This list is not based on theories or books. It is based on real errors and glitches that have appeared in your writing assignments in recent weeks. In the spirit of learning from one another, I offer this list of quick fixes that will instantly improve everyone's blog posts and printed stories:
Top 10 Quick-Fix Tips
1. No semi-colons.
2. No comma after a conjunction.
3. No ... more ... serial ... commas ... evaaaaaah!
4. No slang or jargon in a straight news story.
5. Never personalize or editorialize in a news story.
6. Stay in past tense for the most part.
7. Use "said" when you mean "said."
8. Put closing punctuation inside quotation marks (see above).
9. Use plain words, simple sentences, short paragraphs.
10 Use your stylebook!
As with all rules, there may be exceptions to some of these tips from time to time. But when you're self-editing, this would be a good place to start.
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