. Connect with Stefanie on Twitter.

How to Be in the Right Place at the Right Time

Timing is everything.

It’s easy to disregard that phrase as a manifestation of “luck”—you either have it or you don’t. The concept certainly arises when job searching. You may feel stuck and hopeless; nothing seems to be working for you.

A simple change of attitude makes a world of difference. It boils down to what you make with what comes your way. You have the ability to overcome unfortunate conditions.

Timing, luck, and serendipity are factors that you control.

“Failure is an opportunity.” ~ Lao Tzu

Don’t force it.

Realizing that you’re not good at something (or you do not enjoy it) is as beneficial as finding one of your strengths. When you discover a weakness, you can choose to make it stronger, or you can let it go.

If something isn’t working for you, it’s your responsibility to change it. The uncertainty that comes with losing a job shakes up your world, but that doesn’t mean that you’ve also lost the ability to be grounded again.

Get used to things changing.

You have the power to change the direction of your life every moment. The concept of that power can be frightening, so individuals often choose to ignore their capacity to impact their own happiness. It doesn’t take much effort to have a mediocre life and blame your frustrations on someone or something else.

“Arrange whatever pieces come your way.” ~ Virginia Woolf

Focus on the experience.

Individual circumstances influence your professional life, not a formula.

Although I took multiple types of journalism classes all four years of high school and continued to copy edit throughout college, the looming idea of “what I wanted to do” was baffling. External and internal pressures evoke a quick answer to the “what do you want to do” question: go hide under the covers of your bed.

But I decided to have a career as a copy editor. Power lies in taking action. Never underestimate that first step, even if you decide to change directions shortly after you make it. I realized that I love editing and working with writers to perfect their ideas. If I didn’t, however, I would change the way that I spend my days in a heartbeat. There’s no reason to continue on a path that you know is not right for you. Retire the word “should.”

“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” ~ Howard Thurman

Create opportunities.

Every experience has a positive pay off if you let it. If you genuinely care about the job that you do, you’ll naturally stand out as an asset in that field—opening yourself up to future opportunities.

Exploring freelance work in between full-time jobs is an effective way of learning about new types of careers, as well as your own abilities. Consulting or a full-time freelance profession may be a healthy fit for you. You’ll discover possibilities that you might have never thought of before.

When you prepare self-promotional materials during the job application process (resumes, writing samples, cover letters, etc.) writing mistakes are inevitable. It has nothing to do with intelligence. Take the time to fix careless errors and improve weak areas.

My clients want to do everything that they can to ensure that their image is flawless. They know that they are capable of putting out a fantastic product, whether it is website copy, marketing materials, or a novel. Utilizing my proofreading services enables them to take timing, luck, and serendipity into their own hands. They take action to meet their goals and create new life paths.

Focus on your passions, experiences, and resources at all times, and you’ll continually find yourself in the right place at the right time. It’s not supernatural; it’s the way it is.

About the Author: Stefanie Flaxman corrects business, marketing, and educational documents in 24 hours to eliminate reputation-crushing mistakes from your writing. She's a professional proofreader and the founder of Revision Fairy® Small Business Proofreading Services. Connect with Stefanie on Twitter.

Between vs. Among

A proofreader doesn’t get to take the day off because two words don’t look alike. Enter Between & Among.

“Between” and “among” are both prepositions. And each word may be used a lot of different ways. A lot. We’ll go over these so that you are clear on the proper circumstances for each use. This will take some time, but it will be okay.

While it’s my job to make sure that your grammar is impeccable, grammar gurus still debate about “between vs. among” rules.

Debating about rules doesn’t help you figure things out. I want you to be able to choose the correct word in your writing so that the meaning that you intend to express is as clear as possible.

Choose the word “between” to discuss an engagement between two nouns (people, places, or things).

Examples:

Just between you and me …

The flight is between New York and Chicago.

I’m choosing between peach pie and apple pie.

Choose the word “among” to describe an association among many items.

Examples:

My dogs like to play among the trees in the park.

Sally is the top student among her classmates.

Among his other talents, Tom was also a skilled pianist.

