Writers Block Archives - Page 3 of 5

December 18, 2017

Writing Concisely – Part One

“If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it,” wrote George Orwell, author of Animal Farm and 1984, in his 1946 essay, “Politics and the English Language.” To be a concise writer means being comprehensive, but brief. Consideration of word choice, excess words, redundancy, and affirmative language contributes to writing concisely.

Word Choice

Avoid clichés, idioms, and euphemisms. Clichés are overworked phrases that once said something in a unique way, such as, “don’t push the envelope,” “ladder of success,” or “take the bull by the horns,” but they have lost their meaningfulness. Idioms are similar; they are phrases that cannot be translated or understood by looking at the meanings of the individual words. “A flash in the pan” or “in the nick of time” both exemplify idioms. Euphemisms disguise uncomfortable ideas by giving them new descriptors, such as the military terms, “collateral damage” or “friendly fire.” Some euphemisms are well-meaning, but they are more for the speaker/writer’s comfort than for people they want to protect.

Use stronger words in place of longer, vague phrases. Purdue University (Purdue Owl) gives some clear examples:

Wordy: Our Web site has made available many of the things you can use for making a decision on the best dentist.

Concise: Our website presents criteria for determining the best dentist.

Wordy: Sue believed but could not confirm that Billy had feelings of affection for her.

Concise: Suzie assumed that Billy adored her.

Excess Words

Eliminate words that are unnecessary qualifiers, like, “I think,” “I feel,” or “in my opinion.” They do not add to the message and show a lack of confidence. Firm statements have more power without such qualifiers. Compare these two sentences:

Weak: I believe that peaceful protests bring positive results.

Stronger: Peaceful protests bring positive results.

Similarly, introductory phrases that add nothing to the meaning should be avoided, as in, “The purpose of my paper is to…” Write a sentence that states a concise point. Last, some phrases say nothing: “both x and y” (eliminate “both”) or “during the course of” (eliminate “the course of”).

Redundancy

A pleonasm is a phrase that has repetitive words, for example, “the reason why,” “twelve noon,” or “true fact.” Avoid using word pairs that are redundant, such as, “each and every,” “full and complete,” “always and forever,” or “cease and desist.” “ATM machine” is an abbreviated redundancy in that “ATM” stands for automated teller machine, so why use the word “machine” after the abbreviation? “HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) virus” and “CPU (central processing unit) unit” illustrate this error.

Affirmatives vs. Negatives

Affirmative statements use fewer words and avoid confusion.

Original sentence: If you do not have more than five years of experience, do not call for an interview if you have not already spoken to human resources.

Revision: Applicants with more than five years of experience can bypass human resources and call for an interview.

Writers can alter some negatives by substituting prefixes such as a–, dis–, il–, im-, in-, ir–, non–, or un–, which saves using the word “not.”

She didn’t discriminate.

She was nondiscriminatory.

Another way to eliminate excess negative words is to substitute a word which makes a more dynamic statement.

His writing was not improving.

His writing was stagnating.

(Write Concisely)

Concise writing is a learned skill. Sometimes a lack of concision comes from bad habits, but careful editing can remove poor word choice, excess words, redundancy, and confusing negative statements.

In Part Two of this article, we’ll look at other ways to become concise by eliminating weasel words and unnecessary adverbs, as well as overused prepositions and forms of “to be.” This article will also suggest avoiding expletives (“there is/are”) and reducing clauses to phrases and phrases to single words.

Diane Repass is a retired tenured assistant professor
from The University of Dubuque and now a beloved
writer for Plaid Swan Inc. She received her M.A. from
The University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

December 4, 2017

The Serial Comma: Much Ado about Nothing or Something?

If a discussion of the use of commas makes your stomach churn and your head spin, then take a deep breath because there are people who not only discuss such a subject but also fiercely debate what the rules should be. A serial comma is used in a list of three or more words, phrases, or clauses to separate the items, such as in, “For Christmas, I gave my husband a cream backrub, a sinful dessert, and a vibrating chair.” The serial comma is the comma before the word and; the debate centers around the necessity of this second comma. Yes, it’s true; people really do have heartfelt discussions about this, and there are good reasons for both its use or its absence.

The contested comma goes by other names, such as the Oxford comma or the Harvard comma. It is called the Oxford comma because the Oxford University Press insists on its use as does the Harvard University Press. Numerous other style manuals require the serial comma’s use. The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (2010) clearly mandates a comma “between elements (including before and and or) in a series of three or more items” (p. 88). The Chicago Manual of Style (2010) also recommends using a serial comma, as do most college writing texts. On the other hand, The Associated Press Stylebook (2010), also called AP style, states that the writer should not use the serial comma in a simple series (A zebra, a jackal and an elephant visited our camp last night). The UK and Australia generally agree with AP style.

