8 ways to reel in your reader
Novelists, journalists and corporate communicators have this in common: We all want readers to read our writing. An effective headline sets the stage, but how we open the story or article invites readers in, or sends them scurrying for the door. How do you start? Here...
Words of the year are no ‘fake news’
If you’re a word nerd, like me, you probably look forward to the release in early January of the “words of the year” from the previous year. They’re out! In past years, the words chosen were often catchy new portmanteaux – words formed by blending two or more distinct...
‘Fake news’ among words we’d like to banish
The wordsmiths at Lake Superior State University in Michigan are at it again. Among the words they’re trying to banish for “Misuse, Overuse and General Uselessness” are fake news, gig economy, impactful and unpack. As an unnamed spokesperson said when releasing the...
The best of the Red Jacket Diaries in 2017
As another year comes to a close, I’m looking back at the most-viewed posts on my blog in 2017. Did you miss any of them? As a freelance writer, I often talk about the various aspects of the indie life that I think others may be interested in: Reflecting on marking 26...
Your “About” page is the place to get personal
What are your passions? How long have you been in business and why did you start? If you have a business or personal website, sharing more about what makes you tick helps your visitors feel they know you, leading them to like and trust you. That’s why your “About”...
Don’t let jargon get in the way of trust
You can usually spot jargon at less than 10 paces, but it’s fun to have the option of The De-Jargonizer. Plug in a piece of writing, and this handy tool will highlight the jargony words you might want to replace. A report about Toys ’R’ Us executives giving themselves...
Watch out for these email fails
Some companies/people are still missing the boat on email. I have lots of evidence from my own in-box: The “From” field: “Unknown sender” (a Black Friday sale that doesn’t inspire confidence) “No reply @” (I guess you don’t want to hear from me?) Subject lines: “No...
Shopping for writers and readers? Here are 12 ideas
Some of my neighbours have had Christmas lights up for weeks. U.S. Thanksgiving is done like turkey dinner, and we’re hurtling towards the Festive Season. So, time for my third annual roundup of gift ideas for writers, readers and word-and-punctuation nerds. 1. “I’m a...