by Sue Horner | Apr 8, 2021 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
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...
by Sue Horner | Mar 26, 2021 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
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...
by Sue Horner | Mar 20, 2021 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
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...
by Sue Horner | Sep 25, 2020 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
While the pandemic has been busy disrupting our lives, many of us headed outdoors to bike, walk, hike and take in the peace of being in nature. My 2020 was already going to include hiking along the Bruce Trail, Canada’s oldest and longest marked hiking trail (898...
by Sue Horner | Aug 21, 2020 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
Your readers might just skim your text (sorry!), but chances are they’ll look more closely at the headline, photo and caption. Ideally, those three elements together should tell most of the story, in case the reader bypasses the rest of the article altogether. Photos...
by Sue Horner | Aug 5, 2020 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
So, you need to write about something important. The problem is, it’s boring or routine. You know the topics. They’re necessary, but they aren’t the sexiest. Safety reminders, maybe, or a potentially dry explanation of a (zzzz….) process...
by Sue Horner | Jun 25, 2020 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
You’ve created a terrific article, blog post, marketing email or other sparkly bit of content. Now, how do you entice people to read it? Start with an appealing headline. But wait, please don’t reach for a “clickbait” headline. You know, the ones that use...
by Sue Horner | May 7, 2020 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
Here’s my small wordnerdy nitpick in the interests of accuracy: All those workplaces installing barriers to protect employees and customers during the pandemic are not necessarily using “Plexiglas.” That’s a brand name, like Kleenex. The generic term is “acrylic” or...
by Sue Horner | Mar 4, 2020 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
Happy National Grammar Day, fellow word nerds! The big day goes back to 2008, and its founding by Martha Brockenbrough and the Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar. SPOGG is “for people appalled by bad grammar in public spaces.” Yup, that’s me. (Note,...
by Sue Horner | Nov 7, 2019 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
Some days I flex my writing muscles. Other days, red pen in hand, I’m trimming and toning flabby writing. By that I mean reviewing a document for typos, jargon, wayward punctuation, grammar errors, the passive voice and other writing that stops readers in their...
