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Jane Sumerset - EzineArticles.com Expert Author  

Writer on englishsoftware.org, proofreader for many british companies, mother to 2 girls, wife, tarot reader.

[View Jane Sumerset's Extended Author Bio]

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  • How to Avoid Writing in Primer Style
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] When people talk about "primer style," they usually refer to writing that looks basic and elementary. Characterized by sentences that sound like reading materials from first grade, they tend to leave more sophisticated readers bored and listless.


  • The Topic Sentence - When to Use It
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] A topic sentence is a specific sentence that controls the content of the rest of a paragraph. It's like the main thesis in an essay - it drives the remainder of the discussion to flow around it.


  • Abstract Versus Concrete Writing
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Looking to endow your writing with more clarity? Try ditching abstract any themes in favor of concrete things.


  • How to Get a Better Essay Score
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Got a monumentally low grade on your last essay for class? Don't worry; it happens to the best of us. Your best recourse is to learn from that and make the next one the best you've ever written. Are you ready?


  • Writing a Good Paper is Like Building a House
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Some people say that writing a good paper is like building a strong house. I couldn't agree more. The writing process is a long and tedious activity consisting of many steps.


  • Write From Your Whole Self
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] If you're having trouble expressing yourself in your writing, here's something that you should definitely try doing: write with your whole self. We tend to leave out parts of our personality when we write, especially when we try to sound like other people we admire. You might want to leave all that behind now.


  • Blogging Tips For Beginning Writers
    [Internet-and-Businesses-Online:Blogging] Are you planning to start a blog soon? Here are some tips that should help you produce blog posts that generate powerful results.


  • Want to Make Writing Your Career?
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Looking to make a career out of writing? There's a gulf of difference between a person who writes on their own time to a professional who churns out copy.


  • Writing Myths - Writing in One Big Torrent
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Some people assert that inspired writing can only occur in large blocks. While I understand the source of this belief (I have experienced stretches of hours when I can write no wrong), it's a myth that isn't necessarily accurate.


  • Writing That Can Confuse Your Readers
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] More than simply fixing up misspelled words and faulty grammar, advanced writing software can also help you iron out confusing expressions. While it can't fix all possible transgressions, such automated tools can both recognize and remedy a whole host of things that can leave readers scratching their heads.


  • A Checklist For Writing Concisely
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Need a single reference to run through when editing for conciseness? Use this handy checklist along with your favorite writing improvement software and tighten up that writing.


  • The Computer As a Writing Assistant
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Many people still treat the computer as a mere word processor - a fancier, more modern typewriter. While there's nothing wrong with that, you're only barely scratching the machine's abilities when you do so.


  • How to Show Your Readers Respect
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] When you want to persuade a reader towards a specific conclusion, you have to show them the proper courtesy as much as you need to write your arguments properly (with the help of good writing software). That's why you're advised to lead rather than pull, to prod rather than push.


  • English Writing - Your Best Foot Forward
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] In international commerce, your English writing is the face you show to the world. It's the foot you lead with in your dealings with other businesses. If I were to judge you now based on how your writing looks, would you truly gain my trust?


  • How to Make an Essay "Yours"
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] When producing an essay for class, it is important to avoid merely borrowing from your sources, stitching various ideas together and cleaning it up with a trustworthy writing software. Most any professor will be looking for your own inputs - how you use those separate elements in order to form your own conclusions.


  • How to Use a Reader-Friendly Writing Structure
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Reader-friendly writing goes beyond producing clear sentences and paragraphs using talented writing software. In many ways, it has as much to do with the structure of your document as it is with the ideas it contains.


  • Filling Up That Empty Page
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] It is tough to begin writing. That is why we recommend a slew of pre-writing activities before the fact - it lays the foundation (making writing easier) and gets you mentally ready.


  • Creative Writing Kept Sharp
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] For both middle and high school students, book reports are a regular part of the usual workload for school. Training students in reading comprehension, descriptive writing and critical thinking, it's a useful form of essay that will be used for years to come.


  • How to Start Every Writing Project Correctly
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Want to start every writing project the right way? Here's as simple as it gets: have a clear, focused point. Forget about everything else when you're starting out.


  • How to Avoid Fluff
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Everybody hates fluff. After all, who wants to read extra words that amount to nothing? In nonfiction writing, anything that doesn't help your piece further its ability to inform and clarify is usually just fluff - nothing more.


  • Why Use Quotes in Your Arguments?
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Quotes can lend your writing even more credence than just regular proof. Lifting words straight out of an authoritative source places an imposing figure behind your ideas that the readers can picture in their mind.


  • How Point of View Works For Fiction
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] In works of fiction, point of view can play very specific goals. Choosing one, you define how you're going to tell a story, setting very specific limitations that can help or hinder it.


  • The Writer As an Architect
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Writing is not an easy task. Being a writer is like an architect towards you writing. The "architectural" approach to writing refers to a very structured style of composition, where the author performs heavy acts of planning and design before proceeding to put together their text.


  • Do You Have to Love Your Subject When You Write?
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] A good writer should be able to write competently about anything. Regardless of their feelings for a subject, they should be able to find the words to express their topic clearly.


  • A Checklist For Writing Your Research Paper
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Have you been tasked to write a research paper? Here's a checklist we recommend you use to gauge your resulting work's completeness.


  • How to Present a Good Report
    [Business:Presentation] When putting together a report, either for school or for work, presentation is half the battle. Sure, your content (duly worked on by a grammar checking software) will make up the meat.


  • How to Write Clearer Technical Documents
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Many forms of writing, such as scientific and technical documents, naturally lend themselves to a complex and unclear structure. That's why it's particularly important to consciously compose it to read as simply as possible.


  • Giving Credit Where Credit is Due the Right Way
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Much of the stuff that will find its way in your writing will be borrowed information, especially when you're trying to build an argument to demonstrate a point. Whenever you employ other people's ideas, it's both good practice and academically honest to give credit where it is due.


  • Research - Primary Versus Secondary Sources
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] During research, a primary source is a document that was made at the time of the event or subject you're looking up. A photograph taken from the scene or the signed Declaration of Independence are examples of that. Secondary sources, in contrast, are materials written by folks like you - people who studied those events and drew their own conclusions from it.


  • What Poor Writing Communicates
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Spelling, grammar and punctuation are all important components of writing. Haven't we all heard this time and time again?


  • The Basics of Argumentative Essays
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Argumentative essays carry a specific quality that many types of essays typically don't: they put forward claims that are open for debate. The point of an argumentative essay, in fact, is not to prove something to be absolutely right. Rather, the idea is to present it as a valid point of view using logical reasoning.


  • Fiction Writing - The Elements of Plot
    [Writing-and-Speaking] In fiction, the plot refers to the action that transpires during the course of the story. Together with the character and the setting, the plot makes up the body of your writing, craftily relayed by your own abilities with the help of your writing composition software.


  • How to Cope With Deadlines
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Publishing] Do you find yourself constantly suffering from the constraints of tight deadlines? You're not alone. Many writers go through the same dilemma.


