Once in a while I am called upon to edit or proofread a manuscript that makes a particular mistake with great frequency, and I'm reminded to tell you all to avoid aforementioned mistake. Today I am helping to rescue an author who had difficulty knowing when to include or omit the ever-present but little-considered word "that."

I refer to "that" not when used as a pronoun ("That was a great party"), adjective ("I prefer that website"), or adverb ("He wasn't that fat"). Usage in those cases is more straightforward, although the word can perhaps be replaced by a more interesting or descriptive one.

The more troublesome function of "that" is as a conjunction, usually introducing a subordinate clause. It's troublesome because in many cases, it's perfectly acceptable to use "that"--and perfectly acceptable not to. You should be able to recognize when it makes a difference, and why.

Example:

"Peter told Paula that she looked beautiful."

"Peter told Paula she looked beautiful."

Economy of words being important to me, I would choose the latter sentence. It conveys the same information without being unclear. However, eliminating "that" can sometimes affect the clarity of a sentence, and while you're being your own editor, clarity should trump even the economy of words. When the clause being introduced follows a transitive verb, the introductory "that" can often prevent a misreading of the subject of the clause as the object of the verb, as in this example:

"She trusted that Ken had been faithful."

"She trusted Ken had been faithful."

In this case, go with the first sentence. Why? While the meaning of the second sentence will be clear to most readers by the time they arrive at the period, they will first find themselves reading this: "She trusted Ken." And we don't want our readers to be confused for even the millisecond that it takes them to get from "Ken" to "had." Because confusion creates distance.

This is another one of those little tricks you can use to address both wordiness and lack of clarity in your writing. Look for "that" when you're rewriting, and make sure it's there when it should be and gone when it's unnecessary. And that will be that.

About The Author

Lisa Silverman is a freelance book editor and works in the copyediting department at one of New York's most prestigious literary publishing houses. She has also worked as a ghostwriter and a literary agent representing both book authors and screenwriters. She founded www.BeYourOwnEditor.com in order to provide writers with free advice on both writing and the publishing business.

I'm a psychologist, not a professional comedy writer (After all, how funny is this first sentence?). But when, about 20 years ago, I took up to an hour each day (and I mean, for 365 days) just to write jokes, gags, and one-liners for cartoonists, comedians, and speakers, I thought I was clever enough to make it a life-long habit.

It was fun, I learned a lot, and I even sold a few jokes. However, by the end of the year my ability to keep cranking them out disappeared and I burnt out.

The experience taught me 3 things: First, I'm not cut out to be a full-time comedy writer. Second, I developed a strong appreciation of the professional comedy writers who can do this day after day, year after year. And third, I did learn how to put together a one-liner. I have used this knowledge ever since in speeches, meetings, other writing projects, and social conversation.

I have come to the conclusion that it ain't rocket science. If I can do it, you can do it (provided that you have a good sense of humor, a facility for word-play, and nothing better to do).

Before I give you my magic formula, I should tell you that formulas don't work. A great one-liner, like any work of art, has its own unique inspiration, follows its own unique rules, and surprises us in its own wonderful way. Also, the jokes I will use as examples are original (not particularly funny, but certainly original). That's because I don't want to get sued, especially by some comedian who claims I was stealing his or her jokes.

So here are 5 rules for creating a one-liner:

RULE 1: Choose 2 topics-1) the content of the joke, and 2) the surprise topic. For example, let's say you've been putting in a lot of overtime at the office. Now, just for the sake of making this a good mental exercise, let's also say that you combine this topic with the fact that you have a dog. Here is one possibility of combining them: "I've been putting in so much overtime, that I came home to an empty house last night. I found a note. It said, 'I can't take it any more. I've gone for a long walk in the park to think over our relationship.' It was from my dog." Ok, so it's not that funny. That brings us to...

RULE 2: Look for opposites, especially ridiculous and impossible opposites. Many, many great jokes rely on opposite meanings. A few years ago at a Rotary meeting in which I ended the year of my presidency, I wanted to say a few things before turning the club over to my successor. I began by saying, "Before I formally hand over the reins of powerlessness, ..." It got a nice laugh.

RULE 3: Build up the joke in a certain direction, so that the listener is locked into one assumption, and then spring the joke on them. For example, talk as if it is something important, and end with something trivial: "I should like to introduce my business partner, my mentor, my best friend, and a man to whom I owe five bucks, ..."