For each of these examples, it is clear that the meaning of each word (“between” or “among”) is slightly different, but the context is consistent.

With the “between” examples, the sentences end with ____ and ____.

With the “among” examples, a plural noun follows each use of the word “among.”

I’m going to throw you a curve ball now, so brace yourself.

If a sentence is about a united group—yes, more than two nouns—then you should use “between” instead of “among”:

Between the five of us, we had enough money for what we needed for the apartment.

Pay attention to the word “five.” Ignore the preposition that contains the word “us.”

If you focus on “us,” you’re going to think “plural noun = among.” But the word “five” is what you should recognize as significant.

“Five” is a number greater than “two”, but it is still a limited group.

“Trees, talents, and classmates” in the above examples, regarding when to use the word “among," are ambiguous and essentially indefinite.

It is time to divide and conquer. What have we learned from previous posts? We’ll make these words seem like they have nothing in common.

Between

The word “between” contains the letters “tw” to help remind you that you should use “between” if the preposition relates “two” items.

When choosing a preposition that refers to a finite group of items, also use “between.”

If the possibilities can be defined, use “between.”

Among

The word “among” contains the word “on”. “On-and-on-and-on” is a colloquial way to describe infinite possibilities. When the possibilities are ambiguous, vague, or infinite, use “among.”

About the Author: Stefanie Flaxman corrects business, marketing, and educational documents in 24 hours to eliminate reputation-crushing mistakes from your writing. She's a professional proofreader and the founder of Revision Fairy® Small Business Proofreading Services. Connect with Stefanie on Twitter.

Effect vs. Affect

When your writing is finalized without a thorough proofreading, it can affect the quality of your document in a harmful way. A negative impression is not the effect that you want to have on your audience.

The misuse of the words “effect” and “affect” usually occurs when one believes that the two words can be used interchangeably—that they have the same meaning. Here’s a straightforward way to understand how to use each word properly.

The noun “effect” is “the result of something else.” The “effect” will occur after something else happens.

The outcome of an event is a result; it may also be thought of as an “effect.”

The verb “affect” “causes a change, or manipulates something else.”

It is an action, often associated with changing or causing emotions.

Effect

According to IMDb.com, 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), created a “new high-bench mark for special effects” in films. The illusion of spaceships transported the viewer into a more advanced world. That’s the effect. Special effects.

Associate “special effects” with “effects” and you’ll remember that “effect” should be used as the noun to describe an outcome.

The phrase “cause and effect” is also helpful if you’re confused about whether to use the word “effect” or “affect.” A cause produces an effect.

Tip: Event Result = Effect

Affect

Let’s keep with the movie theme. Say you’re leaving a movie theater with a friend after sobbing your heart out during a tearjerker. (Those dramas are so manipulative!)

Concerned, your friend turns to you and says, “What’s wrong with you?”

Since fiction does not usually have that effect on you, you exclaim, “I don’t know! It just really affected me!”

The movie caused a change in your emotions. Causing a change is an action.

Tip: Action = Affect

Although the words “effect” and “affect” are commonly confused, the difference between the noun and the verb is quite simple.

About the Author: Stefanie Flaxman corrects business, marketing, and educational documents in 24 hours to eliminate reputation-crushing mistakes from your writing. She's a professional proofreader and the founder of Revision Fairy® Small Business Proofreading Services. Connect with Stefanie on Twitter.

Can vs. May

Since we’ve already discussed the meaning of the word “can,” the common “can” vs. “may” confusion is a reasonable error to examine next.

Picture yourself in seventh grade English class. You’re excited that Julie’s boring oral book report on Bridge to Terabithia is almost over. You want to grab the bathroom pass like it’s nobody’s business and stroll the middle school hallways for at least one more presentation.

“Mr. Jones, can I have the bathroom pass?” you ask, as you rise from your seat-desk combination.

“Yes; you can,” Mr. Jones replies without looking up from his notes. He quickly continues, “Okay, who’s next? Matthew, it’s your turn to present now.”

Matthew walks to the front of the room and begins rambling about Of Mice and Men.

The bathroom pass is still hanging on the nail next to Mr. Jones’ desk.