Why do so many reference books like the use of the serial comma? The most significant reason is that without the serial comma, some sentences can be ambiguous. There are several classic examples of this pitfall:

“To my parents, Ayn Rand and God”

Here, it sounds like Ayn Rand and God are your parents without the extra comma.

“We invited the strippers, JFK and Stalin.”

This sentence could mean that two strippers named JFK and Stalin will be coming to our party.

AP style might be in opposition to the serial comma use because it takes up space, is redundant, and is often unnecessary for precise meaning. However, AP style qualifies their stance by saying that a serial comma should be used if there is obvious ambiguity. Also, a comma is needed in a series when one item in that series uses a conjunction:

“I invited three friends, my siblings, and Mom and Dad to our Thanksgiving dinner.”

On the other hand, sometimes a serial comma can ADD confusion to the meaning of a sentence:

“To my mother, Ayn Rand, and God”

Is this giving credit to three entities: 1) my mother, 2) Ayn Rand, and 3) God? Or is Ayn Rand my mother? In this case, the sentence needs to be rewritten:

“To my mother and Ayn Rand and God” (Business Insider)

It should also be said that if any item in a series requires an internal comma, then semi-colons should be used instead of the series commas:

“My Dad, a preacher; my Mom, a teacher; and my husband, a banker, have taught me a great deal in life.”

Now we’re down to the crux of the issue: to use or not to use a serial comma. First, if you are writing professionally and are required to use a particular style manual, follow the rules of that manual. Otherwise, take a stance and be consistent. AP style, the UK, and Australia may be avoiding extra spaces and unnecessary commas, but you, as a writer, may find it easiest to always insert a serial, Oxford, or Harvard comma just for consistency and clarity.

November 20, 2017

Parallelism

And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

(Martin Luther King, Jr., at the Lincoln Memorial, August 28, 1963)

Using parallelism as a technique for building memorable writings and speeches creates a rhythm that helps a reader/listener move through words, phrases, and clauses with ease. Equal ideas have similar form and structure, such as in Martin Luther King, Junior’s famous speech, above. He uses the phrase, “I have a dream,” five times to create prose that is almost poetic. Each verse has another parallel duo (underlined) that contributes to the power of this unforgettable speech. A writer not only makes use of parallelism to enhance his or her work, but uses it consistently and correctly with lists/series, coordinating conjunctions, correlative conjunctions and comparisons.

Julius Caesar famously said, “I came, I saw, I conquered.” He uses the subject “I” with a past tense verb in each of the three clauses. To keep a list or series parallel you make sure that each item uses the same pattern: phrases (noun, verb, infinitive, prepositional, etc.) with other similar phrases, and dependent and independent clauses (full sentences) with other clauses.

It took a man like Madiba [Mandela] to free not just the prisoner, but the jailer as well; to show that you must trust others so that they trust you; to teach that reconciliation is not a matter of ignoring a cruel past but a means of confronting it with inclusion and generosity and truth. He changed laws, but he also changed hearts.

(President Barack Obama, speech at the memorial service for former South African president Nelson Mandel, December 20, 1013)

Note the repeated uses of infinitive phrases (underlined). You would use the same rule if you create a bulleted list; each item has to be in like form.

Coordinating conjunctions (and, but, or, nor, so, for, or yet) require the same consideration as lists and series. The elements on either side of the conjunction must use parallel forms.

Truth is not a diet but a condiment.

(Attributed to Christopher Morley)

Good breeding consists in concealing how much we think of ourselves and how little we think of the other person.

(Mark Twain)

Correlative conjunctions (both . . . and, neither . . . nor, either . . . or, not only . . . but also, whether . . . or) require the use of similar forms after each conjunction.

Either we have dinner now, or we just forget it.

There is a full sentence on either side of the correlative conjunctions, each beginning with we. The following sentence is incorrect:

I was not only surprised that he showed up for dinner but that he was dressed up.

The correct sentence would be the following:

I was surprised not only that he showed up for dinner but that he was dressed up.

Finally, comparisons (than, as) call for the same consideration.

Dale likes building fishing rods as much as playing golf.

I think it is easier to cook dinner than to clean up after.

Parallelism demands that the same form is used for each item in a series or list and that the same form is used on either side of coordinating conjunctions, correlative conjunctions, and comparisons. Parallelism not only aids a reader’s understanding but also creates a powerful and lasting impression.

