Bugs in Writing: A Sneak Peek

By Shabana Parveen

Just when you thought you’d learned it all, Lyn Dupre’s Bugs in Writing proves that writing is more than just rhetoric and semantics. Writing is an art and a science — and that’s what this book attempts to teach you.

Having worked as an editor for over two decades, Lyn is well aware of the various bugs one encounters in writing, and does her best to flush them out for all to identify. Having understood the readers’ psyche, Lyn shares information and techniques on how to address readers’ needs at various stages of writing. Her style is simple, concise, incisive, humorous, and enjoyable.

With a title like Bugs in Writing, you’d think this was a book for editors or proofreaders. When you have read it, however, you will be convinced that it is a ‘must-read’ for anyone who wants to avoid common mistakes while writing.

Bugs in Writing

A guide to debugging your prose

By Lyn Dupre

Addison Wesley of Addison Wesley Longman Inc

Pages: 666

Price: US$ 13.97

The book begins with a foreword from Lyn’s publisher, Peter S. Gordon. It also has a ‘Read Me’ section where she addresses the principles of writing, and common problems faced while writing. Bugs in Writing has 150 chapters that cover conventions, standards and formats for information; syntax and parts of speech; punctuation and tricky terms; types of documents, and writers’ characteristics. Some chapters are dedicated to the overuse, misuse, and abuse of words that have digressed from their original usage.

Each chapter contains numerous examples of good, bad, and ugly writing. While this categorisation seems amusing and interesting at first, it tends to eventually grow confusing and cumbersome. A summary at the end of each chapter presents the learning from that chapter in a nutshell.

Lyn talks about audience analysis in the chapter Nose, which teaches how to ‘sniff out’ (identify) your audience before you begin writing. The chapter Mouth debates on writer visibility – how much you are entitled to be ‘seen’ saying. The chapter Ear teaches you to write what you hear as correct.

There are also chapters on proposal writing, dissertations, style sheets and spell checkers that come in handy for first-time writers. She also provides tips on how to enhance the quality and quantity of your material in the chapter on Exercises, Examples, and Quotations. Lyn discusses the distribution of roles and responsibilities while working as a group for a research project, in the chapter on Authorship on Research Articles. There is also a chapter on ways to combat writer’s block.

For those in a hurry, there is an index of principles that presents the summaries of the respective chapters as a quick reference. There is also an index of categories that caters to the needs of various readers.

The book also carries a black-and-white photograph album of Lyn’s family, friends, and felines. So, if the reading gets monotonous, you can take a peek into Lyn’s collection of memories.

Bugs in Writing is a boon, not only to professional writers, but also to those who just want to improve their writing skills. This book deserves credit for making one realise that writing can be as much fun as reading.

The Good, Bad and Ugly

Good: The simple, comprehensive, and informative approach of the book caters to writers and non-writers.

Bad: The good, bad, and ugly format for examples in every chapter is not necessarily a great way to make a point.

Ugly: The book gathers unnecessary heavy from Lyn’s photo album. Otherwise, it would have served well as a pocket Bible for writers.

(Shabana Parveen is an Intern Technical Writer with i2 Technologies. She can be contacted at Shabana_Parveen@i2.com)

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