Top 10 posts in the Red Jacket Diaries in 2023
Somehow, December got away from me (you too?). So I missed my annual tradition of collecting the top 10 most-viewed posts on my blog. Here they are! 1. Is this the year you get certified as a Communication Management Professional (CMP) or Strategic Communication...
Life lessons from my granddaughter (in December Wordnerdery)
You may have noticed I have somewhat of a yearly tradition for the December issue of my newsletter, Wordnerdery. Rather than talk about words, expressive writing and so on, I usually share my thoughts about something more personal. The tradition continues! The...
From writing support to virtual collabs, freelancers are using cool tools
Amid the shiny new digital tools discussed at a recent session with IABC/Toronto’s Professional Independent Communicators (PIC) was an old standby: The Canadian Press Caps and Spelling book. I use it often for its Plain Words section, and I wasn’t the only word nerd...
The poetic power of music (in November Wordnerdery)
Do you pause what you’re doing for a moment of silence on Remembrance Day or Veterans Day? I do, and often turn on the radio (remember radio?) so as not to get caught up in work and miss 11 a.m. One year, the radio station introduced the moment, and then went...
Gifts for writers and readers, 2023 edition
The “gifting season” is upon us! I heard this term for the first time this year, and you have to admit it is politically correct. No dancing around what holiday you celebrate, even if it does reduce the season to an exchange of gifts. In any case, it’s time for my...
Yet more writing tips in links you might have missed, fall edition
Hello friends, it’s time for yet another roundup of links you might have missed. This time, you’ll find some new and classic advice related to writing. I do post these beyond the dwindling population of X, but what are the chances you saw them the first time?...
A primer on plain language (in October Wordnerdery)
Way back when the world was still coming to grips with the pandemic, helping people understand information took on new urgency. Where could we find the latest news? How could we stay safe? And how far apart was six feet anyway? You could argue that today’s state of...
Assignment: Help readers see the value of music on mental health
Porch concerts were a thing in some neighbourhoods during the pandemic. It’s not surprising; music has been shown to lessen the effects of depression, anxiety and other mental health issues, all of which soared then and remain high. My client asked me to write about...