What's New: Do You Have the Gift of Proof-reading?

I've noticed recently that I'm not the only one making typing mistakes in my writing. Since most of it is to be intended for the general public to read, I do try to be careful myself - but I'm often surprised at how quickly I can catch someone's spelling or grammatical error.

I believe there some writers who can afford to hire a proof-reader who will check their spelling and grammar for them before they send anything out to the public. Such as on their website, or in a publication that goes out to a great mailing list.... such as a week ezine.

Oddly enough, when someone points out an error like that to me, I become even more alert to watch that it won't happen again.

I don't have the time or the courage to offer my skill as a proof-reader to other writers, but it has occurred to me today that if people would offer to do this for their friends or favourite writers, that they might be surprised at how gladly their offer would be accepted.

If you are rather shy, you might offer to do it for free for a certain length of time. Then start charging for your service later on. This could become a source of income for you eventually.

Some writers might be glad to pay for this service once they get used to it. (or spoiled enough?)

Each such agreement should probably have a start- date and an ending date - as in a Contract, even for a free trial period.

Also, arrangements would have to be made to have the page or content written in enough advance time so the proof-reader has enough time before the publishing time to get the proof-reading done and sent back and then the author needs time to consider how many of the corrections to accept, and if some should be discarded - for various reasons, a change of idea or intent in the whole sentence or paragraph? or ...whatever.

<*> TIPS & SOLUTIONS: <*>

Catching Those Tiny Insects

I've been at war with those tiny insects in the kitchen that hover over any ripening fruit. Quick research and I realized they were fruit flies. Apparently there are many remedies, but these three sounded best and easy-to-do;

1. For this DIY fruit fly trap, sweet apple cider vinegar (ACV) is more effective than white vinegar. Fruit flies can't resist the scent of vinegar, and they won't be able to exit once they're inside. For an even better chance at success, make several of these traps and place them around your kitchen. Here's how to do it yourself:

Pour a little ACV into a glass. Cover the opening with plastic wrap and secure it with a rubber band. Poke a few small holes for the fruit flies to enter.

2. Or - make a paper cone with small opening in the jar. The smell of rotting produce will help entice the fruit flies into the mixture, but the cone part of this fruit fly trap makes it difficult for them to get out.

Here's how to do it yourself: Place a little vinegar and a chunk of very ripe fruit in a jar. Roll some paper into a cone and stick it into the jar, placing the narrow opening down. You can recycle or compost the homemade funnel afterward.

3. Vinegar and dish soap trap If you find fruit flies immune to your plastic wrap or paper cone traps, try adding three drops of dish soap to a bowl of vinegar and leave it uncovered. The dish soap cuts the surface tension of the vinegar so the flies will sink and drown.

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