  • More Benefits of Writing Software
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] The best thing about recent versions of writing software is that it is very simple to install the program into your computer. It can take up to a maximum of five minutes to install with features put in place to educate you on the software operations as you progress.


  • Good Dialogue - What Can It Do?
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Dialogue is one of the most crucial components of fiction writing. Used correctly (along with a good creative writing software), it's the very element that keeps your work from sounding like an editorial out of the Sunday newspaper.


  • Big Writing Goals? Start With a Big Idea
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Many writers dream big. I guess all people do have big dreams but in the field of writing, writers should always use their minds for their own dreams.


  • Presenting a Piece Dramatically
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Novice fiction writers often fall prey to the mistake of "expositing" details, rather than showing them. While that factual, telling style could work (and, in fact, some great writers go that route), it usually leads to bland narratives devoid of any emotion.


  • Silencing Your Inner Critic
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] The inner critic can be an especially distracting force in your writing. Can you imagine someone looking over your shoulder the whole time you're trying to write?


  • The Best Stylebook Money Can Buy
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Are you shopping around for a good stylebook? If you aren't, I think you should.


  • Writing Without Apology
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] It's easy to recognize when someone is insecure about their writing. Most of the time, you can hear the apology in their words, carefully treading ground as if they were walking on a road with a pile of glass shards scattered about.


  • How to Strengthen Your Language
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Once you've finished working through a draft, laying down your thoughts and ideas about a subject, the hardest part of the writing process is usually done. That doesn't mean, however, that you can just sail your way to a finished piece.


  • Four Editing Tips That Should Help Your Writing
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] First is a word of caution. Some people try to ease the revision process by doing as much of the work as they can while drafting. While that accomplishes the goal, it doesn't necessarily make the whole process better.


  • Cut and Paste Revising
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] I hate revising as much as the next guy. Regardless I can't deny its value. To lessen the load, most writers come up with personal rules to make the process more streamlined. The "cut and paste" method is one of those.


  • How to Handle Resistant Readers
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Identifying your readers is one of the most important pre-writing activities you will need to partake in. Only when you know who they are, after all, can you really proceed with how you want to present your work.


  • Four Things Your Editorial Can Do
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing-Articles] Editorials are fun. Promoting a particular opinion or perspective, it happily does without the "objectivity" often asked of big media writers, allowing you to express your undiluted opinion on a subject. That last quality makes it a very powerful type writing, one that can potentially influence public opinion.


  • How to Get a Head Start in Writing Feature Articles
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing-Articles] What's the difference between a feature article and a regular piece in a national publication? For the most part, features tend to give more writers room to innovate and use their creativity. That's why originality, as a component of feature writing, can't be stressed frequently enough.


  • The Importance of Verifying Facts
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] No matter how well you compose a piece of writing, no amount of creative technique will save your work if your details aren't correct. That's why checking facts is just as important to writing as using a grammar checker - your work's credibility rests on it.


  • Spending Enough Time With Your Piece
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Too many writers are in too much of a hurry. Writing software and other automated means of aiding the process already saves them plenty of time, yet they still look to skimp on other areas.


  • Writing With Style
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Style can be confusing for a writer. After all, it can be such a loaded word, referring to a variety of things depending on the context.


  • The Unreliable Narrator - How to Lose Readers Fast
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Have you ever found yourself reading a piece of fiction only to suddenly decide that you don't want to bother listening to the narrator. It can happen because the writing is so terrible that you can't bear to sit through it (learn to use a decent style and writing software, pal).


  • How to Choose a Point of View For Your Story
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] If you've written for some amount of time, you probably already know what a point of view is. To refresh your memory, it's the perspective from which you tell a story.


  • How to Handle Criticism
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Criticism is not something that's very easy to take. After all, it consists of someone telling you that you're wrong - who the hell needs that?


  • Types of Newsletters and Their Content
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Want to write a newsletter? There are three main types of this publication, each one with content and features that are tailored to their specific audiences.


  • How to Be Comfortable Writing in the Third Person
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Many writers find it most natural to write in the first person. In fact, it's relatively easy to fall into the habit. However, writing in the third person is an equally important skill to develop, as you will find that it lends itself well to certain types of work.


  • How to Revise Fiction
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Congratulations, pop the champagne. You've finally finished your novel's first draft. Even though you think the worst is over, it's actually not. Now comes the even more serious part: revising.


  • Ways to Help Your Readers Conserve Their Energy
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] When looking to "fortify" your writing, always go after two goals: precision and energy. The more precise your language, the less-cumbersome your writing reads, allowing you to express ideas with just the right amount of words.


  • Things You Should Avoid While Drafting
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] When drafting, the goal should be to express yourself as naturally as possible within as short a time as you can. The output of the drafting process is the entirety of your meaning set down on paper, rather than a polished piece. It's a draft, after all - one you will be revising later.


  • How to Write Like a Natural
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] In almost any endeavor, there are some people that you just peg as a natural. With little training and minimal exposure to something, they still manage to produce impressive results. Their god-given gifts, for some reason, are just a perfect fit for the job.


  • Why Only Writing About What You Know is a Silly Rule
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Here's one cliche we've heard repeated innumerable times: only write about what you know. While there's definite value in it, that idea is as far from sensible as you can take it.


  • How to Write Big Ideas by Thinking Small
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Some people prefer to go big when they write, working to come up with prose that will do grand things. While it's novel to dream of producing world-changing material, it's usually best to avoid working in that manner. In fact, it can be detrimental, especially for younger, less-experienced writers.


  • Creating a Writing Habit
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] We've heard it time and again. Yet, I've met very few writers who actually follow the advice of turning writing into a habit.


  • Stop Talking, Start Writing
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Ever met someone who never shut up about the novel they're going to write? You meet them three years later and they're still telling the same story. Somehow, you get the inkling that they're never going to get that novel done.


  • How to Do a Close Reading For Detailed Research
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Ever heard of someone talk about "close reading" in reference to your research process for an essay or an article? While the term may not be familiar (many of us focus on the writing and editing processes, as well as its tools, such as grammar and style checkers), it's something that everyone who are diligent about their sources regularly do.


  • The Thesis As a Blueprint For Your Essay
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] While the thesis statement is traditionally used as a way to introduce your main subject, it can also be laid out such that it provides a recognizable blueprint for the essay. When utilized in this manner, it can help frame your essay, giving readers a clearer view about the different components in your piece.


  • How to Practice Revising
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Good writing always hinges on good editing skills. If you can't revise your drafts (with the help of a capable writing software) to make them clearer, tighter and more powerful, you're leaving plenty of room for improvement. The work you turn out is never nearly as good as it could be.


  • How to Establish Believability in Fiction Writing
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Fiction is a work of the imagination. You don't have to argue with me on that. Regardless, that doesn't mean you should let your imagination run too wild that you begin stretching the facts.


  • Descriptions - Using Too Much and Using Too Little
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Descriptions are crucial for creating a setting in any story. Without it, your reader won't be able to gather a sense of time, place or mood - all of which are critical elements to a powerful tale.


  • How to Write an Engaging Editorial
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Tasked with writing an editorial? If you're well-versed with current events (especially the issue you need to write about), it shouldn't be too hard. Of course, if you want it to be particularly engaging, you can follow a few guidelines to make sure you do it right.


