It’s What’s Up Front That Counts
I recently received a form letter that was not personalized in any way - in fact, it wasn't really a letter, just a photocopied piece of paper. It was headlined: IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ! Straight to [...]
Can You Lie an Egg?
I'm into communications strategy - the big-picture side of clear, effective communications. But my readers seem to be into grammar tidbits. I've gotten a lot of tweets and Facebook comments over my e-letters on usage [...]
5 More Pet Peeves
Four of these pet peeves were suggested by readers in response to my April e-letter, Write This, Not That. If your favorite doesn't appear in either list, send it along! 1. Imply vs. infer Some [...]
Write This, Not That
I bet you've mastered the difference between except and accept, than and then, even affect and effect. You take the trouble to learn these things, or you wouldn't be reading my e-letter. The suggestions below [...]
Be Brave. Start Over.
The purpose of a first draft of almost any piece of writing is different from the purpose of the final piece. The first draft gets your ideas out on paper. It helps you figure out what you have to say and how to say it. In revising, you do a 180-degree turn.