Welcome to The Write Idea, your guide to becoming a better writer or editor ... or both! My name is Michael Bowers, and I have been editing for news publications for more than two decades. I've written more than 100,000 headlines, edited at least that many stories and have learned grammar, style, usage, syntax, etc., inside out and backward along the way. I'm here to share some of the things I've learned with you!

1) The first and perhaps most important lesson you need to learn is this: Don't succumb to what I have dubbed Parrot's Disease. That's the all-too-common approach of writing or spelling something the way you're used to seeing it done, rather than ensuring it's the CORRECT way. Just because you see it everywhere that way doesn't make it correct.

Perhaps the best example: Donut. It's never correct to spell it that way unless you are writing the name of the chain called Dunkin' Donuts. Yet you'll forever see it spelled that way, instead of the correct spelling of doughnut. I'm absolutely amazed at how many people don't even get it when I discuss this, as in they do not understand that donut is wrong and should not be used, regardless of how common it is. Even journalists with years of experience will write it donut! No excuse.

Same with who when it should be whom and dozens of other prime examples, ESPECIALLY the never-correct habit of using cliches. REPEAT AFTER ME: Just because you've seen it written that way doesn't mean it's necessarily correct, no matter where you saw it.

The superior writer/editor will not simply "parrot" what he or she sees and copy it but will ensure the writing is correct, makes sense, flows properly and is not hackneyed or trite. Look it up, investigate, ask someone, but do not simply blindly copy what you are accustomed to seeing. Far too many writers quite frankly don't know what they are doing. Don't copy them. DON'T BE A PARROT. Especially to be avoided are mindless cliches like green light (as in approval), war chest, etc.

My next post will offer some tips on cliches. Stay tuned ...