What can you learn about book quality from judging high school essays? A lot, it turns out. This post explains the importance of strong content, clear structure, solid craft, and good design.
Avoid Distractions: Focus Your Readers o...
When it is critical to get your message across, avoid distractions. Extra information, verbal tics, overly exuberant punctuation–it all needs to go. Here’s how to give those reader distractions the boot.
Excessive Irritation: A Little Bit Goes ...
A dash of excess in writing is like eating a rich candy bar–yum. But when you eat the entire 6-pack, you get a tummy ache. Are you being excessive? This post helps you spot 6 over-the-top practices to prune from your writing.
Tips for Creating Effective Headings
Headings are a powerful tool often overlooked in formatting articles, blog posts, and books. Proper language and formatting enhance the reader experience. This article covers the purpose of headings and how to let them do their job.
Tips for Using Emphasis Effectively
Effective use of emphasis in formatting your article, blog post, or book helps your readers understand and navigate your message. This post demonstrates types of emphasis and 5 reasons to use them.
Writing Advice from Horror Novels to Bus...
What writing advice does master of horror Stephen King have for consultants, coaches, and other entrepreneurs writing business books? Quite a bit, it turns out. Here we summarize 6 pieces of advice from a prolific writer.
Contrast: Harry Potter and the Light in ...
The Harry Potter books and movies illustrate the importance of contrast in maintaining audience interest, adding emphasis, and offering emotional relief.
The Value of Visuals: A Guest Post from ...
The human brain is wired for pictures. Using visuals in your writing–illustrations, models, images–can help ideas stick. Aligning visuals and words is a shortcut to understanding. Remember: the visuals don’t even have to be fancy.
Stop Labeling Yourself: Getting Beyond t...
Writers often identify as plotters or pantsers. Rather than defaulting to a label, consider if an emergent or a self-limiting writing approach fits better. Aligning your approach to your writing project can make the process go more smoothly.
How Not to Schuss: The Four Steps for De...
From learning to ski to learning to write, skill development follows a four-step process. Understanding the process can help you troubleshoot when things aren’t clicking.
Judge not? Judge a lot! Learn to Assess ...
Judging submissions, contests, or applications offers the chance to read work by many writers and quickly learn to assess writing quality. It can even improve your own writing!
Freshen Your Eyes; It’s Time to Revise
Revision might be the most critical element of good writing, but many of us skip it and go straight to editing. Here are 3 tips for looking at your own writing with fresh eyes to make a crucial judgment: Does your writing achieve your intent?