November 6, 2017

Choose Your Words Carefully

George W. Bush once said that “We cannot let terrorists and rogue nations hold this nation hostile or hold our allies hostile,” meaning, of course, to say hostage rather than hostile. You hear people say, “could of/should of/would of;” not only is the phrase overused, but it is incorrect since of should be replaced in each case with have. Using words correctly; avoiding lofty language, jargon, and clichés; and choosing precise words should be a primary focus for writers.

Errors in word choice are common. George W. Bush was guilty of using a malapropism, an unintentional and often humorous misuse of a word. Many comedians like Stan Laurel (of Laurel and Hardy fame) or characters like Archie Bunker made careers of using hilarious malapropisms, but serious writers avoid such mistakes. There are many lists of confusing word pairs on the internet, such as affect/effect, between/among, and except/accept. One of my favorites is nauseous/nauseated. When people say that they are nauseous, that means that they are causing everyone around them to feel sick, not exactly a self-compliment. What they should say is that they are nauseated or about to be sick. Another common error is the misuse of pronouns, either in agreement or unclear antecedents. An antecedent is the word or words to which a pronoun refers. For example, in the sentence “The zombies attacked their Franken Berry breakfast cereal,” zombies is the antecedent of the pronoun their. If the antecedent is plural, then the pronoun must be plural. Sometimes the antecedent is not clear, such as in “the thief handed the police officer his gun.” Whose gun is it – the thief’s or the officer’s? Other grammatical errors include using an adjective where an adverb should be used, e.g., You did the job well (not good), or using an incorrect form of a verb, e.g., I have to lie down (not lay).

People sometimes choose to use words that are unfamiliar to their audience, or they use words and phrases that have become clichés. It is always important to consider the audience for whom you are writing. Choosing language that is appropriate for the audience and your purpose means that you avoid jargon and technical terms unless you are writing to an audience of your peers. Such language is found in sports, in academics, in business, and in science, to mention only a few. When I read, I welcome the challenge of a few new words, but when I stumble over too many words that I don’t know, it becomes annoying. My husband is an intelligent reader, but when I have him read my work, he will always call me on unfamiliar words, which I then change or define. It is a good idea to remove overworked words and phrases that have become clichés. Such phrases as “pushing the envelope,” “bang for your buck,” “chief cook and bottle washer” are a little tiresome, and a motivated writer will try to find fresh, new ways to express similar ideas.

A conscientious writer will choose to use precise and strong words. He/she will consider connotations, a meaning for a word that is implied or associated with the word; for example, baby may connote warmth, happiness, and responsibility. This careful writer avoids being wordy (e.g., using if instead of in the event that or using last instead of last but not least). Language choice should be memorable; if readers take away a thought or phrase that is particularly meaningful for them, it is a success for the writer. Avoiding overused and obsolete words such as naught or many words found in Shakespeare’s plays leads to a stronger connection to readers. Last, strong words make meanings more vivid and memorable. For example, saying that “I was sprinting” is much clearer than saying “I was running,” or “The man drove away in the car” is weaker than saying “The elated young man swiftly drove away in his shiny new car.” (Teaching That Makes Sense)

How can you improve word choice? Using a thesaurus may help to select the exact words needed to express a thought, but the use of a thesaurus should be used with caution. Suggested words may have unintended connotations, or they may have a slightly different meaning making it worthwhile to check the dictionary before inserting new words into your writing. Asking someone to read your work may point out areas of confusion, or you could read your work out loud either by yourself or with a listener, which might help to highlight any problem areas. Read your paper maintaining the viewpoint of the intended audience. There are helpful programs that review your work, note errors and suggest changes, such as www.grammarly.com. With care and attention to detail, you can avoid mistakes, choose appropriate words for your audience, and use specific and strong words to make your writing clear and compelling.

October 23, 2017

List Making – Advantageous, Productive, and Easy

My husband is planning a fishing trip, his favorite thing to do both in planning and then actually doing. I have been commandeered to accompany him after his best fishing buddy had to withdraw for medical reasons, and I have to admit that I am impressed with his preparations. He has lists for everything that he prints up weeks in advance and pores over frequently. There is a list of things to gather, a list of meal ideas, a list of food to buy and take, and lists for tasks to be completed before he leaves. He loves to revise, add to, and delete – let alone cross things off the list. I am delighted to sit back and watch him methodically get ready to go fishing! List-making is a skill and a practice that is worthy of our attention. Creating a to-do list has many advantages, and picking up a few tips can make the effort most productive.

There are plenty of reasons why making lists makes sense. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when you know that there is much to be done. Breaking that anxiety down into manageable tasks puts things into perspective. If you’re missing deadlines and feel like you’re always playing catch-up, creating a prioritized list helps to keep you on task and to remind you of what needs to be done and when. Also, if you find you are completely forgetting things that need to be done, the habit of referring to your to-do list can prevent those memory lapses. It may seem that creating lists takes valuable time out of your day, but Carrie Barron, M.D., writes that “A list can take you back to feeling pro-active, grounded, calm, and clear.”