RULE 4: Put the key word or phrase, the one that changes the meaning, at the very end of the one-liner. You'll notice that the very last words in the previous three jokes ARE the joke (dog, powerlessness, five bucks). Imagine a cocktail party. Everyone has a drink in his or her hands, except for one guy. His wife turns to him and says, "You know, George, you really SHOULD have something to drink--otherwise people will think you're an alcoholic." This is a lot funnier than, "You don't want people to think you're an alcoholic, do you? You'd better drink something." This second line isn't as funny because the second topic (alcoholism) is introduced before the end. It blunts the surprise and therefore the comic shock at the end.

RULE 5: Get rid of every unnecessary word and idea. Nothing ruins a one-liner more than even one extra word. My wife, Christine, is a Paramedic with the Chicago Fire Department (She was my hero long before September 11th). She works a 24-hour shift. Over the years I've developed a stock response to people who ask me if I'm worried about my wife being in the firehouse all night with all of those men: "Gee, you're right. I'd better call and warn those guys." Is there one unnecessary word in that response? I don't think so.

So there it is. Follow these rules, and you can create a one-liner. Will it rise to the level of a Henny Youngman, a Jay Leno, an Ellen DeGeneres, a Bob Hope, a Richard Pryor, or a George Carlin? Probably not, but it's fun, it's creative, it's a good mental exercise, and--who knows?--you may discover that you have a talent for it.

Oh, and one word of caution. If while you are following these rules you think of something truly funny, forget the rules. Go for what's funny.

About the Author:

Sander Marcus, Ph.D., is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Certified Professional Resume Writer in Chicago. He has over 3 decades of experience in providing career counseling, aptitude testing, job search coaching, and resume writing to tens of thousands of individuals. He is the co-author of 2 books on academic underachievement, various tests, and numerous articles. Contact him at marcus@iit.edu, 312-567-3358. www.center.iit.edu

Chris Redding is excited to announce her paranormal suspense, Corpse Whisperer, is available at www.lulu.com and www.enspirenpress.com and will be available at Amazon and at your favorite bookstore on August 1st.

Congratulations, Chris!

ThatFirstLine Writing Contest deadline is approaching.

Our next winner will receive $500 for writing one line!

The 2007 Spring/Summer contest entry deadline is September 1st!

The contest is open to everyone everywhere.

You can enter your line at www.thatfirstline.com or check-out our previous winners at www.zirdnews.com

The Book Inscriptions Project is looking for great inscriptions to post on our site. Please send them if you got'em! And tell all your book-loving friends! www.bookinscriptions.com

From the Award-Winning Writer of The Problem with Murmur Lee and Before Women Had Wings, Connie May Fowler introduces her full immersion workshops for serious writers, Below Sea Level. Join Connie May on October 12, 2007, for the first three-day fiction-writing workshop in scenic Alligator Point, Florida, the inspiration for her third novel, Remembering Blue. Submissions accepted now.

Below Sea Level also kicks off its first Exclusive, Seven-day, workshop-intensive Conference in St. Augustine, Florida on June 1-8, 2008, featuring Connie May Fowler, Dorothy Allison, and Joy Harris, President of Joy Harris Literary Agency. Mark your calendars.

Log onto www.writingbelowsealevel.com for more information.

You can also visit Connie May Fowler at: www.conniemayfowler.com

WD Popular Fiction Awards

Categories include: Romance, Mystery/Crime Fiction, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Thriller/Suspence and Horror.

Entry Deadline: November 1, 2007

For more information check out Writer's Digest Magazine or visit: WD Popular Fiction Contest

Muse Online Writers Conference

This free, virtual conference will be held October 8th - 14th and features writing workshops, a virtual conference room (for registered attendees), free downloads, e-books and handouts.

For more info: The Muse Online Writers Conference

HowToDoThings.com has informative articles on a variety of subjects including writing. Check it out at: Articles About Writing

Bobbie Christmas is the "Book Doctor" and Author of Write In Style, a triple-award-winning textbook for writers of fiction and nonfiction, available wherever books are sold.

Bobbie loves to receive questions from writers and offer her expert advice. If you have any questions you need answered, please e-mail her at: Bobbie@zebraeditor.com

For the latest Q&A with Bobbie, go to AskTheBookDoctor on the CS4W site.

If you have any announcements, please e-mail them to: sandy@coolstuff4writers.com

I love to hear from you!

Peace,

Sandy