Author Archives: thebettereditor

About thebettereditor

Chris holds a BA degree in history from the University of Virginia and a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) Degree in writing from the University of Southern Maine (Stonecoast). He has worked extensively with professional and semi-professional writers and enthusiastic amateurs for about 20 years. He has several years experience in scientific publishing, but has also worked in information technology, insurance, health care, and education (he taught writing at the university level for a number of years). Since 2011, he's also specialized in helping small businesses meet their writing and editing needs on a budget.

Do you write “like a girl?”

Posted on August 30, 2021 by thebettereditor

Recently, while catching up on some of my magazine reading, I noticed something surprising: without looking at the byline, I was able to guess whether or not the author of any given article was a woman or a man with … Continue reading →

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Should You Spell Out Numbers In Legal Documents?

Posted on July 30, 2021 by thebettereditor

I have mentioned in the past that some of my editorial and writing work has included documents for law firms or related legal applications. Legal filings are beyond my expertise, but I’ve done a lot of work for use on … Continue reading →

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Mentor, mentee — how about mentoree?

Posted on June 29, 2021 by thebettereditor

One of the positives (or is it a negative?) of working with language so much of the time is the sheer volume of unusual things you encounter. Not simply an odd word or usage here and there, but also the … Continue reading →

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On Behalf of Jamais Vu

Posted on May 30, 2021 by thebettereditor

Do you ever have an experience where, without warning, something that you’re familiar with feels suddenly like you’re encountering it for the very first time? There’s actually a term for this: it’s jamais vu, the opposite of déjà vu. Instead … Continue reading →

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Shibboleth — not someone who predicts the future and not a Lovecraft monster

Posted on April 28, 2021 by thebettereditor

I’ve been swimming into the depths of political speech again lately, and that means I encounter interesting words and concepts that aren’t always common in everyday use. One of the words that crops up now and then is “shibboleth.” I … Continue reading →

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