  • How to Write in an Open-Ended Style
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Nonfiction is best written with the end already clearly in mind. This is in contrast to most fiction writing, where both the plot and characters can take shape as you develop your relationships with them.


  • Finding the Hook in Your Writing
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] When you're writing songs, the hook is one of the most essential components in a songwriter's toolkit. After all, it's the part that gives the whole thing focus, communicating the essence of the idea to the listener. It's that one line of music and lyric that catches the listener's ear, holds their attention and pulls them into the song's entirety.


  • Jump-Starting Your Essay Writing
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Looking to get a jump-start on your essay assignment? If you are the type who ends up staring at an empty Word document for hours on end, these tips for jump-starting your process might work out for you:


  • How to Use Conflict in Your Writing
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Do you use conflict in your writing? If you compose a lot of fiction, you probably do. After all, conflict is the real basis of a good plot.


  • The Different Types of Figurative Language
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Figurative language, in writing, are elements that assist in making your writing more descriptive. To achieve that, it uses language that departs from the everyday use of English, allowing you to express ideas without being too literal.


  • How to Write Filler Material
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] While fillers are appropriately described as non-important items of writing, they can prove to be some of the more interesting pieces in a publication. Done right, they can serve more than plug blank space, becoming a regular fascination among your readers.


  • How to Write Winning Scholarship Essays
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Many scholarships require you to write an essay in order to fall into the running for consideration. That's why, if you're the sort of person who panics at the prospects of completing a writing assignment, your chances of winning a scholarship can be seriously diminished.


  • Writing Long - When Short and Sweet Just Don't Cut It
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] As a writer, you're constantly told to learn to trim your words. Why write an entire paragraph when the same idea can be clearly conveyed with a sentence? This focus on writing concisely, however, should not come at the expense of expressing complete facts.


  • How to Use Subordinate Clauses
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Learning about subordinate clauses isn't necessary if all you want is to put together fundamentally sound sentences that will pass an English correction software. When you're writing, though, sprinkling your work with these "dependent" elements of speech can add a level of depth and artfulness to your composition.


  • Crafting an Effective Argument by Repeating Points
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] When trying to persuade a reader, either through an opinion essay or a sales letter, it pays to harp on your main points several times over. We don't mean repeating the same sentence over and over (anyway, we doubt your writing software will let you get away with that).


  • When to Organize Your Essay With a Problem-Solution Structure
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] The Problem-Solution structure is one of my favorite ways of organizing essay. It's a beautiful dynamic. You propose a problem, you create a solution. It's a clever drama that creates issues for your readers to ponder, then summarily leads them to a valid way of resolving it.


  • Making Your Biography Interesting - Elements
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] So, you want your biography to be interesting. After carefully picking out instances in your life that are certain to draw readers' attention, the next step is to fill it with interesting elements. How do you go about it?


  • Making Your Biography Interesting - Planning
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] When producing a memoir or a biography, there are many ways to put your work together. Some of them will help you turn up a more interesting piece. Others, not so much.


  • Using White Papers For Good, Not For Evil
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Pardon the title, it's just a play on words. Regardless, there's a lot of truth to be gleaned for it. White papers, as of now, stand as among the most effective marketing publications for companies (the same way thousands of impeccably-written papers serve as grammar checking software's biggest advertisement).


  • How to Convince Your Readers by Raising Your Product's Perceived Value
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Some products sell themselves. Others can sell themselves, but only to the right customers. Most of the time, however, marketing efforts are responsible for making sure the sale happens. That's where you, as a writer, will often come in.


  • How to Set Up Shop in Your Reader's Mind
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Have you ever read a piece and felt an uncommon connection with the writer? It doesn't happen all that often. But when it does, you get a sensation that the writer is, somehow, speaking the same thoughts that are running through your head. In such situations, we can say that the writer has successfully set himself up in your mind, to the point that you can imagine them seeing the world from your own perspective.


  • The First Draft
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Drafts can feel counter-intuitive to many writers, as it's essentially bad writing followed-through from start to end. However, the first draft is an important component of an organized writer's work, providing a space to explore ideas without worrying about the technical elements of the craft.


  • Writing As Yourself
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] When you write, do you take on another persona? Do you write as if your fifth-grade English teacher somehow takes over your consciousness? Do your words sound like your favorite writer? A memorable character from a movie, perhaps?


  • Writing With a Running Theme
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Ever tried writing with a running theme aside from your main topic? It's a clever way to unify your work - one that, when done well, can get your audience glued to your words.


  • Writing For SEO - Choosing the Wrong Words
    [Internet-and-Businesses-Online:SEO] When people talk about writing with SEO in mind, they're usually referring to the act of repeating targeted keywords throughout the body of their text. In fact, I've seen many SEO writing software help in this regard, suggesting synonyms and similarly useful ideas.


  • 3 Ways to Dress Up Your Writing With Details
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Concrete details bring a different quality to your writing, turning it from words out of someone's mouth into something inherently more convincing. After all, which one would be likely to sway you - a general statement or one that builds a complete picture using plenty of specific information?


  • How to Correctly Use Numbers on Your Titles
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] When you write for the web, using numbers is one of the most effective techniques for producing attention-grabbing titles. For some reason, people are simply drawn to numbers, allowing them to serve as immediate triggers that get us to pay attention.


  • Tips and Styles in Writing Complaints Letters
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Writing a complaint letter for what you believe to be poor service or a bad product? Here are a few tips to make sure that your message gets across in the most effective way possible.


  • Three Hints That You Need a Technical Writer
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Some businesses, especially those who consider themselves small, try to make do without a technical writer. While some organizations can afford not to have them, technical writers are actually necessary to a handful of enterprises. Here are some of the situations and importance why you should need a technical writer to help out your business...


  • How to Write Product Reviews For the Web
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Before buying a product, most people go online to find reviews. Many sites allow direct consumers to write reviews for items they've bought, while others employ professionals to publish commissioned pieces in the form of detailed valuations. If you're going to write product reviews, whether as a professional or as a direct consumer, here are a few things you will want to consider before starting: Clearly identify your readers.


  • Wikipedia and Writing Original Ideas
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] If you want to get good examples of objective, pure research, try Wikipedia. Being an encyclopedia that depends on factual, verifiable information, it's the one place online where "embellishment" isn't on the agenda.


  • Business Communication That Works
    [Business:Workplace-Communication] According to some research, majority of professions will require you to spend as much as 20% of your productive time writing. Depending on your job description, this can go as high as 50%, in some cases.


  • How to Perform Solid Research
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] If you produce any considerable amount of writing, you'd know the importance of having reliable references. From up-to-date style guides to accurate reference books to finely-tuned writing software, those sources of information can help shape the overall message that your writing delivers.


  • How to Write a Tag Line
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Everyone enjoys writing tag lines - even non-writers. Of course, it doesn't mean majority of us are any good at it.


  • Using the News As Press Release
    [Business:PR] It's a well-known marketing sleight-of-hand. Yet, few do it so well. We're talking about news about your business packaged as a press release, so that the media may have something to discuss that has your company name prominently featured.


