Posted in: professional writing

Posted Feb. 6, 2018 Here’s a hard truth: even very smart people – those who are expert and accomplished in their respective fields – can struggle to write well. That’s because writing deficiencies, particularly in business environments, are rarely about knowledgeability or talent. Rather, writing demands a set of specialized skills that most people never formally develop. According to Josh...
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Posted Jan. 16, 2018 If you’ve taken a writing course, you know that good writing involves many different skills and principles that must be learned, practiced, and exercised. Taken a step further, really good writing will even incorporate an understanding of human psychology. In fact, aspects of human psychology can profoundly impact how your readers receive and react to your writing. Here are three examples...
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Some years ago, a company with a new odor-eliminating spray was trying to launch its product but not having much luck. The marketing campaign was great, as it showed people defeating unpleasant odors around their homes, but no one was buying. Then the company discovered something strange: people didn't think they needed an odor control spray because they had become acclimated to the odors of their own home! Those...
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It's fascinating, isn't it, that we so often rail against the decline of the English language; while many of us would certainly agree that the advent of texting and other language "shortcuts" has resulted in our inability to clearly relay our thoughts, this kind of lament has been going on for decades. In 1946, George Orwell (yes, he of Animal Farm fame) wrote the essay "Politics and the English...
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The myth that writing is a skill that one is either "born with" or not is inherently false. Writing can be taught; more to the point, how to write effectively can be taught. One reason that many professionals don't write well is that they simply lack the necessary tools. For instance, many workplace professionals use one or two "strategies" (outlining is a common one) when writing, even if those...
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