Quick-Fix Tips

This list is not based on theories or books. It is based on real errors that I commonly see, even in professional publications. As we work on becoming better editors of our own and others' writing, 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 (but special exceptions).
2. No comma after a conjunction.
3. No ... more ... serial ... commas ... evaaaaaah!
4. Don't dangle. ("Walking in the forest, the trees were beautiful."  OMG, trees were walking!)
5. Most times, float the quote in its own paragraph.
6. Stay in past tense for the most part.
7. Use "said" when you mean "said."
8. Put closing punctuation inside quotation marks (except for colon or semi-colon).
9. Use plain words, simple sentences, short paragraphs.
10. Follow AP style.

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.

Bonus tip: On a PC, you can use Alt-0151 to create a real long dash like this — not the incorrect double-hyphen that most people use — to make your blog look more professional. And don't forget that in journalistic writing, you put spaces around the long dash is you see it above.