  • How to Use the Passive Voice Correctly
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Books upon books of writing advice and semester after semester of writing class have taught most of us one thing about the passive voice: always replace them with the active form whenever possible. It's for good reason, too.


  • How to Revise Intelligently
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Never turn in a piece without editing it. It's been said many times, many ways and it remains just as true. If you find the whole process too much work, try being smart about it. It won't just save you time, it should help you accomplish things much faster.


  • Using Descriptive Techniques When Writing Interviews
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] While interviews are largely concerned with "digging" into the subject's mind, descriptive techniques are one of the best ways to enhance the way it eventually reads. Done well, it becomes a major asset for your piece (the same way as a practical writing software) - one that's not necessarily sourced from the subject's mouth.


  • How to Write For Nitpicking Readers
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Do your readers like to nitpick? I can relate. I used to run a blog where commenters would jump on every single mistake. In fact, that's where I learned to appreciate the value of a quality writing software.


  • How to Use Colorful Writing in Features
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Some types of writing require setting a scene as its most important component. Even nonfiction. While we usually think of features as avenues for information and facts, color writing can end up being the one technique that makes it completely effective.


  • How to Identify Effective Subjects For Human Interest Pieces
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Writing a human interest piece? Unlike most regular non-fiction work, the primary component for these types of writing is the human element.


  • Using Figurative Language in Your Writing
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Want to leave a lasting image in your readers' minds? You may want to go beyond concrete words in your writing, using figurative language that adds some literary elements to your work.


  • Repetition - A Bane and a Boon
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Some writing teachers like to expound on the value of repetition. Repeating ideas and keywords, after all, is one of way of ensuring your reader never forgets about them.


  • How to Eliminate Wordiness
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Has anyone ever told you that your writing tends to fall on the wordy side? If you've been accused of excessive wordiness, you may want to consider a few strategies to help leave your writing more concise, apart from using a working grammar software.


  • How to Hit Your Target Word Counts Every Time
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Whatever kind of material you are writing, keeping within the required word counts are an important aspect of the whole process. There are different reasons for requiring particular lengths, of course, with your own reason depending largely on the kind of text you are putting together.


  • Forget About Typing Speed, Here's How to Write Faster
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Want to write faster? Forget about typing like a transcription expert. The gains you will realize from that aren't all that huge, unless you can come up with ideas at the same rate as the recorded voices can recite them.


  • Setting Writing Goals
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Do you set goals when you write? You really should. After all, it's difficult to hit a mark when there's nothing to aim for. It's true for any endeavor and, whether you like it or not, it holds for writing too.


  • What Reviews Are Supposed to Accomplish
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Writing a review? While you can sit down, scream "It sucks," run your proofreading software and be done with it, good reviews actually take a little more work than that. Most professionals agree that reviews should serve a number of functions in order to be of any real value to those reading them.


  • The Value of Developing Your Writing Skills
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Many people are born with writing talent. However, few are able to develop it enough to get to a level where they can make a living as professionals.


  • How to Write Productively
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] I was reading a business article today, where the author rattled off productivity tips for small entrepreneurs. For some reason, I kept relating the guidelines to writing.


  • How to Use Titles of Officials and Their Offices in Your Writing
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Different writers (not to mention publications) tend to write out titles in different ways. That's because it's largely a function of style, rather than hard and fast rules of grammar.


  • How to Avoid Plagiarism
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Plagiarism, especially those in the online realm, is now incredibly easy to catch. With plenty of tools that can spot copied, purposed or cooped text, attempting to plagiarize other people's material can be an exercise in nothing but getting caught red-handed.


  • Achieving Better Writing Through Software Tools
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] It does not matter how good you are, your first drafts still suck. Consistently good writing, in reality, is a function of competent proofreading and editing. That means plenty of time working on polish.


  • Avoiding Vague Antecedents When Using "As Such"
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Sentences containing the phrase "as such" are frequent sites of unclear writing. For some reason, the structure created when employing the phrase is very prone to vague antecedents (i.e. the specific noun that a pronoun refers to).


  • Parts and Wholes of a Sentence
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] While some people treat sentences as a singular aspect of speech, they are really made up of numerous parts. Each of those individual components can mean an entirely different thing when taken out of the context of the entire statement.


  • How to Use Colons
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Colons aren't frequently abused as a punctuation, not like commas or exclamation points typically are. With that said, some situations will call for plugging them into your text and it's best you know the rules before going to work


  • Your Essay - What Each Part Does
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] When you write an essay, do you really know what each part is supposed to do (other than demonstrate impeccable writing, thanks to your English composition software)? After all, if you're not clear about what it's supposed to accomplish, how can you be sure you are doing it right?


  • How to Make Your User Manuals More Searchable
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] User manuals and technical documents are among the most difficult materials to write. Not only should they express complex technical concepts in simple terms, they should also make it easy for users to find what they're looking for.


  • Editing - Preserving the Writer's Voice
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] When you edit your own work, you pretty much have the free reign to do whatever you want with the copy. Chop it up in parts? No problem. Rewrite an entire section? Sure. Steal its soul and pull its guts out?


  • How to Write a Short Causal Essay
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Causal essays are frequent requirements for class essays. For a good reason, too, since cause-and-effect relationships are an important aspect of being able to reason logically.


  • Blogging - It's How You Approach It
    [Internet-and-Businesses-Online:Blogging] If you're going to start a blog, you're going to have to write (unless you're video-blogging, of course). Majority of folks, though, will be keeping blogs in written form and there are three major approaches you can take.


  • Appropriate Paragraph Lengths
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] How long should your paragraphs be? There's no specific rule for that, but following certain guidelines should ensure that you're able to produce ones that both read well and are appropriate for your readers. Pieces of writing filled with long paragraphs are usually hard on the eye.


  • How to Write Simply
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Write simply. That's sage advice for anyone struggling with the written word. Forget techniques and crafty tools. Sticking to the basics and writing simply can help you come up with some of your best work.


  • The Two Roles of Writing in Business
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Writing, depending on context, can play many different roles. In school, it's usually a way to demonstrate knowledge. In magazines and various commercial publications, it can be used to bring light to certain issues.


  • Good Reason - How to Make Sure You Write It
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] When working to back up your thesis, you usually need to explain why you make the conclusions that you do. Your reasons are the key to the veracity of your work, whether they be verifiable facts or sound opinions.


  • How to Format a Short Story For Submission
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Submitting a short story for publication? The first thing you should do is check the submission requirements from the publisher themselves.


  • Evasive Writing and Straight Talk
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] A lot of the writing you can find around is evasive and indirect. That is because the approach - coupled with good writing instruments - can prove seductive.


  • Deductive and Inductive Paragraph Organization
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Ever gave any thought to paragraph organization? Most people don't. Regardless, your paragraphs will need to feature an organization format, lest you end up with a string of words that barely make sense (with the help of a decent grammar correction software, of course).


  • How to Write Informational Pieces
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] When writing informational material for a specific audience, it's highly-recommended that you take into account your readers' particular habits and attitudes. This usually entails endowing your material with very specific characteristics.