“What? Why didn’t Mr. Jones give me the pass?” you think as you look around the room awkwardly before you slump back down in your chair.

Of course, you can have the bathroom pass. You have the ability to possess it. (Remember, “can” and “able”). Mr. Jones felt, however, that you may not gain possession of the coveted item at that time.

Can

My third grade teacher was an advocate of the “I Can” attitude. You have the ability to do anything. On the first day of class, we decorated actual cans that had a big letter “I” glued onto them. An “I May” attitude is not as powerful.

May

“May,” besides a beautiful spring month, is a word used to express “possibility, intention, or permission.”

In the seventh-grade-bathroom scenario, you needed to ask permission to receive the bathroom pass; you asked for the ability to receive the bathroom pass by using the word “can.”

If you had asked, “May I have the bathroom pass?” then you would have already been romping down the hallway.

Fortunately, you did not need to actually use the bathroom. You just wanted to skip class. And if you skip the step of proofreading your text, you leave your document vulnerable to displaying this error.

About the Author: Stefanie Flaxman corrects business, marketing, and educational documents in 24 hours to eliminate reputation-crushing mistakes from your writing. She's a professional proofreader and the founder of Revision Fairy® Small Business Proofreading Services. Connect with Stefanie on Twitter.

Could vs. Would

You would be foolish to skip the step of proofreading a document. Your text could contain typos, inconsistencies, or other blunders that make you look stupid. Don’t be stupid. To start, use the words “could” and “would” correctly.

“Could” and “would” need to be dissected. Both words are past tense.

“Could” is the past tense of “can.” “Would” is the past tense of “will.”

There are complex phrases, such as “past plural,” “present participle,” and “past participle” that more specifically describe exactly which tense is the appropriate label for the words “could” and “would.”

Since I’m not in the “confusing you” business, for all intents and purposes, “past tense” will work.

Tip: The minute the words “could” and “would” begin to confuse you, immediately review what each word means in the present tense. “Can” and “will” clearly do not express the same meaning.

“Can” refers to “the ability to do something.”

“Will” refers to “the intention or determination to do something.”

Could

When you use the word “could,” you describe actual ability.

In the Old Testament, the pair are “Cain and Abel.” When writing, pair “can” and “able” to ensure that you are using the word “could” properly.

Would

If an action is optional, based on one’s intent, “would” is most likely the correct word to use. Is the person willing? Is it a possible option?

Willing + Option = Would

I think Oprah would call this explanation an “Ah-ha!” moment.

Of course Oprah could call this chapter anything that she wants (she has the ability to speak), but I am proposing that she would. After reading the information in this chapter, it is probable that she would be willing to label it an “Ah-ha!” moment.

Carefully proofread your text. “Would” and “could” are not used interchangeably, just as “can” and “will” are not synonyms.

About the Author: Stefanie Flaxman corrects business, marketing, and educational documents in 24 hours to eliminate reputation-crushing mistakes from your writing. She's a professional proofreader and the founder of Revision Fairy® Small Business Proofreading Services. Connect with Stefanie on Twitter.

The Secret to Executing Your Writing Goals

I won’t leave you hanging. The secret to creating the best possible piece of writing is the ability to believe in yourself.

Before you click your browser’s “back” button and recoil in disgust, let me clarify that I’m not just spewing rainbows, lollipops, and unicorns at you. “Think positive” and “do your best” may seem like empty proclamations, but you can turn those optimistic assertions into an actual writing tool, as pertinent as a word processor, a keyboard, and your phalanges.

There’s no shortcut to brilliant writing. A flawless final product emerges from talent, creativity, and meticulous proofreading. Believing in your abilities without action will not yield results. The practice of optimism helps ignite a passion that transforms your intentions into an artistic arrangement of words. It’s the beginning of your story as a writer.

Optimism as a writing instrument is a two-part strategy that consists of theory and mechanics.

Here’s an exercise. Think of all the films that you’ve never heard of or seen. I’ll throw a title out there as a starting point: The Room. The Room is arguably one of the worst movies ever made—horrible acting, inconsistencies galore, nonsensical plot. However, the DVD of The Room features a Q&A with writer, director, producer, and star of the film, Tommy Wiseau, and he states one thing that does make sense.