There has been much written about list making, and there are many apps that can assist you in making the task more productive and enjoyable. Here are a few tips to get you started:

Some sources say that you should start your day creating a list and going over what needs to be done during the day. Others say that you should do this at the end of the day for the following day. Either way, taking 5-10 minutes to brainstorm for what needs to be done can make your day more productive.
If there are tasks that seem too daunting, try breaking them down into smaller steps that appear more manageable. For example, if you are planning to write a blog, you might have these items on your list: choose a topic, research, read, and write.
Prioritize your tasks by organizing your list in order of importance, or label your tasks with a number or letter to indicate how soon they should each receive your full attention.
Some people like paper lists, and there are so many sources online that have free to-do list forms that you can print, such as To-Do Lists. There are also apps that you can download that keep track of your projects and even post pop-ups on your screen as reminders. These are easy to update and save you time. Google Gmail, for example, has a “task” function in its program, or Microsoft’s To-Do List app for Windows might work for you.
You may decide that you need a number of lists – e.g,. one for work, one for home.
Most sources say that you should update your list daily, but you may have a list for longer term projects where you indicate a date when the task should be completed
If your lists become unwieldy, you might decide to move to an Action Program to help you manage multiple projects.

Sir Richard Branson who has owned Virgin Airlines (but sold off Virgin America and Virgin Atlantic) says that he is a preeminent list maker. He has “lists of people to call, lists of ideas, lists of companies to set up, lists of people who can make things happen . . . . topics to blog about, . . . tweets to send, . . . and upcoming plans,” If you’re not a list maker yet, try developing the skills and the habits of successful people who utilize lists to organize their time.

-Diane Repass│Diane is a retired tenured assistant professor from The University of Dubuque and now a beloved writer for Plaid Swan Inc. She received her M.A. from The University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

October 9, 2017

Writing: A Gift or a Learned Skill?

National Book Award for Fiction winner Robert Stone contends that “You can take undergraduates and guide them. You can tell them what works and what doesn’t. But unfortunately, you can’t teach anyone to write. It comes from God.” I would disagree; it would be hypocritical of me to agree since I have taught writing off and on since 1969. Whether it be fiction or nonfiction, novel or essay, writers can improve and prosper with experiences that foster creativity and develop an interest in reading/writing; with a knowledgeable, experienced, and creative teacher; and with opportunities and a desire to develop skills.

The background for a competent writer begins at an early age. We all have the capacity to be creative in some way, but that needs to be cultivated when we are young. Giving kids experiences that allow them to express themselves in a variety of ways leads them to choose what triggers are meaningful for them. There are inspiring toys that teach creativity; there are life experiences, such as visits to museums with hands-on activities; or there are playful experiments with materials and words that challenge growing minds. It’s true that children do not have equal opportunities that encourage creativity, but when children reach school age, hopefully, they meet teachers who offer them creativity-building activities.

www.fanpop.com

From early elementary through college, a skilled teacher can instill a love of writing and reading, which is the foundation for future writers. Assignments that challenge and titillate are essential to building ingenuity. For example, instead of a teacher asking students to write about their weekend, he/she might tell students that there are lovable dragons and fierce dragons, now describe another kind of dragon. Getting students to read means offering them materials that are fun and exciting. From reading through the years of their formal education, students observe techniques in sentence construction, composition structure, and writing techniques, and they can also expand their vocabulary. A competent and creative teacher will not slash a student’s written work to pieces but will find the things that a student does well and on which they can build. A few specific suggestions on techniques that will improve a student’s writing will go further than a paper covered in red corrections.

A final facet of learning to write is opportunity and desire. Young people need opportunities to write that expand across their course curriculum. They should be writing in their history and science classes. They should be writing letters and thank you notes. They should be writing essays and creative fiction. Many students do not like studying grammar and vocabulary, but these should be creatively incorporated into their education. Those with a desire to write will embrace the opportunities and seek outlets for their creative needs.

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Wallace Stegner once said that “writing can be taught—but not to everybody.” So, can anyone become a great writer? Let’s face it: not everyone even wants to write. Among those who like to write, some will show a proclivity to advanced technique and creativity. Can writing skills be developed? Yes, everyone can benefit from studying writing skills, and it’s especially true when determination and desire are present.

www.bestanimations.com

October 4, 2017

Public Relations: A Valuable Addition to a Marketing Strategy

A company with a product to sell or service to offer needs to let people know what it does and why it has something that the public wants or needs above the offerings of any other business. Some attempt to do this on their own either with or without a plan, but many turn to the assistance of a professional marketing service either in-house or independent. Such marketing may provide them with advertising campaigns, but more attention to developing a name and an image is needed, and that is where public relations (PR) comes in. PR is an essential component of a successful marketing campaign because it has so many tools for developing a business’s image and because it adds so much value.

