Posted Oct. 12, 2021
Punctuation seems so simple and obvious that it can be surprising how many controversies surround it.
But first, let’s specify what we’re talking about. Merriam-Webster defines punctuation as “standardized marks or signs in written matter to clarify the meaning and separate structural units.” In other words, punctuation is a sort of textual “markup” that...
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Posted in: writing courses
Posted Feb. 19, 2019
Far too many communications try to do far too much: cover too many subjects, go into too much depth, include too much information. It's usually an earnest and well-intentioned attempt to be comprehensive or thorough, but it ends up leaving the audience overwhelmed, confused, and uncertain. It's better to keep communications as sharply focused as possible. But how do you do that? Here are...
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Posted Nov. 26, 2018
If you struggle to produce effective writing, it may be because you're falling into some subtle language traps.
On the surface, language traps refer to words or phrases whose meaning isn't clear to readers and, worse, can potentially mislead them into thinking you mean something you don’t.
This is particularly true of jargon. For example, in one of our classes working with...
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Posted June 26, 2018
Every writer should have an idea of their readers in mind when they work. In sales and marketing, writers will even construct “buyer personas” that represent their target customers and can include incredibly detailed information, including socio-economic status, demographics like age and gender, typical hobbies and interests, buying preferences, and more. The writers then use this information...
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Posted June 5, 2018
Most business writing projects are extremely important to do well and get right. Whether it’s a report for stakeholders, a scientific paper for a technical audience, or a proposal soliciting new business, significant dollars may be at stake. In some cases, the results generated by the written work could affect the future of the business, and how you give their writing feedback can transform...
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