June 2007 - DAILY WRITING TIPS

Voice: An Opportunity to Scream without Opening Your Mouth

July 2, 2007June 30, 2007 by Sharon

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Voice suggests the sound or feeling communicated in your writing. Just as you communicate with your tone of voice and word choice in everyday conversation, the same concept applies to writing. Voice goes hand in hand with the all-important consideration of audience. You must choose your words and adjust your writing voice with a high level of sensitivity so as to communicate effectively with your chosen audience. Instead of my yammering on about voice in abstract terms, take a look at the following examples.

Consistent Style Sheet Eliminates Value Judgments

July 2, 2007June 29, 2007 by Maeve Maddox

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One of our readers, Pankaj, has asked for clarification on the posting called “The Gentleman Fled on Foot.” Was I addressing a matter of diction, or was I advocating the denial of respect for persons in unfortunate circumstances?

Introducing the Comma

July 1, 2007June 28, 2007 by Erin

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Commas are a tricky little piece of punctuation, and they give many people headaches. In my students’ essays, I frequently see commas where they don’t belong, and I see necessary commas left out. I make it one of my goals to help demystify the comma for my students.

Write Super-Fast

July 1, 2007June 27, 2007 by Michael

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Writing fast and editing later is a good practice. For many people, writing super-fast is an even better practice. Here’s why:

All About Quotation Marks

February 19, 2008June 27, 2007 by Daniel Scocco

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Tie Sing Chie asks, “What’s the difference in terms of usage between the single quotation mark (‘) and the double quotation mark (“)?”

Don’t Overload the Bridge

July 1, 2007June 26, 2007 by Michael

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Every good writer is burning to say something, and fiction writers are no exception. Though their job is to tell a story well, they often have a message they want to get across too.

Me, Myself, and I

June 28, 2007June 26, 2007 by Maeve Maddox

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Just as the personal pronouns I and me are frequently used incorrectly–the subject form I used instead of the object form me, and vice versa–the reflexive pronoun myself sometimes crops up where I or me belong.

Word of the Day: Parsimony

July 10, 2018June 25, 2007 by Daniel Scocco

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Parsimony comes from Latim parsus, which is the past participle of parcere (to spare). Parsimony indicates an excessive care with the spending of money. A synonym for parsimony is frugality.

Careful with Words Used as Noun and Verb

June 27, 2007June 25, 2007 by Maeve Maddox

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English has numerous word pairs that are spelled alike, but pronounced differently according to whether the word is being used as a noun or as a verb.

Clichés Don’t Belong in Professional Writing

June 27, 2007June 24, 2007 by Mary

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Some of the common cliché phrases that we find ourselves using every day do not belong in professional writing. This has become abundantly clear to me as it has become more commonplace for me to work with international clients.

Write To Be Scanned

June 26, 2007June 23, 2007 by Michael

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Writing for the computer screen is different than writing for the printed page. There is actually a physiological difference between the two reading materials. Paper, as you’ve noticed, doesn’t flicker (unless it’s on fire).

The Possessive Apostrophe

June 26, 2007June 22, 2007 by Daniel Scocco

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It’s time to talk about being possessive. Sometimes possessiveness is good, sometimes it’s bad. However you look at it, if you’re speaking English, then you will need an apostrophe to show who owns what.

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