Public relations (PR) and marketing are often confused as one and the same. Certainly, there are some small similarities, such as developing a plan and exhibiting creativity, but the two are distinctly different. Some say that marketing is proactive while PR is reactive; in some ways that is true though PR also requires planning, especially for crisis management. It is reactive when a news story develops, an opportunity to build community relations develops, or an upcoming event requires a public announcement. Public relations utilizes free media such as newspapers/magazines, television/radio newscasts, interviews, and online media, but, unlike marketing, PR does not have the final creative control over the information disseminated. Harold Burson, famed PR specialist, says that “Public relations is an applied social science that influences behavior and policy, when communicated effectively, motivates an individual or group to a specific course of action by creating, changing or reinforcing opinions and attitudes” (as cited in Cohen, 2012).

Public relations has many tools in its toolbox. There was a time when the most important means of communication were the use of press releases to magazines and newspapers and interviews for TV and radio. Today there are many avenues that a PR firm will follow to create a relationship that positively affects the name of the company.

Print and Broadcast Relations: “It is the challenge of all PR professionals to communicate their ideas and stories in such a way that media gatekeepers see them as valuable. Often this means months or even years of relationship building and growing the awareness of a specific client or product with respective media outlets” (B. Smith, personal communication, June 14, 2017). The media, in turn, may ask for an interview with someone in the business to develop a more in-depth story. It is so important to have established relationships with media personnel so that the story gets attention.

Online Media Relations: “With the proliferation of social media, the need to monitor, proactively post, and respond in real time has added a significant and challenging dimension to media relations.” (J. Ives, personal communication, June 20, 2017). Social media, blogs, and websites are just some of the areas on the internet touched by public relations. Every company hopes that something it has put in front of the public online becomes positively viral and not an unwanted distraction. CEOs who use social media, such as Twitter, too haphazardly or an unhappy employee who can divert attention from developing positive online relationships are the reasons that monitoring is a critical component of online PR.

Investor Relations: Cohen (2011) says that “this communications specialization relates to the information public companies must report regularly to their investors, the financial community, regulators and the government.” It is important that stakeholders are informed about performance and expectations. Public relations staff must work with well-informed analysts to disseminate news that emphasizes the good and downplays the bad.

Community relations and involvement: TOMS, a footwear company, has opted to take dollars otherwise spent on ad campaigns and put them toward a global initiative to offer shoes to children in need. Each purchase of a pair of their shoes brings a donation of a pair. The company has an annual One Day Without Shoes event where people send in a picture of their bare feet which brings a TOMS’ donation of a pair of shoes, up to one million shoes. While the company has been criticized for various aspects of this campaign, such as negatively impacting local cobblers, TOMS has received many accolades for its social responsibility. And the resultant PR is priceless.

Crisis Management: Businesses need to have an emergency plan in place before a crisis develops. Assessing possible disaster scenarios and having a plan that has looked at the worst-case possibilities means that the outcome will be more positive. One of the classic examples of a PR strategy that succeeded is the Johnson & Johnson’s Tylenol drug tampering scandal during the 1980s. The news that bottles of Tylenol were laced with cyanide spread quickly and caused a panic. The company’s response averted a product catastrophe because it “placed customer concerns before profits” (Axia Public Relations, 2013). The company immediately warned consumers not to use their product and pulled it from store shelves. Johnson & Johnson redesigned their packaging to be tamper-resistant, and PR developed an aggressive campaign to tout the safety of its product. A crisis “plan should include procedures that: 1. train a crisis management team of key employees; 2. assign responsibilities for gathering facts and preparing statements; and 3. designate the spokesperson(s) who will represent the institution to the press” (Levine, 1995).

The value of quality PR is immeasurable. Public relations should be part of a broad marketing plan because PR is not advertising, which has creative control over what goes out to the public. A solid PR campaign provides a huge return on investment because it promotes credibility, creates a positive perception, fills the need to develop trust, establishes solid relationships with the media, keeps the company name in the public view, and responds quickly to a crisis (Turner, 2009).

Credibility: Because public relations does not pay for its submissions to the media, published and broadcast information is subject to the review of the press. They may do further research or do interviews that add a second layer of scrutiny to the submissions they receive, and by publishing a company’s news releases and announcements, the media is granting a significant degree of credibility.

