A “COMMA CAUSIE” (my newest made-up word) is an example of
when an ill-placed comma, or simply a missing comma,
causes the meaning of your statement to change.
when an ill-placed comma, or simply a missing comma,
causes the meaning of your statement to change.
We see these COMMA CAUSIES© all the time. Our clients either have way too many commas, or not enough. They look for areas where they can reduce their budget, and decide they don’t need an editor. Sometimes they elect to use their neighbor’s middle son who is a college journalism student, or their daughter’s 5th grade English teacher . . . all of which may very well be good choices, but perhaps not necessarily qualified to edit their book — making it make it more marketable and easier to read.
It boils down to a Preference for Excellence.
Kind of like deciding to make your wedding cake from a box mix vs. hiring a professional cake maker to create a masterpiece for your daughter’s wedding.
Trust me . . . I love cake, and am certainly the “cake mix” type of chef. Which is probably why Jack now does all the cooking (and baking) . . . you should ask him about his Red Wine Chocolate Bundt Cake or the Lemon Drizzle version (with at least 100 lemons). They are both excellent. I’m drooling.
It’s ALL about Excellence.
Whether we’re talking about writing or design, it’s all about EXCELLENCE.
Years ago, I came across a copy of a speech given by Milton Glaser, to the graduating class of a prestigious graphic design college. Glaser is considered by many to be an iconic pillar in the world of graphic design. If you have not heard of him, I’m sure you have seen his highly-recognized icon for the city of New York.I loved the speech enough to have it printed on greeting cards . . . and a very-much-shortened postcard version . . . both of which I often use when sending notes to clients.
