Jennifer Karchmer || Independent. Journalist.
  • About
    • ESL
    • Public Speaking
    • Reporters Without Borders
    • Links I recommend
    • Master's Thesis
  • Journalism
    • Student Journalism
    • Essays >
      • Profiles
    • The Transparency Report >
      • freedom of Assembly: #womensmarch
      • freedom of the press: Frontline Heroines >
        • Photo Gallery: Frontline Heroines
      • freedom of the press: AP style
      • freedom of the press: libel
      • freedom of the press: Iceland >
        • Iceland: Press Freedom
        • Iceland in pictures
      • freedom of speech: coal train transport & the environment
      • freedom of speech: 2010 Winter Olympics
    • Print reporting
    • Broadcast News
    • Editorials & Whatcom Watch >
      • freedom of assembly: The Bellingham Twelve >
        • Q & A: Conversation with an activist
    • Financial reporting >
      • ignore this page
    • Service
    • Support indy journalism
  • Over the Shoulder Editorial
    • Clients
    • Proofreading
  • The Off Season Traveler
    • Iceland
    • Montpellier, France
    • Cairo, Egypt
    • South Africa >
      • Kruger National Park, S.A.
  • Podcasts
  • Newsletter
  • RightMeow
  • Contact

EDITOR'S NOTE: the Dead Body

3/28/2016

Comments

 
EDITOR'S NOTE: Tip#123 for MYSTERY, THRILLER, SUSPENSE & CRIME WRITERS
"Dead body" is often redundant. Depending on context, try "body."

Example: "They found the [dead] body in the lake."

Here, "body" implies lifelessness. This isn't always the case but consider each time you write "dead body," can I say this more descriptively or more precisely? "Body" may suffice.
​
From "Shroud for a Nightingale," (1971) by P.D. James:
“Dalgliesh had noticed it before when the body was taken away, this sense of an empty stage, of props casually disposed and bereft of meaning, of a drained air. The recently dead had their own mysterious charisma. Not without reason did men talk in whispers in their presence.”
Picture
Take a cue from master writer Stephen King, author of the novella "The Body."
Picture

Picture
"Dead" body" is redundant. Just say "body," like P.D. James did in 1971.

Comments

    Jennifer Karchmer

    CEO and Grand Poobah of
    ​Over the Shoulder Proofreading

    Email Jennifer
    View my profile on LinkedIn

    Categories

    All
    Addiction
    Advice
    Ask The Editor
    Authors
    Bellingham
    Cemetery
    Coach
    Confidence
    Editing
    Editor's Note
    Essay Writing
    Food
    Freedom Of Speech
    Freedom Of The Press
    Frequency
    Funeral
    Journalism
    Meditation
    Morocco
    Non-fiction
    Podcast
    Press Freedom
    Prominence
    Proofreading
    Public Speaking
    Retreat
    Self Help
    Situation
    Slow Writing
    Students
    Tighten Prose
    Typos
    URL
    Vipassana
    Washington State
    Women Journalists
    Workshops
    #writelikeajournalist
    Writing

    Archives

    June 2021
    January 2021
    July 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    January 2018
    December 2017
    October 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    November 2015

    RSS Feed

'Don't wait to be deprived of news to stand up and fight for it.' - Reporters Without Borders
Photo from Hythe Eye