  • How to Use Commas and Semicolons
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Still struggling with the use of commas and semicolons? Some people really just never catch on, even after reading through the guidelines over and over. If you count yourself among those who continually have a hard time with these two punctuations, here's an idea...


  • Computer Tips For Writers
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Sure, everyone uses a computer to write now. Despite that, many writers remain technologically-challenged, knowing next to nothing about the technology that helps them get their work done. While you don't need a technical diploma to be able to work your machine properly, it does pay to know a few basic things that can make your job easier.


  • How to Produce Web Copy That's Better Than Your Average Drivel
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Online copy always sucks. That's not really true (for the sake of my self-esteem, I hope so). However, rules (not to mention, expectations) are usually more relaxed when it comes to web-published writing compared to their print counterparts.


  • Writing to Beat a Deadline
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] You were planning to finish your essay over the last few days, but something always ended up taking all your time. It's now barely an hour till the deadline and you're just about to start writing. It's time to pull all the punches and begin writing like a madman.


  • How to Use Commas in Compound and Complex Sentences
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Back in school, I've been chastised by professors for being too generous with the use of commas. I've tempered it to some degree, but continue to find the activity a bit challenging.


  • Better Writing Productivity
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Need to be more productive? With the constant stream of distraction we're regularly subjected to, it's not unusual to find yourself affected, even when it's time to work. These tried-and-tested tips should be a good starting point for writers looking to get more done in the time (however small) they may have.


  • Editing Your Paper For the Heavy-Duty Stuff
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Editing for grammar and adherence to most standards can now be covered by a full-featured writing software. As such, you can eliminate those repetitive activities from your task list, focusing your attention on more involved items, such as organization, structure, style and flow.


  • Creative Briefs - Who Needs Them?
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] For writing projects, creative briefs contain the necessary steps towards putting together a piece of work, from the research necessary to the basic schedule to the deadlines of each phase of the creative process. Done well, it's a good way of galvanizing your thoughts and focusing your work into a singular direction. All these, of course, should happen at the early stage of the process, long before you even draft a single word or warm up your creative writing software.


  • Writing With Specifics
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] How do you demonstrate expertise in your subject? Be specific. More than asserting the writer's authority, though, talking in details allows you to present a clearer, more precise picture, making it easier for your readers to accept your assertions.


  • How to Use the First Person Pronoun in Your Writing
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Writing scenes in the first person can be tricky. In fact, I've seen seasoned writers run across problems when doing them. The challenge often has to do with the frequent self-reference - using "I" just seems so natural on a first-person piece that it can end up making the text sound awkward.


  • The Two Kinds of Outlines
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Do you outline? Some writers I know can't live without outlining, while some restrict its use to larger, more complex writing tasks. I belong with the former group, as outlining has proven to be an indispensable task (as much as my English writing software, actually) when it comes to helping me work in a fast and organized manner.


  • Superfluous Phrases and False Authority
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Like to make yourself sound smarter on essays and other pieces of writing? While I can appreciate that, there's a right way and a wrong way of going about it. What's the right way? Do solid research, fill your work with specific details and you're guaranteed to come off smart. Not only that, you'll likely end up informing your reader in a complete and well-rounded manner


  • Using a Style Guide
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Many students I know who regularly write papers for class have never heard of a style guide. It's the same way for many bloggers I've met. The question I always get is, "What is it for?" In a nutshell, a style guide is all about fostering consistency. How should acronyms be written, with periods or without? Should we add the full unabbreviated name in parentheses every time or leave it as is? Should we write e-mail or email? The answer to these questions are usually found in whatever style guide you are using.


  • How to Write Entries For Wikipedia
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Neutrality is at the heart of most writing in Wikipedia, requiring that each article adequately represent all significant points of view about the subject, with all information included properly cited from published reliable sources. That means no primping up a subject based on conjecture and hearsay - no matter how strongly you believe it.


  • Writing Problems - Self-Consciousness
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Do you feel self-conscious when you write? You're not alone. Many beginning and inexperienced writers fall prey to this trap, ending up preoccupied with "thinking about" the job at hand, rather than actually working on it. When you suffer from this malady, you will likely end up having trouble getting started. It's the classic paralysis of analysis situation, where the excessive amount of thought ends up stifling any effort towards actually getting any work done.


  • How to Use an Emotional Hook
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] An emotional hook is one of the easiest ways to infuse your writing with emotional power. Using this instrument, you can involve the reader's heart just as much as a thought-provoking piece can engage the mind. Unforgettable passages, surprising turns and jarring dialogue are all examples of writing that can overwhelm the reader with emotion. Done enough times throughout the work, you can keep them engaged and focused on the text, eagerly awaiting what comes next.


  • How to Write About an Uninteresting Subject
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] A good piece of writing will need to capture the reader's interest. Before it does that, though, it will need to capture someone else's interest first: yours. After all, if it doesn't hold your interest, how are you going to make it any engaging for your readers?


  • Danger Points - Three Areas of Writing You Should Always Check
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] You've put together your first draft and run it through a copywriting software. After the automated corrections have been performed, it's only prudent to give it a run-over to see what else needs extra polish.


  • Editing Your Essay For Writing Organization
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Every well-written essay features ideas that flow in a logical manner. If it doesn't, any argument or point you attempt to make will prove extremely difficult for the reader to follow. By now, you should be familiar, in some way, to the seven organizing principles that you can apply in your writing.


  • Freewriting - How to Do it Right
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] We've talked about the value of freewriting before. As an exercise to overcome writer's block and get you in the right mindset, it's one of the few pre-writing activities that work for almost everyone who's tried it. That effectiveness, of course, usually hinges on how well you can stick to these guidelines, which ensures you benefit the most from the writing exercise.


  • What Does My Essay Instruction Mean?
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] You've received your next set of essay instructions for class. As you probably know, a large part of your overall performance with the work will hinge on how well you are able to understand it (probably more than the quality of your writing). Failure to follow guidelines is one of the most cardinal mistakes you can commit. Like failing to properly proofread or use a writing correction software, it is one that will likely leave you with a bad score.


  • How to Structure Your Articles
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing-Articles] When composing a feature article, there are always a multitude of ways that you can arrange your presentation. Depending on the subject and the type of piece, some of these approaches will communicate your subject better than others.


  • Turning a Broad Topic Into a Targeted Question
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Turning a topic into a thesis can be arrived at in various ways. One of the most reliable is restating it in the form of a question. Why a question? A question works so well because it gives you an immediate target to aim for. Answering that question will the essay's main goal, no more and no less. Rather than flirt with all sorts of supporting statements at every paragraph, testing which one works for the topic at hand, your sights are immediately narrowed down to an issue that must be addressed.


  • How to Write Leads For Feature Articles
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] A strong lead is crucial to a well-written feature. When you turn that page to a specific title, the way the it leads usually determines the mood of the article, apart from introducing the subject to the reader.


  • Writing Personality Profiles - A Few Tips
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Writing a personality profile? Here a few tips to ensure that you present the subject in a complete, interesting and engaging light.


