Imagine if each of us were to be doled out a set of exclamation points at birth, and once we used up our allotment, that was it. No more. That was an idea a writer friend once advanced, and I think it makes more sense than 99 percent of what comes out of Congress. The … Read more
Writing something that will be presented, recorded, or spoken aloud? Here’s a remarkably simple way to make it even more compelling and effective. Even if your message will be heard by thousands, write it to just one of them. Pick out one person from that audience and write the message as if you were talking … Read more
If you’re looking for a way to catch the attention of your audience and focus their full attention on your message, ask them a question that matters to them. Some people think that asking questions in headlines and opening statements is a bad idea. I once had a boss who became furious anytime anyone presented … Read more
Although the ampersand (that little “&” mark) can be handy now and then, it’s one of the most-misused tools in the punctuation toolbox. The ampersand serves as a graphic replacement for the word “and.” When used in graphic design, it can even be a thing of beauty — much prettier than those three letters it … Read more
People frequently send me questions about specific rules of grammar, syntax, and usage. Sometimes, clients will respond to something I’ve written by asking me if I know about a specific rule of language. Both groups are often surprised by my replies. There really aren’t any rules about writing — just personal preferences that the people … Read more
We’d have a tough time surviving without quotation marks. As a famous writer once described, “Quotation marks allow us to identify what someone actually says, as opposed to simple statements being made by the writer.” Okay, I just made that quote up, but it illustrates one of the main reasons people use quotation marks. The … Read more
You may be a highly skilled writer who can craft brilliant sentences. Which is why you might be surprised that I believe you probably shouldn’t write your own copy. Do I have a reason for that assertion? I do — actually several: It’s a waste of time. Well, maybe a waste of your time. Odds … Read more
Most people who insert foreign-language phrases and expressions into their materials do so because it makes them appear to be intelligent and sophisticated, n’est-ce pas? That is, it does unless they misspell the phrase or don’t really understand what it means. A particularly common error involves using the marvelous French word “voilà” (“behold” or “there … Read more
Grammar and syntax can be funny things. You can have two sentences that appear to be identical, aside from some subtle switches in word order, but they may mean very different things. Take this sentence: “Towering above the company’s production facility, our technician inspected the smokestack.” Or this one: “Born in Schenectady, the inventor’s first … Read more
Want proof that keeping your copy simple and easy to understand is more effective? Just look at Washington State. Like most government units, the Evergreen State is constantly trying to increase revenues (especially since there’s no state income tax). A few years ago, tax officials noticed that use-tax revenues were below projections … and they … Read more