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“Putting on Airs” or Expressing One’s Thoughts?

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Daniel’s word of the day on July 15, 2007, rhetoric, is an example of a useful word that some people might find offensive. Really. In the movie Alone With a Stranger, a man becomes furious when his brother uses the word rhetorically — “as casually as I tie my shoes!” The detectives on Law and … Read more

Breaking the Lockjam and Buttoning Down the Hatches

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The President has invited some factions to Washington to break the lockjam. The copywriter who came up with this statement confused two common English expressions used to convey a state of of inaction: deadlock and logjam. The term “deadlock” refers to a stoppage brought about by the opposition of two forces, neither of which will … Read more

How to Bypass Your Internal Editor

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When you edit your first draft, you’ll have all sorts of ideas of what to change. But when you write your first draft, you want to turn off the “internal editor” in your mind, that super-ego that looks over your shoulder and criticizes everything you do. Editing is different from writing. Most people can’t successfully … Read more

Voice: An Opportunity to Scream without Opening Your Mouth

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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.

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Write Super-Fast

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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:

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Write To Be Scanned

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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).

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Beware the shifting tense

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Many writers, students and professionals alike, struggle with the problem of tense shifting. Your writing will be easier to follow if you’re sure to keep your tense consistent.

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Say What?

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If you’re telling a story, you can use two journalism training mnemonics to check that you have covered all the bases. These are the 6Ws and the WHAT formula.

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Big Words Make You Sound Smart, Don’t They?

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Many people think that they sound smarter when they use big words. The truth of the matter is that smart communicators use words that (a) they understand and (b) their readers are likely to understand.

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Eliminating Superfluous Phrases

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In classes I have taught, students lean towards using phrases that they think make them “sound smarter” but end up making their work wordy and clunky. By streamlining your sentences and cutting out a few phrases, you can communicate your point much more effectively.

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The Inverted Pyramid

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Here’s a tip from the newsroom: the inverted pyramid style of writing. It will help you to get your message across faster. It was developed by journalists for reasons that are completely irrelevant today… or are they? The inverted pyramid principle says you should put your most important point at the top of the article, … Read more