Perception: A release that tells a company’s story and explains why the company exists as well as their mission statement can add to a positive perception in the public’s eyes (B. McCloskey, personal communication, June 5, 2017). A well-placed phone call or well-timed announcement of a new product will result in positive benefits to the company.

Trust: The public will respond positively to a company that has earned its trust. Trust is developed with honest responses to crisis situations or with news about community investments that follow through on commitments.

Relationships with the Media: Seasoned public relations departments or firms have developed relationships with people in the media who can make a difference. This rapport requires dedication and time on the part of the professionals. Not only is it important to know the people who can give voice to PR submissions, but it is also important to know what the media wants and will publish or broadcast.

Marketing must include a public relations component to do justice to a company’s need for positive exposure. There are many tools that the specialist will use to promote credibility, perception, trust, relationships with the media, positive exposure, and crisis abatement. “That some companies don’t hire experienced PR teams is a shame, because when PR is done competently and creatively it delivers results at a cost that no other marketing method can match” (Waddington, 2014).

September 18, 2017

Doofus of the Year Award

My husband and I are vying for the Doofus of the Year award. We both got caught up in computer scams. In my case, I was trying to load the newest edition of Microsoft Office, and it just wasn’t working. I searched for a Microsoft help site, and there it was – TA-DA – glowing like a heavenly beacon on my screen: Help for Loading Microsoft Office. I called the number (bad choice – red flag #1) and was connected to a pleasant-sounding man with a heavy foreign accent (possibly a foreign sweat shop? – red flag #2) who said he would take care of loading it for me (red flag #3). First, he would remotely control my computer (giant red flag #4), and as soon as he did, he said there was a multitude of viruses on my computer that needed to be fixed (red flag #5). Fortunately, something went off in my head, the bulls started charging the red flags, and I hung up and turned off my computer. I immediately unplugged and rushed to my trusted computer doctor. Yes, I did indeed now have a bevy of viral beauties.

www.giphy.com

My husband’s shining example started with two emails suggesting that he had problems with Microsoft Office 365. He asked for help from a friend who told him to change his passwords and not to click on any links in those emails but to go to another site. He had trouble finding what he needed, so he clicked on a link that told him to enter his name and phone number. He immediately received “the phone call” (ominous music playing in the background), and the caller wanted to access his computer remotely. (NEVER EVER LET THAT HAPPEN, folks!) Same scenario: all of a sudden the caller “realizes” that my husband’s computer is infected, and that not only can he repair it, but he has a service that will protect up to three computers for three years for a mere $500. “Too much!” my husband protests. Okay, he then has a special deal that covers one computer for $300. Hesitance, then acceptance. All he has to do is leave his computer on for 90 minutes, and he will be completely protected. He comes down to tell me what has happened, and I give a very polite gasp. TURN OFF AND UNPLUG IMMEDIATELY. So, we cancel the credit card number, dispute the charge and rush again to our trusted computer guru, who gives a chuckle every time we walk in the door and suggests we put him on retainer.

www.peekworthy.com

So, you vote – who wins the Doofus of the Year? I hope we will not be in the running in the next year, but the truth is that there are so many scammers out there, and it is hard to keep your guard up 24/7. Hurricane Harvey has just pummeled Texas, and already the warnings are out for the scammers who purportedly want to do repair work and for the dishonest charities soliciting funds to help. Every day we get several robo phone calls all popping up with city names for caller ID; they are easy to ignore. But lately, they have gotten more sophisticated in that they use our area code and local prefixes for the number. I don’t know all my friends’ phone numbers, so I feel I have to answer. Our local paper has headlined articles the past few days about a group of young people aged 19 to 37 who have been charged with hundreds of counts of wire fraud targeting the elderly.

The FBI has lists of common schemes that may have affected people we know or that have been proposed to us. Fraudulent reverse mortgage schemes steal equity that people have built up in their homes. There are counterfeit prescription drugs on the market that are not only illegal, but may be harmful. Ponzi and pyramid schemes abound to bilk investors out of their hard-earned dollars. We all would like to think that we are immune or too savvy to have that happen to us, so there are habits we can develop that will prevent such attacks.

If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Nothing is free. Free trial offers or free vacations almost always have expensive strings attached to them.
Take a time out. Ask for the name of the company that is offering you services and then tell them that you want to do some research on them. If they’re legitimate, they won’t balk. Then get online and do some reading or talk to an expert.
Caller ID can fool you. If it looks like a local call, it might not be. Hang up on robo calls.
Be wary of pop-ups on your computer screen and phone calls that tell you your computer is infected. Find a computer expert that you can trust so that you have someone to ask about oddities regarding your computer. Keep security and virus programs up to date.
The Federal Trade Commission at consumer.ftc.gov/scam-alerts runs an updated list of scam alerts that are worth checking occasionally. You can also sign up to have tips and advice sent directly to your email address.

