by Sue Horner | Feb 14, 2019 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
You can’t always (ever?) be wildly creative in corporate writing. But you can choose words and phrases that are interesting and colourful to help your readers “see” what you mean. If you want to explain something, make a point or reflect or spark emotion, reach for...
by Sue Horner | Feb 7, 2019 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
Why say “the earthy scent released when rain hits dry earth” when you could go with “petrichor”? That’s what Merriam-Webster tweeted recently. I love words almost as much as Merriam-Webster, but I would pick the full description. One, it’s wonderfully evocative. You...
by Sue Horner | Jan 23, 2019 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
“It’s only mid-January, but chances are pretty good that all those lofty resolutions you made before the clock struck midnight on Dec. 31 have fallen by the wayside,” says executive coach Harrison Monarth in an article for Entrepreneur. What happens? We have good...
by Sue Horner | Jan 17, 2019 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
I’m celebrating 28 years in business this month – wow! Check out “A leap of faith to a dream job (with a great boss)” for a look at the best things about running my own business, and tips and resources if by chance you’re thinking about taking your own leap....
by Sue Horner | Jan 9, 2019 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
Happy New Year, and Happy Word Nerd Day! You know you are a word nerd when… You receive a word-a-day calendar for Christmas (featured today is Occam’s razor, “a scientific or philosophical rule that favors the simplest explanation”). Your Christmas gifts also...
by Sue Horner | Jan 3, 2019 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
Toxic. Misinformation. Justice. Weaponize. Do these words capture the mood of your 2018? They do for many people, according to the various dictionaries and online sources that track the topics we search for online. Here are the Words of the Year for 2018 that caught...
by Sue Horner | Dec 27, 2018 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
As 2018 comes to a close, I have one last post for the Red Jacket Diaries: The top 10 most popular posts this year, as revealed by Google Analytics. The posts fall into a range of categories. For example, readers seem to appreciate when I summarize interesting events,...
by Sue Horner | Dec 19, 2018 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
This last month of the year – when many of us are getting ready for family gatherings, yet others lose or are estranged from loved ones – maybe you are reminded, as I am, that life is short. My own preparations for Christmas always bring to mind a tradition that...
by Sue Horner | Dec 13, 2018 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
The word nerd in me loves the idea of trending words. I love that people want to know the meaning of a word, and take the time to look it up. News events, celebrities, politics and sports often drive a sudden spike in people looking up a specific word. Trends this...
by Sue Horner | Dec 6, 2018 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
Jargon has welcomed some new members to the fold this year. Or maybe it’s been happening longer, but I’ve been running into fresh examples over the past few months. Either way, I’m hopping on my Grouch Train. You know I’ve had issues with the phrase “like a boss”...