Wiseau explains that he had an idea for a screenplay that he wanted to write and that writing it wasn’t enough for him—he wanted to actually turn the screenplay into a film. Wiseau wasn’t concerned with what critics would say. He didn’t care if anyone “got” his idea. He made his own reality. And the result? The Room doesn’t have to be known as one of the best movies ever made, but it is known. It has a nationwide cult following who attend midnight screenings of the cinematic disaster and excitedly venture to sold-out talks featuring Wiseau and his cast.

What would have happened if Wiseau kept the plot of The Room, as incoherent as it may be, in his thoughts? Nothing. Instead, he believed in himself and executed his plan accordingly.

You have to make yourself invincible. There’s no amount of handholding, five-fives, or pats on the back that can achieve that for you.

No matter what you do, someone is going to disagree with your viewpoint or simply not like it. Don’t write for those individuals. Write because you’re passionate about a subject. That’s all you need. Tommy Wiseau may not have envisioned that those who enjoy bad movies would appreciate his film, but nonetheless his vision found an audience.

Everyone has avoided a task that he or she wants to accomplish. Feeling guilty about this lack of action is pointless. But when you’re ready, and looking for inspiration, focus on the possibilities that lie ahead once you take the initiative to reach your goal, rather than the excuses (it will be difficult, it will take a long time, I don’t have the energy, etc.) that keep you in procrastination mode.

What project have you been putting off?

About the Author: Stefanie Flaxman corrects business, marketing, and educational documents in 24 hours to eliminate reputation-crushing mistakes from your writing. She's a professional proofreader and the founder of Revision Fairy® Small Business Proofreading Services. Connect with Stefanie on Twitter.

Accept vs. Except

A proofreader excitedly analyzes your text with a discerning eye that corrects blemishes. If you instinctively choose the correct word, there’s less dirt to dust off your writing—giving you more time to focus on your subject matter. Let’s take a look at two words that end with the four letters “c-e-p-t.”

Since “accept” and “except” each begin with different letters, one can easily identify that these are indeed two distinct words. The relaxed, mindful writer clearly knows the appropriate context for each of these words. However, when one is caught up in translating an idea from her mind into coherent words on a computer screen, the creative process can often take priority over grammar, spelling, and word choice.

There are many ways to use the verb “accept.” All we need to examine, though, is why “accept” is a different word from “except” and how to employ each word to transcribe the meaning that you intend to convey.

The verb “accept” means “to take in, receive.”

The word “except” is not a verb. It belongs to the second-tier of parts of speech (noun, verb, and adjective belong to the first-tier).

“Except” can be used as a preposition, a conjunction, or an idiom. But who cares about that? In each form, the word “except” is utilized to mean “with the exclusion of ____.”

Accept

When using the word “accept,” associate it with the word “acceptance”—you take something in, you receive something, you accept something.

Accept --> Acceptance --> Take In

Except

When you use the word “except,” you want to signify “exclude.”

Except --> Exclude --> Leave Out

Don’t be paranoid about mistakes; accept that they will appear in your writing, and take the necessary steps to eliminate them before you release your final product. Even if you think that the confusion of two words is idiotic, it’s important not to take any word for granted when you’re proofreading.

About the Author: Stefanie Flaxman corrects business, marketing, and educational documents in 24 hours to eliminate reputation-crushing mistakes from your writing. She's a professional proofreader and the founder of Revision Fairy® Small Business Proofreading Services. Connect with Stefanie on Twitter.

Compliment vs. Complement

Typos aren’t always glaring errors, such as the insertion of erroneous letters (i.e. “errroneaious”). A proofreader also ensures that each word that you type is the most appropriate. Similar words may convey different meanings.

The two distinct words “compliment” and “complement” are essentially pronounced in the same way (especially if one is mumbling) and essentially spelled the same way—there’s only one letter that is different.

The word “compliment” is a noun and verb.

The word “complement” is a noun and verb.

You’re thinking, “How is this going to help me tell these words apart? I want to know why they are different, not similar.”