  • Finding Writing Ideas From Other Written Works
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] When seeking out writing ideas, it's perfectly acceptable to draw inspiration from other people's work. Checking out what other writers have done and using them to find possible material is actually a great way of finding new stuff to write about.


  • How to Perform a Soft Edit
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] For longer pieces, such as booklets and multi-page reports, light editing might be necessary throughout various phases in the writing composition. Sure, you can perform a full edit once you've completed the entirety of the piece, but a soft edit should let you clean up what you have in the meantime.


  • Using Writing Tools For Online Content
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Article-Marketing] Writing online can be just like writing for traditional media. You're still bound by the same conventions, grammatical structures and instruments of effects. Those people saying that the informal nature of the web should allow you to get away with murdering the English language? Don't buy it a second. Just like in print, poor writing on the web gets you poor results.


  • Five Things That Can Get the Writing Gears in Motion
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Everybody comes to a point when the words just won't flow. It's writer's block. You're stuck and you can't get out. You can approach getting over it in many different ways. Here are a few I particularly favor.


  • How to Shape Your Ideas For Writing
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Sure, you've got a cool idea. Building that into a story that you can turn into an engaging piece, however, should take a little more effort (certainly, more than what you'll need to use a convenient grammar software). Generally, a simple (or complex, depending on how you work) brainstorming session that looks to expand that idea into a compelling concept should do the trick.


  • Breaking Web-Based Writing Conventions
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Article-Marketing] When writing for the web, short and simple has long been the order of the day. Short sentences, quick paragraphs, plenty of white space and bullet item points are what you should be using to communicate your ideas to online readers, as standard guidelines go.


  • How to Write With Style and Flair - To Many of Us Writing With Style Sounds Like a Scary Proposition
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] To many of us, writing with style sounds like a scary proposition. In truth, "style" merely refers to the act of putting a little personality into your text, something that can easily be accomplished by distancing yourself a little from the formal conventions of writing.


  • How to Use PIE For Your Paragraph Development
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Ever heard of using PIE in paragraph development? We don't mean eating a slice. Instead, we're referring to the acronym used to refer to the process of "Point, Illustration and Explanation," which you can use to properly address all the details of a particular topic.


  • How to Write In-Text Citations
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Tasked to craft your piece in an MLA writing style, you'll need to use parenthetical citations, a scary-sounding term for what's largely a simple way of referencing source documents. What does it really mean?


  • Your Paragraphs - Unity, Flow and a Good Writing Software
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] A paragraph needs to see ideas flow from one sentence to another, both in essence and in form. This "flow" gives the paragraph unity, a state of harmony that makes it easy to follow the writer's train of thought.


  • How to Write a Letter to Someone You Want to Use As Reference
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] One way to raise your chances of getting a job is to supplement your application with a number of references, particularly those from individuals who may be deemed qualified to put in a good word in your favor. These people will be listed in your reference sheet, a compilation of contacts that potential employers can call to verify some of the information you provide in your application.


  • How to Make Sure Your Business Proposals Are Written With Solid Fundamentals
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Business proposals can take various formats and layouts, depending on the nature of the project and other factors. Regardless, there are several things you can do to ensure that any such document you produce are made the best way possible.


  • Typo Errors of the Not-So-Easy-To-Catch Variety
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Misspelling words is not uncommon for anyone doing any writing work. In fact, you had have to be a serious freak of sorts if you can pen an entire thousand words of copy without committing a single wrong spelling.


  • Perfect Writing is Imperfect
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] The need to write perfectly is one of the biggest sticking points for many writers I know. While the desire to produce flawless work is well-meaning, its results are usually disastrous.


  • Diagnose, Analyze and Revise - Editing For a More Cohesive Piece
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Looking for a method to follow when you're editing for cohesion? If you haven't developed your own system yet, you can experiment with the tried-and-tested Diagnose-Analyze-Revise process.


  • How to Deliver Bad News
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Nobody wants to bearer of bad news. However, it's not too far-fetched to imagine that you will need to do so at some point.


  • How to Write a Division Essay
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Comparison essays are used to draw the differences between two categories of items. When you have three or more types of items to contrast against each other, it turns into a division essay, which details the differences and delineations among them.


  • Writing Software Helps You Maximize Your Hard Work
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] "I have impeccable English and a great eye for detail. Plus, I work hard and put in as much effort as possible. What would I need a writing software for?"


  • Five Effective Ways to Introduce Your Essay
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Struggling with your essay's introduction? Check out five of my favorite styles for writing an introduction and see if any particular one strikes your fancy. Make sure to run your piece through a writing software before submitting it, of course, so that none of your hard work ends up going to waste.


  • How to Write White Papers
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Copywriting] White papers have evolved into a popular marketing tool for many businesses. Typically used for advocating a particular solution to specific problems, they are great sources of information to detail what a company can do for potential customers.


  • How to Deal With Confusing Words
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] There are many words in the English language that serve to confuse us, especially those that we use interchangeably, but really shouldn't. In fact, I've probably seen a thousand and one articles detailing these perplexing word pairs.


  • Book Reports Versus Book Reviews
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] What's the difference between a book report and a book review? While those two things may sound the same, they are actually very, very different.


  • How to Write Academic Cover Letters
    [Business:Resumes-Cover-Letters] As the source of the first strong impression you will make to a college or university you're looking to serve under, getting your cover letter right is an important undertaking. Such documents for academic positions share many similarities with general ones used for commercial job positions. However, it also departs from it on a number of points.


  • Three Things to Avoid For More Concise Writing
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Want to write more concisely? Let me warn you now: it's not easy.


  • How to Use Appropriate Language in Your Writing
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Many of us spend the bulk of our time striving for clear and error-free copy with the use of an English writing software. Unfortunately, this focus on "correctness" often leads to ignoring other areas of your writing, particularly those that has to do with the way the language is being used.


  • How to Lie, Mislead and Deceive in Your Writing
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Generally, you are advised to refrain from telling lies, especially in a form where the fib will be recorded, such as a written piece. Sometimes, though, a falsehood is all you really have to write about, so it will have to do.


  • Editing Copy - Working With Guidelines
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] You can edit using one of many approaches, some working better than others depending on your particular strengths. My personal preference is editing assertively using a proofreading software, with a decisive resolve to enforce strict guidelines.


  • Using Adverbs Correctly
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Many writing guides deride the use of adverbs, advising against their use almost unequivocally (even if the best grammar software approves their inclusion). While I do agree that adverbs are problematic to some extent, they are effective when employed in the right context. However, it's the challenge of identifying these proper situations that lead to people avoiding them entirely.


  • Unforgettable Short Pieces
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Many people think that effective writing needs to be long. That couldn't be further from the truth. In fact, some of the most amazing writing I've comes across are short pieces that are simply unforgettable. Want the most poignant example? The Gettysburg Address is made up of all but 272 words, yet it's the most quoted speech in the history of the United States.


  • Writing Transitions For Continuity and Logical Progression
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Some people nowadays have studied writing in some form and have come across the concept of transitions. Yet, every day, I read professional articles, business emails and other types of writing where such paragraph connectors are left out.


  • How to Write Your First Line
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] How much attention do you pay to the first line of your work? Do you obsess over trying to get it right? Or do you just dive in with the first sentence that comes into mind?


