Grammar is easy. Just follow a few silly simple rules. Don’t use no double negatives. Proofread carefully to see if you any words out. Take the bull by the hand and avoid mixed metaphors. If I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a thousand times — resist hyperbole. “Avoid overuse of ‘quotation “marks’” Avoid commas, […]
Tag Archives: writing
The secret of writing for the web
The three rules for writing website copy
Beat writer's block — with a kitchen timer?
For me, it’s not really “writer’s block.” It’s more like a reluctance to apply the seat of my pants to the seat of my chair. Sound familiar? In his awesome book, The War of Art, Stephen Pressman nails it on (practically) the first page. “There’s a secret that real writers know that wannabe writers don’t, […]
Writing secret #3147
Just do it. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? Most wanna-be writers think they have to save up a year’s salary, quit their jobs and flee to Tahiti to write their novel (or move to Nashville to become a songwriter). Not true. Here’s all you have to do: write a little every day. Maybe a half-hour, or […]
Direct response "complaint" letter
When is a complaint letter like a sales letter? When it gets the immediate, affirmative response you’re looking for. Take the letter “professional complaint letter writer” Bruce Silverman wrote to the Ritz-Carlton that ended up getting him a week, totally comped, at the company’s Kapalua in Hawaii. As today’s Consumerist detailed, Silverman has been amazingly […]
Seth: Write like a blogger (but not this blogger!)
Seth says write like a blogger. Good advice. The two biggies on Seth’s list that hit home for me were: #3: Drip, drip, drip. Bloggers don’t have to say everything at once. We can add a new idea every day, piling on a thesis over time. #9: Say it. Don’t hide, don’t embellish. I’m always […]