Insights archive
Red Pony is a team of writers, editors, Microsoft Office template developers and communications trainers. We have been writing about our areas of expertise since 2009 in our Red Pony Express newsletter.
This collection features a selection of our best articles.
Experts vs beginners: know your audience
You cannot write well if you don’t know your audience. It’s one of the first questions we ask our clients. The same point can and should be conveyed completely differently, depending on who will be reading it.
What can copyeditors learn from Hollywood?
When you see the opening sequences as Lucas originally filmed them – our introduction to the main characters of the film – it’s frankly a mess. The initial space battle and capture of Princess Leia’s ship is intercut with scenes of Luke Skywalker repairing some electronic device, watching the battle through binoculars, and engaging in excruciatingly clichéd small talk about how he’d love to become a fighter pilot but his aunt and uncle need him on the farm.
Where do Christmas cards come from?
Ever wondered where the tradition of sending Christmas cards originated? I did, so I undertook a little research (okay, I googled it and did some reading on Wikipedia). Here’s what I learnt … The general consensus is […]
The genius of George Orwell
Back when I was a university student contemplating a topic for my English Literature Honours thesis, I thought it might be interesting to examine the early works of George Orwell, one of my favourite writers at the time.
BBC subcommittee on words goes rogue and has to be shut down
‘BBC English’ might now seem deeply conservative, but it was once the site of fierce and excitable debate among a literary set who, if not actually drunk, were certainly drunk with power.
When word choice becomes a political act
Part of our job as editors is to tweak any language that might make readers feel excluded or stereotyped – for example, changing ‘firemen’ to ‘firefighters’. In theory, this could be seen as a political act, but these days ‘some firefighters are women’ is hardly controversial, and we wouldn’t expect any pushback.
How to tell someone they’re wrong
When is it a good idea to correct your boss? A fellow editor recently recounted the story of a teacher she knew who had been asked by the school principal to capitalise every instance of the word ‘maths’ in her student reports.
The generosity of plain English
Red Pony’s business writing trainer describes plain English writing as ‘putting the extra work in so your reader doesn’t have to’. Putting that extra effort in is an act of generosity towards your reader – it’s a kindness.
How a missing comma cost $13 million
Now a court in the US state of Maine has determined that an absence of a comma has cost a trucking company US$10 million (approximately A$13 million) in unpaid overtime.
The unexpected history of ‘Mrs’
The use of ‘Ms’, once controversial, is now mainstream. But it’s not so long ago it was viewed as political correctness gone mad. Personally, it’s bizarre to imagine that complete strangers ever felt entitled to know whether or not I am married.
Making every word count: improving writing with data
Bad writing can be expensive. This is the conclusion of author Josh Bernoff, whose Harvard Business Review article ‘Bad writing is destroying your company’s productivity’ looks at the hidden costs of poor communication.
Technology in editing
A while back I wrote an article called ‘Secrets of the editing trade’. It became one of our most popular posts, so I thought I’d follow up by exploring some of the tools we use at Red Pony in a little more detail.
Leading the reading: wayfinding in document design
Wayfinding refers to ways of guiding people through a physical space and enhancing their understanding and experience of the environment they’re moving through.
Are print dictionaries dying? And should we care?
In 2010, the Oxford English Dictionary announced that its next edition would probably never be printed, but would instead only be available online. The 20-volume dictionary is the most comprehensive in the world, but that much data can now be stored on a device the size of a pencil case.
Make better buying decisions with better tender specifications
I’ve read a lot of project briefs and tender specifications over the years and, while I’ve seen some good ones, I’m constantly amazed at how many contain basic errors, are repetitive or are simply too vague to serve their function of establishing a baseline for comparable quotes.
The art and science of speechwriting
As a massive fan of Aaron Sorkin’s The West Wing, I always relish the opportunity to call on my inner Toby Ziegler when someone asks me to help them write a speech.
A wide vocabulary is good for your mental health
There are dozens of ways to describe feeling angry. When you read the news these days, do you say that you’re vexed, livid or ropeable? Merely miffed or incandescent with rage? Or are you more of a HULK MAD, HULK SMASH kind of communicator? It turns out that it could matter a lot.
Is it actually possible to use English incorrectly?
As a writer and editor, my professional existence relies on my ability to use the English language to communicate. But given the constantly evolving nature of English, is it actually possible to ever truly use it incorrectly?
Forensic linguists identify criminals by their writing style
The way you write – the length of your sentences, your use of punctuation, or your intractable belief that ‘professional’ should have two Fs in it – creates a linguistic ‘fingerprint’ that can be used to identify you. Forensic linguists have been tasked with examining blackmail letters, death threats, potentially faked suicide notes and even historical items, such as the famous ‘Bixby letter’, supposedly penned by Abraham Lincoln, but a matter of fierce debate.
Why simpler isn’t always clearer
A lot of our work at Red Pony involves simplifying technical language to make it accessible to a wider audience, who may not be familiar with industry terminology, be it government acronyms, financial jargon or technobabble. This is work I strongly believe in: if an idea has value, then it deserves to be understood by all of the people who might benefit from it.