Benjamin Dreyer
@bcdreyer.social
America's Copy Editor®
author of the New York Times/IndieBound bestseller Dreyer's English and Stet! (the game!) • Random House copy chief/managing editor (ret.) • he/him/his
benjamindreyer.com
author of the New York Times/IndieBound bestseller Dreyer's English and Stet! (the game!) • Random House copy chief/managing editor (ret.) • he/him/his
benjamindreyer.com
She can only block me once.
December 5, 2025 at 8:59 PM
She can only block me once.
You want to be a writer, write.
You don't want to be a writer, don't write.
No one on earth needs what you write, or "write," that desperately.
You don't want to be a writer, don't write.
No one on earth needs what you write, or "write," that desperately.
December 5, 2025 at 7:12 PM
You want to be a writer, write.
You don't want to be a writer, don't write.
No one on earth needs what you write, or "write," that desperately.
You don't want to be a writer, don't write.
No one on earth needs what you write, or "write," that desperately.
Reposted by Benjamin Dreyer
“For example, studies find that coffee drinkers have a lower risk of death from any cause compared to people who don't drink coffee.”
GAME SET MATCH
GAME SET MATCH
December 5, 2025 at 6:45 PM
“For example, studies find that coffee drinkers have a lower risk of death from any cause compared to people who don't drink coffee.”
GAME SET MATCH
GAME SET MATCH
Oh, that wasn't supposed to be a freestanding post. That was supposed to be a response to this:
If you've got a long/complicated looking last name, and I call you and nicely explain that I'm writing remarks for an emcee who wants to make sure they say your name correctly, responding with "how do you *think* it's pronounced?" is a dick move that could end up embarrassing one or both of us.
December 5, 2025 at 4:28 AM
Oh, that wasn't supposed to be a freestanding post. That was supposed to be a response to this:
So I met him, I asked him, he said it, I repeated it, we were fine and friendly and happy.
No one got huffy about it.
2/2
No one got huffy about it.
2/2
December 5, 2025 at 4:25 AM
So I met him, I asked him, he said it, I repeated it, we were fine and friendly and happy.
No one got huffy about it.
2/2
No one got huffy about it.
2/2
For what this is, it's perfect. I have nothing to suggest, alter, fix.
(And I can't, retroactively, imagine what its actual copy editor might have done or not done to get us here.)
(And I can't, retroactively, imagine what its actual copy editor might have done or not done to get us here.)
December 5, 2025 at 4:21 AM
For what this is, it's perfect. I have nothing to suggest, alter, fix.
(And I can't, retroactively, imagine what its actual copy editor might have done or not done to get us here.)
(And I can't, retroactively, imagine what its actual copy editor might have done or not done to get us here.)
And had I been its copy editor, heaven forbid, I would have realized in four pages tops that all I could possibly do would be to tidy up the punctuation and make sure everything was spelled properly.
Some things are beyond copyediting.
Some things are beyond copyediting.
December 5, 2025 at 4:14 AM
And had I been its copy editor, heaven forbid, I would have realized in four pages tops that all I could possibly do would be to tidy up the punctuation and make sure everything was spelled properly.
Some things are beyond copyediting.
Some things are beyond copyediting.
I mean, you completely blew it with the "Really?" The rest is just digging your own grave.
December 5, 2025 at 4:01 AM
I mean, you completely blew it with the "Really?" The rest is just digging your own grave.
But do we need a musical of Fanny and Alexander? I'm thinking we might.
[I recall reading that FF wanted to make a stage musical out of Giulietta degli spiriti, speaking of Europeans.]
[I recall reading that FF wanted to make a stage musical out of Giulietta degli spiriti, speaking of Europeans.]
December 5, 2025 at 3:30 AM
But do we need a musical of Fanny and Alexander? I'm thinking we might.
[I recall reading that FF wanted to make a stage musical out of Giulietta degli spiriti, speaking of Europeans.]
[I recall reading that FF wanted to make a stage musical out of Giulietta degli spiriti, speaking of Europeans.]
First produced in London in 1989. Music by Joe "You Light Up My Life" Brooks. Not sure how long it ran. Apparently the sets were particularly impressive. I guess they'd have to be.
December 5, 2025 at 3:29 AM
First produced in London in 1989. Music by Joe "You Light Up My Life" Brooks. Not sure how long it ran. Apparently the sets were particularly impressive. I guess they'd have to be.
It's already been done. It's...a lot.
December 5, 2025 at 3:26 AM
It's already been done. It's...a lot.