  • Writing the End First
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] A lot of writers I know find the first paragraph the most difficult. While there are dozens of proposed solutions for getting over this sticking point, there is one in particular that I've seen work wonders many times.


  • How to Report News
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] When reporting news or current events, here are a few things to keep in mind. Your lead should be straight, powerful and to the point.


  • Social Media, Press Releases and Being Ignored
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Copywriting] Want to drive social media's attention towards a promotion you're running? As with traditional media, press releases are an excellent way to get the social gears running.


  • Organized Writing - The Five Boxes Method
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] An organized structure (along with a good writing software) leads to an easier time during the writing process. Problem is, some of us just don't have the chops to work in an orderly and efficient manner. For many writers I know, flying by the seat of the pants is a default - one, in which, they struggle like a fish caught in a net to ever get over.


  • Narrowing the Focus of Your Writing
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] You always hear people talk about narrowing your writing's focus to a single idea. Maybe, you actually listened to this good advice. However, I do have a nagging feeling that you instead chose to ignore it.


  • How to Write Press Releases That Don't Sound Like Sales Pitches
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] We already know that traditional press releases don't work all that well when trying to get the attention of social media. In fact, we'd go so far as to suggest you abandon that whole medium altogether. Instead of going that route, trying getting word of your new product, service or event out using less-traditional approach.


  • Choosing Newsworthy Subjects to Write About
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Ever wondered how newspapers choose which current events to write about? It can get confusing sometimes, especially for those not involved with such publications directly.


  • Write More - The Easy Fix to Poor Writing Skills
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Some people think that the key to success in developing excellent writing skills is to fashion each piece diligently. Tweak it, fix it and rework it till it's perfect. After all, that is how you learn many things, from shooting a free throw to driving a car.


  • How to Make the Words Flow
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Having a problem getting the right words to flow? Check out these three techniques that has worked for spurring the writing juices to flow for many of us.


  • How to Practice Writing by Doing Personal Essays
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Personal essays are a good medium to practice your writing on. Since it involves picking out topics that you are interested in (rather than ones you have to do only because the piece requires it), you can focus all your efforts on formulating your ideas and supporting arguments, along with putting together a clear and concise piece.


  • Writing Memoirs
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Memoirs are similar to personal essays, except they usually focus on "grander" life events. A diary entry about your day in school may qualify as a personal piece; it will not really make the grade as a memoir item, though.


  • Qualities of an Effective Abstract
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Your report is done. The hard part is over. You just need to tie up the loose ends. The abstract, a short, condensed version of the work, is a big part of it.


  • How to Send a Cold Email
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Want to send a business email to someone you haven't met before? Just like running cold calls, there are some extra precautions you will need to take when contacting prospects.


  • Formats and Fonts For Business Letters
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Want your business letters to be taken seriously? Do it on your end first. If you're serious about it, there's a good chance those receiving your letters will reciprocate.


  • When to Use Long Resumes
    [Business:Resumes-Cover-Letters] Generally, career advisors will tell you to write one page resumes. It makes sense, too. The longer that resume is, the more time personnel will have to be spend sorting through it (even if you did use a writing software to fix up the quality). If you end up competing for a highly-contested position, there's a good likelihood that your resume will be passed over because it's too difficult to read.


  • Quick Editing Checklist For Class Essays
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Writing an essay for class? A perfect essay may seldom be attainable, but you can put in some proofing and editing work, along with the usual fix-ups from a grammar software, that will get your grade up at least a couple of notches.


  • How to Write an Office Memo
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Memos circulated around the office typically do two things: they either bring attention to an issue or they solve them. Sometimes, they do both.


  • How to Spur Your Readers Into Action
    [Business:Sales] In any sales situation, the closer is always the most crucial part. This is very true with sales letters, in particular, as all the work you've put in preparing the prospect for the pitch will be put to waste if you fail to spur them into action.


  • How to Write Technical Materials For Your Audience
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Technical-Writing] Writing for an audience sucks. That's because you'll always have to put their reaction to your material as a first consideration.


  • How to Structure a Human Interest Piece
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] There are many ways of organizing a piece of writing, even human interest features. Generally, though, these types of material work best when arranged using one of three main types of structure. Want to know what those three are?


  • Using Little Details to Clarify Your Feature
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Writing a good article depends as much on your information as it does on your writing ability. Sure, spotless text propped up by writing correction software is important. However, it also requires communicating the details that readers will actually care about.


  • Major Benefits of Writing an Outline
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Do you map out an outline before beginning with the writing process? We have extolled on the virtues of this activity many times in the past. If you've been unconvinced, we've compiled here a list of what we believe to be the most relevant benefits of outlining for writers of all shapes and sizes, whether you're a novice or a seasoned pro.


  • How to Ask Questions to Arm Yourself With Complete Information
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] To arrive at a complete story during your research, you have to ask the right questions. For a complete picture, all five W's must be accounted for - what, who, where, when and why. Some subjects will even require a sixth question, the "how". If you're doing research papers, news pieces and other types of non-personal writing (i.e. focus is on subject, rather than your thoughts on it), asking the standard questions is as basic as the process gets.


  • How to Write in a Simple and Straightforward Manner
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Simple and straightforward - that's how all the best writing usually is. Sure, you can dress it up with style and flair, but it needs to foster those two characteristics at the core. Any type of writing, from class essays to magazine articles to online posts, should be simple to read and easy to understand. At least, that's how it should be if you want the reader to take the most that they can from it. Here are a few ways to ensure that happens.


  • Everyone's Got a Writing Style
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] All forms of writing has style. Of course, yours may be disorganized and terrible, but it's a particular character, nonetheless. If you're unsure what the concept of style means, think about you personal appearance. Your haircut, your manner of dress, your personality quirks and behaviors define your "style." In much the same way, all works of writing bear such distinguishing characteristics. Rather than clothes and actions, though, it's usually marked by things such as your choice of words, your organizational structure and your use of writing instruments.


  • How to Write Impromptu Essays During Exams
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Anyone who is gone to school (practically everyone) have likely had experience answering essay questions during exams. Unlike regular essays, you usually have to write it on the spot, where you don not get to enjoy the benefits of drawn-out research, a good grammar software and plenty of time to compose your work.


  • How to Make New Information Clear Using the Big Picture
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] When writing, clarity is everything. That's why we encourage the use of English writing software, in the first place. Every sentence should make sense, both on its own and as a part of the whole text. This becomes a bit tricky when presenting information that's difficult to comprehend, such as a new information that your readers may find hard to grasp.


  • Common Categories of Transitional Devices
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] As we've reiterated many times before, transitions are a necessary component when looking to improve the quality of your writing. Facilitating a logical progression from one paragraph to another, they make your text convenient to read and easy to follow.


  • How to Switch From Being Writer-Centered to Being Reader-Centered During the Revision Process
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] After all the well-meaning advice to picture the reader in your mind as you're writing, many of us still end up putting down words down geared towards pleasing us instead of our audience. If you've partaken in the same habit, don't worry, you're not alone. Some people just work more efficiently that way.