We will get there, but the good news is that while each word can be used as two parts of speech, when you understand the noun-usage of these words, the verb-usage of these words is logical.

The verb-usage of both “compliment” and “complement” transforms the noun-form into an action.

A “compliment (noun)” is an “expression of praise.” When you “compliment (verb)” someone, you tell her an expression of praise.

A “complement (noun)” is “something that completes something else.” When something “complements (verb)” something else it “makes it whole/adds value to it.”

See? Easy. You really only need to learn one definition for each word.

Most people have a separate drawer for socks, a separate drawer for t-shirts, a separate drawer for sweaters, etc. Think of the following as a separate drawer for “compliment,” and a separate drawer for “complement.”

Compliment

“I like the outfit that you have on” is a compliment. The word “compliment” that is spelled with the letter “i” should remind you of saying “I like”—the phrase that you begin with when you give someone a compliment.

Complement

A “complement” “completes, or makes whole”. Complement. Complete. Get it?

The next time that you need a proofreader to review your writing, Revision Fairy® Small Business Proofreading Services is the perfect complement.

About the Author: Stefanie Flaxman corrects business, marketing, and educational documents in 24 hours to eliminate reputation-crushing mistakes from your writing. She's a professional proofreader and the founder of Revision Fairy® Small Business Proofreading Services. Connect with Stefanie on Twitter.

Precede vs. Proceed

When proofreading a document, think of the words “precede” and “proceed” as opposites. Leave it to the English language to create two words with similar pronunciations, but quite individual meanings.

“Precede” is “to go before.” It is a verb.

“Proceed” is also a verb, but it is used to signify “carry on, continue, move forward.”

What are the opposite stages of a makeover? Before and after.

Precede” is “before,” and “proceed” is “after.” Here’s some more reinforcement.

Precede

Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999) was a “prequel” to the original Star Wars film (1977).

The events that took place during Episode I came before (or preceded) Star Wars. Prequel. Precede.

Proceed

Think of “proceed” as “proactive, taking initiative.”

“Proceed” is spelled with a sequence of two of the letter “e”, similarly to the word “speed.”

Proceed --> Speed --> Speed Pushes You Forward

If you'd like to proceed to the next chapter before next week, check out the anti-grammar ebook Revision Fairy Tales in its entirety.

About the Author: Stefanie Flaxman corrects business, marketing, and educational documents in 24 hours to eliminate reputation-crushing mistakes from your writing. She's a professional proofreader and the founder of Revision Fairy® Small Business Proofreading Services. Connect with Stefanie on Twitter.

Premier vs. Premiere

When you’re a proofreader, you see the same mistakes frequently. In my anti-grammar ebook, Revision Fairy Tales: 21 Writing Mistakes You’ll Never Make Again, I outline common mistakes that can be easily avoided with a little clarification.

Each week, I’ll share a “tale” from my book to eliminate your confusion about each pair of similar words. Choose the proper word when you write your first draft, and you’ll have fewer errors to fix later.

Premier vs. Premiere

Who would have thought that a little “e” could make such a big difference? Well, it does.

The adjective “premier” means “first-rate, best, number one in its class.”

The noun “premiere” means “the first public showing of an event.”

"Premier” may be used as an adjective or a noun, while “premiere” may be used as a noun, a verb used with an object, a verb used without an object, and an adjective.

Wait for it, wait for it … Huh? Let me break it down for you.

Premier

“Premier,” as an adjective, is the most common usage of the word that gets confused with “premiere.”

The adjective “premier” is used to describe “the best ____”:

How would you describe your company?

“Bamboo Emporium” is the premier outlet for premium bamboo stalks from around the globe.

Tip: Premier = premium. Both words do not end with the letter “e”.

“Premier,” as a noun, is less common. The term describes a person who is first in rank.

For example, a “premier” may be a chief executive officer or a president of a company.

Premiere

“Premiere,” as a noun, is “the first showing of an event.” “Premiere,” as other parts of speech, conveys a similar meaning.

“Premiere” as a verb with an object:

• “When will you debut your new paintings?”
• “You can see them on Saturday when I premiere my new exhibit at the Corner Gallery.”