It is embarrassing to get scammed. You feel foolish and violated. In these times, scams are abundant, so be aware, educate yourself, and ask for help and advice before making monetary expenditures. Good luck!

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September 4, 2017

Have You Got Style?

In high school and college, even as an English major, when I wrote, I was blissfully ignorant of such things as style manuals like APA, MLA, Chicago Style, or AP. We had English textbooks that gave us the rules of grammar, and teachers handed out sheets that illustrated how to write a bibliography or footnote. There was some variance in the rules from school to school and from teacher to teacher, but instructors allowed for a little inconsistency. I know I’m dating myself by confessing this, but I am wondering if there aren’t a few out there who have had similar experiences. When I got to graduate school, the honeymoon was over, and the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA) became my bible. I was so grateful that at the start of my program I was required to take a short course in the use of this style manual. I thought it might help to look at what a style manual is, what style manual should a writer choose, and what the major differences are between some of the more commonly used manuals.

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What are style manuals?

Wikipedia, which has its own style manual, gives a general definition of these reference guides:

A style guide (or manual of style) is a set of standards for the writing and design of documents, either for general use or for a specific publication, organization, or field. . . . A style guide establishes and enforces style to improve communication.

The topics covered are broad and include understanding mechanics (punctuation, spelling, capitalization, etc.), crediting sources, and creating a reference list or works cited page. There will be information on developing a format, as well as avoiding plagiarism and bias. Besides students, researchers and journalists should follow a guide written for their disciplines or required by their employers. Emphasis should be made that these are style guides, not grammar rules; there will be differences from manual to manual. The goal is consistency within a document, from document to document, and from writer to writer within an organization.

How does one choose which manual to use?

There are a plethora of style guides, and Wikipedia lists many of them. They are often based on the area of study/expertise of that writer, or they are connected to a particular profession or a single business. In higher education, a professor may announce which manual to use, like APA (for behavioral or social sciences), MLA (Modern Language Association, for the arts and humanities), or Chicago Manual of Style (for academic publishing). Employers might adhere to the guidelines in AP style (Associated Press Stylebook, for use in journalism) or Apple Publications Style Guide (for the computer industry).

Some businesses have their own in-house manuals, which may be combinations of several other reference books. Jean Ives at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt says that “They have their own style guides (for science, math, marketing, assessments, etc.), and they’re based largely on Chicago Manual of Style.” A writer must first ask his/her employer or professor which one is recommended. If there is none, then the writer must choose according to discipline or familiarity to assure consistency.

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What are some of the differences found in style manuals?

The biggest differences seem to come in the format of citations and references. For example, in using APA, only the references that have been cited are at the end of a piece of writing, listed on a “References” page, while MLA calls it a “Works Cited” page. MLA lists authors’ names as the last name, then the first name. APA uses the last name, then the first name’s initial. These may seem picky, but each contributes to that consistency mentioned earlier. Quotes that are 40 words or more are indented five spaces in APA, while MLA indents quotations that are four lines or longer 10 spaces. There has long been a debate about the use of the serial comma (the comma used before a word like “and” in a series of items, e.g., Tom, Dick, and Harry). Chicago Style recommends using that last comma, but AP suggests its use only for clarity such as in this classic example: I’d like to thank my parents, Ayn Rand and God. The lack of a serial comma makes it sound like Ayn Rand is my mother, and God is my father.

The first time someone uses a style manual is difficult. The writer spends much time searching for the suggested guideline. Some writers develop two or three-page “cheat sheets,” which list some of the more confusing or less memorable suggestions for quicker reference. My friend at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt gives this advice to writers, “I am a strong proponent of using some style guide, and I’m not partial to a particular one.” Whenever an author is writing for a new evaluator, he/she should ask the question: which style manual do you use?

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August 21, 2017

The Guatemala Experience

The building was shabby, and there were no obvious luxuries, but the children were happy, well-fed, and well-clothed. They instantly recognized that the visitor was special because he reached out to touch their hands and quickly moved to giving loving bear hugs. They loved him, especially those with special needs. My friend Matt was a special needs teacher, and these children in an orphanage in Antigua, Guatemala, didn’t care that his Spanish was limited. He brought a bit of excitement and true affection into their day. This visit was one of many magic moments Matt, his wife Sandy, and I shared during a two week visit to Guatemala. Our primary purpose in visiting was to be immersed in Spanish, but we also were immersed in the culture and sought opportunities to mingle with the people and see the beauty of this small Central American country.

