Today’s first glitch:
The presence of an ‘aside’ phrase requiring commas of its own in no way gets the writer out of having to use a comma before the conjunction in a compound sentence. In fact, if the writer feels (for whatever reason — because Hemingway once said so, perhaps) that only the barest minimum of commas should be used, the one before the conjunction is more necessary than the others.
They tied a rope around his waist, and, with a deep breath, he jumped into the darkness.
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About Thomas Weaver
I’m a writer and editor who got into professional editing almost by accident years ago when a friend from university needed someone to copyedit his screenplay about giant stompy robots (mecha). Having discovered that I greatly enjoy this kind of work, I’ve been putting my uncanny knack for grammar and punctuation, along with an eclectic mental collection of facts, to good use ever since as a Wielder of the Red Pen of Doom.
I'm physically disabled, and for the past several years, I’ve lived with my smugly good-looking twin Paul, who writes military science fiction and refuses to talk about his military service because he can’t. Sometimes Paul and I collaborate on stories, and sometimes I just edit whatever he writes. It's worked out rather well so far.
My list of non-writing-related jobs from the past includes librarian, art model, high school teacher, science lab gofer… Although I have no spouse or offspring to tell you about, I do have six cats. (The preferred term is "Insane Cat Gentleman.") I currently spend my time blogging, reading, editing, and fending off cats who like my desk better than my twin’s.