“Premiere” as a verb without an object:

• “What is the occasion for the event on Friday?”
• “Oh, *Insert Awesome Movie Title Here* will premiere.”

“Premiere” as an adjective is similar to its noun-form:

• I’m excited for the premiere showing of *Insert Awesome Movie Title Here* on Friday.

Tip: Premiere = movie premiere. The words “premiere” and “movie” both end with the letter “e”.

Do you see how each word has distinct circumstances for its use?

To download the complete set of Revision Fairy Tales, click here. If you’re the patient-type, check back weekly for proofreading service secrets.

About the Author: Stefanie Flaxman corrects business, marketing, and educational documents in 24 hours to eliminate reputation-crushing mistakes from your writing. She's a professional proofreader and the founder of Revision Fairy® Small Business Proofreading Services. Connect with Stefanie on Twitter.

What Laundry Can Teach You About Persuasive Writing

There are many tasks that you may not finish in a short time period: spring cleaning, filing paperwork, organizing your DVD collection, etc. Laundry is not one of these activities.

Once you start your laundry, there’s no turning back—you complete the ritual in a limited amount of time. Each step directly helps achieve your goal. The endeavor is efficient, and once you’re done, you have a fresh batch of clean clothes.

Persuasive writing should be approached in the same finite number of steps, where a tight, cohesive product emerges from your focused effort.

Here are three steps from your laundry routine that you can apply to your writing habits.

Sort it.
Before you whip out the detergent and fabric softener, get organized. You may need to separate your clothes into individual batches. Do you set aside a specific load for white items? Are there garments that need to be washed with cold water? Or delicate fabrics that need to be hand washed?

In order to clean your clothes properly, you don’t just throw everything together in the washing machine. You make special accommodations for high priority items. When writing, get your priorities in order. Make sure that you clearly state your motives. Capture the reader’s attention by immediately expressing the benefits of reading your text—let your audience know what they’ll learn or gain if they continue reading.

A number of your creative ideas may not be appropriate for your current project. Save those thoughts for another time, and concentrate on the essential pieces of information that you need to convey your message.

Clean it.
The wash cycle is the main event during laundry festivities. It’s the crucial step that transforms your dirty, un-wearable clothes back into a functional part of your wardrobe. In front of your keyboard, your intentions turn into text.

Once you figure out what you need to express to your audience, support your point with details. You’ve intrigued the reader with a provocative proposition; now turn the reader into a serious client or buyer.

Whether you’re selling a product, advertising an event, or promoting your blog, there is an action that you want the reader to take—buy your product, attend your event, or subscribe to your blog. Each sentence should reinforce this aim. Compel the reader to follow up with the appropriate action by adding elements to your text that make inaction seem foolish. What advantage will the reader obtain if he or she responds to your request?

Dry it.
Since you don’t want to put wet, soggy clothes away in your closet, your task is not complete simply because your soiled items are now clean. Time in the dryer preps your laundry for proper storage among your other clean clothing.

When you have transformed a blank page into a clear piece of writing that communicates your message, take a break. Give your eyes and your brain a rest from the subject matter before you begin proofreading. Also, have another individual proofread the text before you consider it complete. A proofreader who is unfamiliar with your objective can help determine if your writing is effective—as well as help correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors.

What writing practices help you stay on topic?

About the Author: Stefanie Flaxman corrects business, marketing, and educational documents in 24 hours to eliminate reputation-crushing mistakes from your writing. She's a professional proofreader and the founder of Revision Fairy® Small Business Proofreading Services. Connect with Stefanie on Twitter.

Three Quick Ways To Perfect Your Resume

We’re taught from an early age not to “judge a book by its cover.” Although this is a general rule of thumb if you prefer not to pre-judge someone, in practice, judgments are often made quickly—when a “cover” is all you have. In the job market, this is your resume.

Writing your resume is scary. You have to contemplate your best qualities and express them in a clear and engaging way. One page must contain information that makes a potential employer want to interview you.

When you approach resume writing from a place of passion, instead of fear, you’ll get a fresh perspective on the process. Don’t just display your work history; connect with the person reading about your professional experience. Here are three questions to ask when reviewing your resume.

