I love to write. Love, love, love to write. I can write my blog posts very quickly. Usually in 15-20 minutes. Except the memoir essays. They take a lot longer and are usually emotionally grueling. But a post like this? 20 minutes tops.
And then comes the editing.
Minimum an hour. Not counting posts that are only 1-3 lines. I still check those a bunch of times. It would be pretty embarrassing to write a two sentence blog article and screw it up.
Formatting is part of it, because how it formats on the “add new post” page is not exactly how it looks on the laptop, or kindle, or phone. I go for the laptop. People reading my blog on smaller devices are on their own.
It’s the commas.
Taking graduate English and Linguistic classes, I learned that the biggest grammatical error writers make in the English language is a dearth of commas. When I heard that, I wanted to be all “So there, friends of mine. I was right.”
When I start to edit, I read my article slowly before I preview it, and after several times, and several corrections, I read it out loud.
Then I hit Preview. *sigh* Go back and…..
1.Fix spelling.
2. Fix formatting.
3. Worry about commas. Whaaaaaa?
4. Delete a comma or two.
5. Read Preview again.
6. Add commas back in.
7. Read again.
8. Add more commas.
9. Curse at commas.
And, ladies and gentlemen and all readers of any age, gender, race, religion or political conviction, I am not addressing the Oxford comma.
I was trained that it was not to be used. I’m guessing a post-colonization issue?
No matter what you say, you will rarely, if ever, find an Oxford comma in my writing.
Side note: I once got into an argument with a close friend and colleague about the Oxford comma. It ended up with me hurling the F-bomb.
Over a comma.
saneteachers 
Seriously! Why are commas such a problem? I have the same issue. I think it’s because I tend to ramble in my sentences and I think 18 commas in there will help matters. Hahahaha!
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19 would be better, lol. I like to use….a lot and I’m sure that isn’t in any grammar book. But I’m not writing for a professional journal, so,what,the,heck.
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I happened to notice the missing Oxford comma before ‘political preference’. I did not know that was the comma missing until I had to look up ‘Oxford comma’. I hate commas, but they are quite necessary.
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It’s a stylist “thing,” often referred to as a serial comma. Either is acceptable, but the Oxford comma is becoming preferred. I was taught in high school, college and grad school not to use it. Use of the Oxford comma ALWAYS makes for heated discussions!
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I remember such discussions in school, but I believe I was told to use it. I try not to argue about commas, but I do curse them quite frequently.
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lol
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I was wondering about your stance on the Oxford comma (I am personally against it) and then I noticed that you didn’t use. Needless to say, I was relieved!!
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I was taught not to. As was my husband who went to an Ivy League school as an English major and on to a graduate writing program at another top school. But we have teachers at OHS who have posters about how to use the Oxford comma correctly. It’s a hot topic, lol. For real.
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I like commas. Of all the punctuation symbols, they are perhaps the most friendly. Periods always cut you off. Colons promise more than they ever deliver. Semicolons are a bit confused, but a good old commas, now there is a symbol a guy can hang out with.
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But! I’m not fond! of exclamation marks!!! Although I use them. They remind me of shouting, lol.
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I intentionally left them out of my comment. Exclamation marks are rude and boisterous, though they are fun to party with.
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Exactly!!!!!
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They remind me of sarcasim or something negative.
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Exclamation marks? It’s funny, but I always think, in this day and age, if I add lol to a comment or a text or email, it takes any possible sting or hint of sarcasm out of the comment. I don’t think negatively about exclamation marks, just that they are overly peppy and like shouting. Your comment is interesting.
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I’m with you on liking commas to clarify my meaning, but I purposely remove some because I’ve heard criticism that one can use them too much. I had to look up the “Oxford comma” but yeah, I always think it should be there.
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Alas, another dissenting opinion.
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Perhaps it’s best not to mention I love the Oxford comma… 😄😬
But I agree–the surest way to make me go crazy in my editing is commas. They get inserted and removed so much in my work, it’s a wonder they don’t go on strike in protest.
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haha . Strike those commas! I don’t know how you do it with novels. I go crazy with 500 words. And if I were to hire an editor, I’d disagree with them.
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The trend with commas now is less is more (e.g., not using them after introductory clauses of less than 3-5 words, etc.), so I’m trying keep that in mind. If I’m not sure if it should be there, it probably shouldn’t. But old habits die hard!
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Yes, comma, and it depends on which style manual/format your editor uses, I assume. But since I’m writing for myself, I get to do what I want, lol.
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I find that a dearth of commas is a common problem in writing. I always tell people that it’s hard to have too many, so put one in when in doubt. I think the best advice is to imagine where you would pause if you had to read what you’re writing out loud, and place a comma there. Though I do confess to having been converted to the Oxford comma: it’s not always necessary, but it can be useful at clearing up confusion.
https://englishlanguagethoughts.com/2016/06/25/the-oxford-comma/
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I say the same thing to people, especially my students. Wherever you would pause, put in a comma. As to the Oxford Comma, there are specific times it is needed for clarification. But those are rather rare. Thanks for adding to this discussion.
