National Memoir Writing Month – November 2023
November is National Memoir Writing Month. It’s the perfect time to start writing your autobiography. It’s not clear to me how November came to be […]
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AI writing fails show why it can’t replace human writers
Everybody is looking for a shortcut, but not every shortcut is smart. These AI writing fails show how short-sighted it is to replace writers with […]
Writing is therapy to heal old wounds, grief and trauma
Writing is therapy. Many clients bring us stories of abuse, addictions, trauma, illness, crime and regrets. They also bring stories of redemption and victory over […]
Plain language guide – writing for better readability
If you want more people to read what you’ve written and to understand what you mean, the tips in this plain language writing guide will […]
How to write the plot of a story
Writing the plot for a story is never simple. If you are just starting out writing fiction, a template can help you get started and […]
How to describe characters in a childrenโs book (with free crib sheet)
Character development is complex. But in children’s books, and even books for teens, the approach is a little different. Here’s how to develop characters for […]
How to describe a character (with free character development sheet)
It’s been said that every story has been told over and over. But characters are unique and refreshing…if you write them right. Here’s how to […]
Smarten up your text with real verbs
Too many businesses use nouns to describe an action. That makes your message harder to read. Here’s how to fix that. Speaking in plain English […]
Dumb it down, or clear it up?
When you write in plain English, you are not “dumbing it down”. You are clearing things up. There are two main ways to make a […]
You are the center of the universe
Itโs about the reader and only the reader. Use โyouโ in your text to give the reader ownership of your product or service, or the […]
Clarity – the key to effective writing and communication
If you are writing non-fiction, clarity counts most. Here are four tips to write clearly for effective communication. Before sharing my incredibly useful tips with […]
14 of the most useless words in the English language still over-used in 2023
Sometimes we throw in extra words that add nothing to the meaning of what we are writing. They make it harder toย read your article, book […]
Making readability studies readable
Readability is in crisis. Even the abstracts from studies on readability are virtually incomprehensible. Letโs see what they really say. What is readability? Itโs a […]
5 challenges you face as a writer
The survey results are in! Here are the top challenges writers face, and how some of those lead to hiring a ghostwriter. We are often […]
The Definitive Writer’s Guide to Time Travel (historical fiction tips and tricks)
Any writer can travel in time (it’s true), but to do it well takes effortโฆand a plan. Here is your complete plan to write convincing […]
5 lessons from Alexander Hamilton, America’s most famous ghostwriter
Alexander Hamilton was America’s greatest and most famous ghostwriter. Here are five lessons he leaves us, with quotes from the musical that bears his name. […]
Which English word is most abused?
Some words in the English language take a whipping every day. Here is my pick for the most abused word in the English language. Pop […]
Write for your audience (5 sneaky hiring ads)
When you really need talent, you can find a creative way to write for your audience. Here are five superb examples of uber-targeted communications. A […]
Top 10 most common business grammar errors in 2023
The Grammar Monster doesn’t like what he sees in business documents. Let’s publicly flog the worst offending grammar errors. I edit a lot of business […]
How To Dazzle With Dialogue
Screenplay writer Kristin Johnson offers five key principles of dialogue, with an example of all five from the movie “Steve Jobs”. On February 9 I […]