Would you want to read it?
The format of your resume is the true first impression. Before an onlooker reads any words, she gets a sense of your organizational style. Do you use an easy-to-read font? How do you separate sections? How do you present your contact information?

The person inspecting your resume has many other resumes, cover letters, and personal advertisements to read. If your document looks overwhelming, it makes the employer’s job easier—she gets to put it in the “no” pile before she even concentrates on the text. To ensure that your resume lands in at least one “yes” pile, eliminate long blocks of text.

Make someone want to take a closer look at your resume. While you need to be specific about your qualifications, the one page that showcases your skills needs to have visual appeal. A glance at the document should cause intrigue. Every word on the page should highlight your personality in a succinct way. Don’t be afraid of white space. Wouldn’t you rather read short, informative text than excessive, vague descriptions?

What makes you unique?
When job hunting, you may think about how to express that you match a position’s specifications. Instead, shift your focus to what makes you stand out from the crowd. Assume that everyone applying for your desired job has the skills that the employer wants. What personal experiences make you different? What distinctions or awards have you earned at past jobs? What knowledge or abilities make you special?

If you write that you have great time-management and customer service skills, would anyone applying for the job say that they don’t have great time-management and customer service skills? You want to show that you have the necessary experience to handle the job, but you’ll distinguish yourself from other candidates if you demonstrate in a personal way that you have what it takes to rock the position.

Have you proofread each word?
Although resumes are read quickly, glaring errors are still problematic. When you’ve designed your document to look fresh and easy-to-read, mistakes are easily noticeable. The tiniest error can make your resume look sloppy—or worse—make you look careless.

Another aspect of proofreading is viewing the document from the perspective of someone who knows nothing about you. If you state that you worked for “XYZ Company,” but do not give any details about that organization, how is that listing going to benefit you? Your resume should directly promote you as the best candidate for the job. Omit or revise any words that do not support that goal.

Now is not the time to be shy. Make bold statements, have confidence in your intelligence, and get noticed. One of my favorite inspirational quotes pairs well with resume writing: It’s not who you are that holds you back, it’s who you think you’re not.

About the Author: Stefanie Flaxman corrects business, marketing, and educational documents in 24 hours to eliminate reputation-crushing mistakes from your writing. She's a professional proofreader and the founder of Revision Fairy® Small Business Proofreading Services. Connect with Stefanie on Twitter.

How to Use Twitter as the Ultimate Writing Exercise

The micro-blogging platform Twitter has changed communication.

Traditional blogs have evolved into channels for more leisurely reading. They contain the “meaty” stuff that you read when your brain has time to digest long blocks of text. Twitter pages erupt with information that is quick to read, easy to digest, and satisfying—instant gratification.

Although 140-character tweets may not be for everyone, condensing your thoughts into 140 characters can be a helpful writing exercise. While maintaining proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation, your ideas should be universally understood and autonomous. Make each blurb detailed and clear.

Here are three ways that you can benefit from the “philosophy of a tweet” without actually posting anything on your Twitter page (remember, it’s just writing practice).

Outline 2.0
An outline is a traditional way to organize your thoughts before writing a draft. Instead of listing out ideas, headings, or titles, write complete 140-character summaries. You can then arrange these tweet-inspired pieces in the proper order. Your outline will consist of meaningful and direct ways to start the different sections of your draft.

Characters in 140 Characters
“Just because you are a character, doesn’t mean you have character,” is one of my favorites lines of dialogue from Winston Wolfe (Harvey Keitel) in the film Pulp Fiction. Whether you’re writing a screenplay, a novel, or any other type of fiction, succinct descriptions of your characters are important throughout the writing process. When you first introduce a fictional character, you have a limited amount of time to reveal crucial background information to the reader. By the same token, if an investor said that he’d give you $100 million to make a film out of your screenplay based on a brief description of your main character, what would you say? The description better be impressive.

Think of a business objective, joint venture proposal, or advertising campaign pitch in the same terms. How would you communicate your most vital points in 140 characters to win over a prospective client, partner, or boss?

