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"Flump" is a verb that's not used nearly enough, IMO."To move or fall suddenly and heavily" (Merriam-Webster online)https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flump#AmEditing #EverySkyAStranger #GUMmyStuff

Copyeditors watch for more than grammar, usage, and mechanics.We also look at sentences and paragraphs, keeping an eye out for too much "sameness." Do paragraphs tend to start with the same word? Do sentences? Is the sentence structure varied? What about the length?Readers will zone out if everything feels and looks the same, in terms of structure. Keep them interested by giving them differences. (Readers, and humans in general, aren't that different from other animals. They like variations in their entertainment. "Enrichment," it's called . . . )#AmEditing #AmWriting

Transitive versus intransitive verbs?Eyes glazed over yet?Transitive verbs take a direct object. Like: He hit the ball. "Hit" is a transitive verb, and "ball" is the direct object (the thing that got hit).Intransitive verbs don't take an object. Like: The star shone brightly. "Shone" is the past tense of the intransitive verb "to shine," which looks exactly like the transitive verb "to shine." The difference is in meaning. Are you shining a thing? Or is the thing itself shining?The standard usage tells us that "shined" is for the transitive form: He shined his shoes. (The shoes are being acted upon. They're the direct object.)"Shone" is for the intransitive form: The silver shone after the maid's hard work with the polish. (The silver is shining all by itself.)If you're worried about this, don't be. A copyeditor worth their salt will know the difference and will help you fix it. (Well, likely they'll fix it for you and leave you a comment about why the change. It's a defensible edit.)#GUMmyStuff #AmEditing