I had never studied Spanish before, but I had studied German, Russian, and Latin, so I had some background in learning a language. I also had taught English as a Second Language to college students of all nationalities, so I thought I brought some idea of language structure to this adventure that would serve me well in studying Spanish. I learned some Spanish certainly, but I also learned to appreciate how challenging it is to immerse yourself in a foreign culture and language.

I lived with a family in a neat little house across the street from my friends and the family they joined. The first night my hosts had a birthday party for a little one who delighted in hitting the beautiful piñata family members dangled from the roof over the patio. There was abundant food, and all the relatives came to share in the celebration. It didn’t matter that I didn’t speak the language; it was so much fun. Other dinners were not as comfortable; people tried their best to communicate with me, but my small vocabulary failed me and had to be replaced by my friendliest smile. I had a private bedroom, but unfortunately, I shared it with the nightly deluge of cockroaches coming from the floor drain. The best I could do to be a polite guest was to see ways I could help around the house and pitch in.

During the weekdays, we went to school in the mornings. The school had a large foyer which opened up to a veranda that went around a large courtyard. Little rooms around the veranda served as individual classrooms. My teacher’s name was Jenny, and she was really good at teaching Spanish. She had a few books and a board for writing words and grammar illustrations. I discovered later that she actually did speak a little English, but she used every means possible to avoid its use. I appreciated what my students had gone through in the United States. I couldn’t wait to meet with my friends and speak English during the breaks. I tried to distract my instructor by begging to go shopping or walking in the park. I couldn’t believe that I was using the same ploys that my students had tried to use on me. It was hard work! In spite of my best efforts to the contrary, I still learned a good amount of Spanish.

Our first weekend in Antigua, we decided to take an excursion to Tikal National Park, which covers 220 square miles and includes awe-inspiring ruins of an ancient Mayan city. We flew into Tikal, which has its own air strip, in a small plane. I was paired with a young woman who was terrorized by the thought that our room might have bats and slept with her head under the covers all night, but we got along just fine as roommates. The park has a variety of wildlife including spider monkeys and howler monkeys who were uncomfortably comfortable mingling with the tourists. The ancient city was discovered in the 1840s covered with growth from the tropical rainforest. There is evidence of agriculture in the area as early as 1000 B.C. and major construction from 400-300 B.C. The site was abandoned late in the 10^th century. Visitors could still climb the stairs of an ancient temple or see one of several sports arenas. There are thousands of structures, and many have been uncovered first by teams from the University of Pennsylvania and then by the Guatemalan government. We spent a whole day exploring and only saw part of the huge city. It was an enjoyable adventure which I would highly recommend.

We did extensive exploring in Antigua after school. We were warned against being out after dark unless we used taxis to get around, but we used our daylight hours well to visit shops, churches, and museums. One day we decided to use one of the local buses to visit a nearby town, San Andres Ixtapa, which we were told was a most interesting place to visit–and it didn’t disappoint. We went to a shrine of a deity known locally as San Simon (sometimes called Maximon in other communities). San Simon is thought to originate from a Mayan god, Mam. In front of the site that houses the effigy is a courtyard where offerings of whole, raw eggs were being burned to honor the god; the smell was not pleasant. Inside, the image of San Simon sits, dressed like a cowboy. Worshippers leave offerings of bottles of alcohol, tobacco, and money at his feet. Who collected all these gifts, I never found out.

One afternoon we went on a bicycle tour into the countryside. The lush green landscape was magnificent, and the fields carved out of the forests looked fruitful. We rode up to a tobacco farm where the owner was outside preparing for some upcoming festival. A marimba band was setting up and practicing, which really set the atmosphere for a celebration. The owner kindly invited us in to have a cup of coffee in the dining room of his large home. He told us about a place on his farm where hieroglyphics could be seen and offered to guide us to the site. He didn’t know the possible age and history of the marks, but they were exciting to see as was the tour of his tobacco farm. I remembered some older TV coffee ads with a character named Juan Valdez (a fictional coffee farmer from Colombia), and this farmer looked just like him.

Two weeks flew by on this trip, and even though the trip home was the trip from hell (came down with a nasty cold, experienced a long delayed landing at O’Hare, cringed at my vandalized car in Chicago, was shocked at home to learn the dog had died, etc.), the trip still stands out among the best, most educational, and enjoyable trips I’ve ever taken. The people were friendly, the culture was unique and interesting, and adventures were there for the taking! Unfortunately, even though Guatemala is not on the list of countries to avoid, the threat today of violent crime is rated by the U.S. government as “critical.” The buses we traveled on are prone to attacks; frequent demonstrations often turn violent; the zika virus is a concern; and drug lords cause many problems. It is sad that the atmosphere has changed for the worse because Guatemala is a beautiful, interesting country.

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