On a personal level, narrow down your character traits and professional interests for networking events. When you only have a moment to describe your employable skills, you’ll be ready. The ability to articulate your top characteristics is ideal for job interviews, as well.

You never know when you’ll be put on the spot to describe something important to you in concise terms. Plan ahead and create perfectly phrased tidbits of your most beloved creative ideas. Use 140 characters as a model.

Fewer Words, Fewer Errors
Unless you are just posting tweets on your Twitter page, your writing project is likely much longer than 140 characters. When you formulate your ideas in 140 characters, however, you’ll find that those potential tweets fit well in your final draft. You won’t have an excessive amount of run-on sentences or unnecessary words to cut out. Each sentence will be initially more cohesive. It’s not that your completed draft won’t need a thorough proofreading, but when text is more refined, it needs less editing and errors are easier to spot.

About the Author: Stefanie Flaxman corrects business, marketing, and educational documents in 24 hours to eliminate reputation-crushing mistakes from your writing. She's a professional proofreader and the founder of Revision Fairy® Small Business Proofreading Services. Connect with Stefanie on Twitter.

Proofreading Pointers: 3 Ways to Polish Conversational Writing

When proofreading a document, you want to make sure that your message is clear. You have an idea in your mind; you transform it into words, and hope that the person reading your words understands your idea.

Sometimes the words that we choose when writing are too conversational. If you nonchalantly spoke certain words or phrases in conversation, your idea would likely make perfect sense and not disrupt the cohesiveness of the discussion. In writing, even if it is appropriate to use an informal tone, little differences can affect the clarity and effectiveness of your message. You want to choose formal words even amidst a humorous, witty, or casual subject matter.

You can quickly polish your writing by looking out for these three errors that frequently appear in writing that is too colloquial.

Which and That
Let’s look at a sentence that I just wrote as an example: “You can quickly polish your writing by looking out for these three errors that frequently appear in writing that is too colloquial.” Note that the word “that” appears twice in the sentence.

When speaking, if you substituted the first instance of the word “that” for the word “which,” you’d probably get away with it, and your conversation would continue smoothly. However, the word “which” is not appropriate in the written sentence, unless you also change the structure of the sentence.

The word “that” initiates a phrase that specifically describes a noun, while the word “which” initiates a clause in the sentence. Use a comma and the word “which” when you set off a clause, enclosed in two commas.

That: You can quickly polish your writing by looking out for these three errors that frequently appear in writing that is too colloquial.
Which: Look out for these three errors, which frequently appear in writing that is too colloquial, in order to polish your writing.

As you can see, the use of the word “that” begins a “restrictive clause” because it limits the description that it prompts to the noun that it follows; the use of the word “which” is a “non-restrictive” clause because it just prompts a tangent within the sentence.

Some
I like to use examples from my own writing to show how easy it is to add imprecision to your writing. A thorough proofreading can fix these minor flaws. Minor as they may be, without them your writing transforms to a more professional level. Your reader effortlessly comprehends what you intend to communicate, rather than struggling to understand overworked sentences.

The word “some” is usually a word that we type out when writing a first draft. For example, I could have written above, “I like to use some examples from my own writing to show how easy it is to add imprecision to your writing.”

Tighten your text by removing empty words. The version of the sentence without the word “some” conveys the same meaning and is even stronger. Look for the word “some” and other vague adjectives in your writing. Delete accordingly.

Start to/Begin to
Similarly to the word “some” and vague adjectives, certain phrases that may be perfectly fine for conversation add no value to persuasive writing.

It’s almost always beneficial to delete the phrases “start to ___” and “begin to ___.” Other than word count, there is no substantial difference between the instructions “start to look for …” and simply “look for….”

Instead of instructing you to “start to look for ways to trim words in your text that are ineffective,” I’ll simply state, “look for ways to trim words in your text that are ineffective.” It’s all part of the proofreading process.

About the Author: Stefanie Flaxman corrects business, marketing, and educational documents in 24 hours to eliminate reputation-crushing mistakes from your writing. She's a professional proofreader and the founder of Revision Fairy® Small Business Proofreading Services. Connect with Stefanie on Twitter.