This month’s post is from guest blogger Nadia Jones. Nadia offers some great reasons for breaking out of the business writing bubble and helpful tips for stretching your creative writing muscles. Let’s face it. As professional writers, whether you’re a copywriter, a technical writer, or a general corporate writer, you most likely got into the…
Tag Archive: writing
Book Review – Letting Go of the Words: Writing Web Content that Works
I recently finished reading Letting Go of the Words: Writing Web Content that Works, by Janice Redish. I was impressed with the book, and feel it has much to offer anyone who develops Web content. Here’s the rundown of what you’ll find: The Quick & Dirty Overall, I found Letting Go of the Words to…
Writing a Good Press Release
Writing a good press release is not hard, but there are specific conventions you should understand and follow. Think Like a Reporter A reporter’s job is to find newsworthy information to share so readers will purchase or view their publication. You can make a reporter’s job easier by writing a good press release that provides…
When Chicago Isn’t Enough: How to Write an In-house Style Guide
Sometimes the easy part of writing is writing, while the hard part is usage and formatting. When you run into usage or formatting questions, you can refer to a general style manual, such as The Chicago Manual of Style, the AP Stylebook, or The Gregg Reference Manual. These manuals are all very thorough and authoritative,…
Give Your Business Writing the Authenticity Advantage
As the term “authenticity” has gained momentum in recent years, I’ve been surprised. Hasn’t authenticity always been important? Yes. It’s just that with the rise in popularity of social media and online marketing, a lack of authenticity is easier to spot. You can get away with a lack of sincerity if customers only interact with…
Are You an Idea Thief?
You may remember from some point in your schooling a lecture about a little thing called plagiarism. Wikipedia states, “Plagiarism is defined in dictionaries as ‘the wrongful appropriation, close imitation, or purloining and publication, of another author’s language, thoughts, ideas, or expressions, and the representation of them as one’s own original work,’” attributing this definition to…
How to Find and Use the Right Writing Tone
This week, I’m going to wrap up my series of posts about hard-to-define elements of writing, like emotion, structure, theme, and flow. This post will cover writing tone, which reflects the writer’s attitude about his or her topic and audience. You know how important tone is in conversation (think about how a switch from formal…
Should You Follow Writing Rules?
Writers are often concerned about knowing and following writing rules. It’s true, writing does have many rules, and communication is typically smoother when you adhere to them. However, don’t let the rules stop you from expressing yourself. Here are some more tips for establishing an appropriate regard for the writing rules: Don’t Try to Memorize…
How to Move Past the Writing Discomfort Zone
Writing can be an uncomfortable task on both internal and external levels. Here are a few tips for moving through common issues: Your Physical Surroundings Starting with the most obvious, if you are not physically comfortable, you may have a hard time getting into your writing task. Be sure you have everything you need before…
How to Make Writing Easier
If you find writing difficult, it may help to identify why. Do you worry about what others might think? Are you afraid to break the rules? Is it hard to find the time? Once you have pinpointed the difficult aspects of writing, you can take steps to address those aspects, rather than thinking that writing…