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I avoid commas and just let my editor (my wife) deal with them. I’ve told here that I was traumatized as a child by an mean comma and we can’t afford the therapy needed for me to overcome my fear of commas.
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Were your commas beaten back by exclamation marks? That would have added to the trauma.
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Yes, and then I was threatened with a semicolon … the horror.
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I feel for you. You couldn’t even get a colon. Never mind, I better stop there.
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Editing takes forever, I also hate the idea of uploading something with mistakes. But it does happen, so I try not to make too much of it. I happen to like commas including Oxford 🙂 though too many sound like the author hasn’t mastered the art of deep breathing and can’t make it to the end of a sentence all in one piece …
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Haha…very true!
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Commas are strange; I think I use them too much from force of habit.
Semicolons are the best punctuation mark; I use them all the time. 😉
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Note that this comment would be funnier if it didn’t automatically create an emoji graphic; then there would just be a semicolon and a parenthesis at the end.
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Lol. I like them, too.
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Sometimes, when I am talking and want to make a point about what is to verbally follow, I actually stop at the end of a phrase and say with obvious tonal emphasis “comma,” and after briefly dangling my participle, I then go on. Oh, that’s just so wrong. But highly effective for attention and sarcasm. Do it sparingly, I suggest.
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I have to work at not being sarcastic. Especially with my students. It’s a default mode for me because I hide behind it.
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I dare you to try it (the out loud comma) tomorrow in class….
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Except I teach Spanish-speaking kids. Pronouncing cama means bed lol.
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I’m very jealous. It usually takes me nearly a week to publish a post. And grammar, its not one of my strong suits (mistakes left in for dramatic effect 😉 )
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Some of my friends and I get together to knit occasionally. One of the girl’s mottos is to embrace our imperfections. It’s perfect.
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I was one of the many people who had to look up “Oxford comma.” And I was an English major, but we won’t go into that. I’m glad you brought it up, though, because I have been confused about this for years! I knew what we were taught in college (don’t use it, I believe) but when I wrote free-lance articles, it seemed the editors preferred them. So now I have no clue when I’m writing my blog posts, and tend to choose whichever way makes the sentence a bit clearer and closer to my intention. Other than that, I like commas! It’s my constant use of explanation marks in the comment section that I have to look out for! Because they are annoying as hell…..!!!!
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lol I, too, occasionally use the Oxford comma (even though as a “serial” comma it sounds like it’s going to murder the writing) when it’s essential to convey the correct meaning. But that is rare. If I tell you that we’re going to eat dinner, wash the dishes and go to the mall, the meaning is crystal clear without it. Now I’m pontificating about stupid grammar, lol.
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Well, I could have sworn that way back in fifth grade, we were taught not to use the Oxford comma. So I believe you are right!
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I love hearing that I’m right. haha
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LOL! I’m amazed at your speed of 20 minutes. That’s awesome! I take too long to even start sometimes.
I’m always putting my commas at the wrong place and thanks to grammarly, I mostly get that fixed. But it seems to be my most common error. I bet you’ll be eff-ing all the way on comas if you were to read my draft. ,,, :p
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The most annoying thing about editing is thinking it’s all done and then needing to fix things over and over.
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It is annoying! I know that feeling… :p
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I love your passion surrounding that pesky little comma!
I feel more than a bit ashamed to say that I am lazy, lax, and downright loosey goosey when it comes to editing. I write quickly, then spend my time formatting and feeling the flow of the words much more than worrying about pesky punctuation or silly spelling.
And finally, before I hit the “post comment” button, I am stewing about each and every one of my comma choices.
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You know what I find embarrassing? Going back and reading a post from 2 years ago and realizing there are editing mistakes. Yikes! I changed the whole layout of my blog last year and that formatted past one differently. Oh well. Hopefully, people will read what I wrote and not obsess like I do! You have the right attitude.
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I didn’t edit one essay in university. Once I was done writing I couldn’t bring myself to read through it. I let my mom edit.
Oh, and you forgot a space between “1.Fix” 🙂
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I did that on purpose, lol. For some reason, when I leave a space for #1, it indents that one (maybe all of them, I can’t remember). It happens at work too, so it must be me.
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Oh yeah that’s tricky. I normally find a way to override it. It takes a lot of backspacing and pressing enter until it cooperates.
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Or it makes all the numbered points as an indented paragraph. So I backspace and curse and then just don’t leave a space.
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I just tried numbering in a new post and it works fine. It creates the indent but I backspace and there’s still a space between the number and the first word.
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When I backspace it gets rid of the indent but also the number. So I type “1” again, space, and there’s the indent again. And I’m not worrying about it anymore, lol.
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Professional editor here. I’d touch up a blog post or two a week for free if you’d write me a testimonial. Do you follow a particular style (AP, Chicago, MLA, etc.)?
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I follow my own style and what I learned in high school, college and grad school. I’m a rebel.
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You made me laugh! Commas are a bitch!
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Yes, let’s outlaw them. Oh we can’t. I wouldn’t know when to pause, lol.
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