Why ‘How much does it cost?’ can be difficult to answer
The caller got right to the point. “How much does it cost for a 250-word newsletter article?” The thing about services is that there’s rarely a simple answer to “How much?” You can always answer with a range, but that’s only helpful if you provide context and details....
Find the heart of your story with (many) questions
Dense, complicated and potentially boring subjects need explanation, no matter who you’re writing for. That’s often what I’m asked to do, and here’s my “secret” for turning a potentially boring subject into an interesting one: Find the human, because...
18 tips to get through the pandemic
After a year of pandemic life, many (all?) of us are burned out. Even where it’s allowed, we’re reluctant to go out for dinner. We can’t hug people. Vaccination plans are still shaky, and new fast-spreading variations of COVID-19 are popping up. It’s not real spring...
So what if you dangle your modifier? (Wordnerdery)
Does it matter if you dangle your modifier? Many would say it doesn’t matter; it happens all the time. I’ve done it. You’ve probably done it. Still, be aware that some people will notice your dangling modifier and have a laugh at your expense. That’s because the...
7 writing tips we can learn from Sesame Street
One of the joys of social media is how random posts pop up under your nose. That’s how I ran across @HistoryMuppet on Twitter (sadly, no longer around on X). This was “a fan page run by Joshua Gillespie and dedicated to continuing the spirit and silliness of Jim...
‘Stop the scroll’ with DIY video in just 6 steps
What stops you in your tracks when thumbing through social media? These days, chances are you’ll say “video.” At a webinar for IABC’s Professional Independent Communicators, Vanessa Holding of Arc + Crown Media encouraged PIC members and friends to jump right...
Wave your grammar nerd flag for National Grammar Day
Hold onto your dictionaries; it’s National Grammar Day! You can thank Martha Brockenbrough and the Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar (SPOGG) for this “glorious” day (haha). She founded SPOGG in 2008 “for people appalled by bad grammar in public...
All’s well that end-to-ends well
Who sets out to hike 900 km of physically demanding and sometimes treacherous terrain, with the risk of encountering unexpected storms, poison ivy, rattlesnakes, bugs, maybe even bears? The answer: Hikers who do the Bruce Trail “end-to-end,” and there are...