This blog

What made me start this blog? After retiring from teaching, you’d think I couldn’t get far enough away from what I taught for so many years. It wasn’t the teaching that finally got to me though, nor was it the subject—technical and scientific writing. I see is a need, one that I can still fill by providing information that I have accumulated over a lot of years. I’ve been successful, both as a teacher and an editor.

Most of my blog entries will center around a problem that I’ve seen either as a teacher or editor, or perhaps both. I try to use not just my own knowledge but some of the reference books I’ve accumulated. And the solutions may not work, not in every situation nor for every person writing.

I won’t claim to know everything about writing. I can be wrong, sometimes, and I can take suggestions and criticism. In fact, I often solicit both. That is the mark of a good writer and teacher. Defensive, yes, that too. Most writers are, as are most teachers, and most editors. But good ones eventually recognize the good comments, the good suggestions, and use them.