For those who do not know me, or do not know me well, I must warn you, I process externally. If you happen to sit outside my door, or down the hall, you have been warned and know what to expect when I have “that” look in my eye.

One of the reasons I started this blog is that I had just left Pillsbury for a much, much smaller boutique. What I didn’t count on was losing my peers, especially my office administrator who had such great wisdom to share. This blog allowed me a place to refine my ideas.

At heart, I am a writer and a communicator. My head is constantly filled with words and ideas moving at great speeds. Without the ability to refine my ideas I cannot craft messages, and forget sounding credible.

The ability to communicate and communicate well is the foundation of my livelihood. It is my reputation. It is what differentiates me from you.

Coming from a gal who reads grammar books for fun, I am never satisfied; I can always learn more, and refine my craft.

One of the few newsletters that actually comes to my inbox is WordRake‘s Writing Tips. And I actually read it.

Today’s tip was a reminder to watch for ins and ofs and I wanted to share it with you:

… ins and ofs prance through our writing, dosey doe in and out of our sentences, then duck and hide among gatherings of words that mean nothing. They are drawn to the absurd and unnecessary, and we hardly notice them nestled there.

There are great examples throughout the post, so definitely click and read on the tip.

Ins and ofs, for the most part, are fillers and add no real value to what you are trying to convey. In a world where words are real estate, and the currency is the reader’s time, we need to edit, edit, edit.

In short, watch your ps and qs, and your ins and ofs.