  • Book Proposals - What You Should Include
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Writing a book proposal? For the most part, putting one together works much like other similar documents you've written before, such as those for work or academic projects.


  • How to Write Powerful Thesis Statements
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Persuasive pieces always begin with a thesis statement. This statement will be the main claim of your essay, the very position you'll be fashioning an entire material's worth of arguments for.


  • Using the Correct Verbs in Business Writing
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] In business writing, verbs are more crucial than you might imagine. Choosing the right one can save decision-makers plenty of time, as they clarify your meaning in a more succinct way.


  • How to Organize Your Writing For Maximum Effect
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Organizing your writing involves arranging your words such that the idea you're imparting arrives clear and complete in your reader's mind. More than fashioning text that's readable (a grammar software is all you really need for that end), it allows you to present those ideas in a manner that's persuasive.


  • When to Start a New Paragraph
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Paragraphs are a basic component of any written document. Can you imagine reading through a piece of text that doesn't contain any paragraphs? It's like hell on paper - one blob of absolutely unreadable mess.


  • Revision - Nobody Likes It, But it Has to Be Done
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Sometimes, you finish a piece, read through it and just feel underwhelmed. Even after your English writing software gives you two thumbs up, declaring the material error-free, you sometimes just get the feeling that the writing is not good enough.


  • The Ever-Improving Writer
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Writing skills, much like any capability, is properly honed the more that you use it. If you want to keep improving as a writer, you have to integrate various activities into your everyday life and turn them into habits.


  • Skill Set Requirements For Technology Writers
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Anyone can write a haphazard technology piece. If you want to do it right and produce professional material, though, you'll need to hone a very specific set of skills.


  • Medical Journalism 101
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Interested in medical journalism? The first thing you must understand is that it's a different beast altogether from your regular workaday writing chores.


  • Company Newsletters - What Goes in There?
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Planning the company newsletter? If you've never had experience putting together one before, you may be wondering what kind of information you will need to put in there.


  • How to Insert Humor Into Your Writing
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Unless you're specifically working on a lighthearted piece, adding humor into your writing may not always be appropriate. If you do identify instances where it makes sense to infuse the copy with situations and speech that carry some amount of indulgent wit, the following should offer a workable list of potential writing instruments you could employ.


  • How to Write Your Summary Correctly
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] After you have done all the pre-writing work, as we have outlined a few days ago, you should be ready to begin writing your summary. Pull out your notes or annotated document, whichever you prefer to work with, and sit down to begin the task.


  • How to Read Your Writing Assignments
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] When you are in school, understanding the instructions of your is sometimes half the battle. Since every teacher provides their assignment instructions differently, confusion isn't something new. Often, it is this very problem that leads students to begin their writing assignments in the wrong path, having to back up and redo their work later.


  • How to Analyze Passages in Your Text
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] When writing a reaction to a piece of written work, such as a book or a short story, one commonly-employed technique is to analyze passages lifted directly from the text. Instead of simply dropping quotations and paraphrasing statements, analyzing their significance can clear up many questions in the minds of your readers.


  • Edit As You Read, Not As You Write
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Editing your text while you write is perfectly possible. However, being able to do one thing doesn't mean it's what you should be doing.


  • A Brief Guide to Modern Workplace Writing
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Workplace writing traditionally depends on forms and templates. From resumes to cover letters to proposals to reports, composing documents for business purposes generally depend on strict formats, where the focus lies in reproducing familiar structures.


  • How to Edit a Narrative
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Editing a narrative, while similar to the work you put in on other pieces of text, will require you to do some things differently. Since it's pushed by characters and events, as opposed to ideas, reworking it to produce results often involve things you may not even bother with when editing materials like essays or reports.


  • How to Write Micro-Fiction For Fun and Practice
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] If you've been looking to hone your writing chops (not to mention, your imagination), composing micro-fiction is often a good exercise. These "short" short stories offer a great avenue for practicing narrative writing, apart from improving your ability to fashion words cohesively.


  • How to Proofread a Biography
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Proofreading a biography? It's not all that different from proofing and editing regular pieces, with a few choice details thrown in.


  • How to Write Your Business Letters in a Positive Tone
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] In business, we're always told to keep our writing professional. Whether it's an email, a proposal or a report, your text has to reflect your level of business polish. In the rush to fashion writing that reflects a competent tone, we often forget about another important aspect of business writing: keeping it positive.


  • Persuasive Writing - Employing Repetition and Consistency to Your Advantage
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Persuasive writing is a difficult task for many. Coaxing readers to consider your point of view, after all, isn't the easiest thing, especially if their position on the matter is to the contrary in the first place. No amount of grammar software checking can save you here -- you'll have to fashion a piece that argues its case well.


  • Proofreading and Editing - What's the Difference?
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Some people use proofreading and editing almost interchangeably. It couldn't be more wrong. While both terms refer to a post-writing process, they usually denote very different things.


  • The Value of Becoming a Better Critic
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Writing critiques is a beneficial activity for all parties concerned. For the writers whose texts are being turned over, receiving a helpful and detailed review allows them to get pointed feedback for a piece.


  • Preparing to Write a Summary
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Summaries, on the surface, seem easy to write. All the thinking, research and presentation has already been done for you. All you need to do now is take the best parts and present it in a more concise manner.


  • What a Technical Writer Needs
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Fancy being a technical writer? The following is a list of the skills that all technical writers need.


  • Mixed Metaphors Can Lead to Confusing Writing
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Mixed metaphors seem to be a recurring problem for some writers. While there is great value in using metaphors to add color to a piece, some people tend to rely on them too much. The result are sentences laden with multiple metaphors, some of which end up conflicting with each other.


  • How to Provide Context When Writing
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] All types of writing require context. That's why we write titles, headlines, abstracts, introductions and summaries. Unfortunately, few writers are experienced enough to recognize that context goes beyond a mere lead-in to the meat of the text. Providing a good context actually involves filling in all possible blanks in the reader's mind.


  • Trusting Feedback From Your Readers
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] There are two things all writers can do, regardless of skill level, to keep improving. We've harped on and on about one of them in these pages and have barely talked about the other.


  • Writing Techniques That Aid in Keeping Your Writing Cohesive
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Cohesion is a crucial part of any piece of writing. Without it, the reader will detect a lack of unity in the whole piece, potentially even losing sight of its major ideas.


  • Three Editing Tips For Common Writing Errors
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Still too stubborn to use an English grammar software? Here are three effective techniques you can employ during the editing process to help fix common writing sticking points.


  • How to Write Friendly Emails
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] Emails, being bereft of many important aspects of communication, can pave the way to plenty of misunderstandings. As such, it's important to treat this form of electronic correspondence with utmost care to avoid coming across in a less-than-desirable manner.


  • How to Keep Your Writing Short
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] The writing economy is crucial for many applications. In emails, for instance, would you really read anything that went over three paragraphs on a busy day? Most likely, you'll file it somewhere for later reading - sometimes, eventually forgetting all about it.


  • How to Get an "A" on Your Research Paper
    [Writing-and-Speaking:Writing] There are no shortcuts to getting the highest possible mark on your research paper. Like any diligent student, you'll have to work for it.


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