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. This is “a fan page run by Joshua Gillespie and dedicated to continuing the spirit and silliness of Jim Henson.” Take a look at this...
‘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 spaces.” The date...
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...
Warm up your words to match the brave new Zoom world
Endless Zoom calls and Microsoft Teams meetings have changed how we look and relate to our co-workers and bosses. Home offices give a glimpse of how we live. Pets and small children are likely to loudly demand attention as our calls get underway, or we might forget...
Before & after: More terms and conditions that confuse
The people behind the Air Canada Aeroplan rewards plan want to make sure members keep their information secure and up-to-date. I recently found this out because I was looking into turning some of my rewards points into gifts. It’s been a while since I poked around to...
This question comes up every year: Is blogging dead?
Asking Google today “Is blogging dead in 2021?” pulled up 18 million results. I often ask that question around this time, since my own blog anniversary is January 24 (an amazing-to-me-too 14 years, thanks). Every year I’ve asked, the answer is no,...