Writing

Do you think about how you use a level of formality when you write and publish articles or blog posts? Your choice is not so much a grammatical issue as it is about your tone, style, and writing voice. That’s why your content needs to be in a style appropriate for your topic so that…

You want to check and correct your writing before you post it online. But you don’t want to pay for an expensive subscription. That’s fair enough because popular grammar checkers like Grammarly and Prowritingaid are often too expensive for many writers. You might be a student, a part-time writer, or simply starting to take an…

As a general rule, most style guides and grammar references state that you should not use contractions in formal writing. However, it is a point open to debate by writers, editors, and grammarians. Some argue that language should be more relaxed now and that the days of stiff, formal writing are in the past. It…

Words that sound like noises, such as boom, splash, and meow, are called onomatopoeia or echoism. While it’s handy to know these two terms, onomatopoeia is definitely a word that is difficult to spell, pronounce, and remember. Luckily, echoism is much easier. But by either name, they are words that all writers use to add…

Can you use one-word sentences in writing? Definitely. You will often see sentences consisting of only one word in all types and styles of writing. The brevity and impact can help in making a point or adding emphasis. When you read fiction, you will likely come across them quite often. A sentence of one word…

Nothing is written in stone, but word count guidelines can give you a useful clue for a new writing project. You might be staring at a blank page and wondering where to start and how many words you should write. It doesn’t matter if you’re a new blogger, content writer, or author; the number of…

How much of your valuable writing time do you lose fighting with new technology and applications? Trying new tools, apps, and software is always tempting, but how much new or extra value do they bring to your writing or publishing projects? The most time-consuming aspect is the learning curve when using a new tool or…

Writing is an art, and you never stop learning and practicing. One of the most effective ways to improve your writing skills is to learn from writers. By that, I don’t mean copying or stealing a writer’s technique or style. But you can look at the different techniques, structures of sentences, or how some writers…

The first rule of starting sentences with numbers is an easy one to remember. Don’t do it. But a number beginning a sentence is usually grammatically correct, either as a word or a numeral. So why do most style guides like MLA Style and The AP Stylebook say it’s wrong? The most common reasons are clarity,…

Yes, writers fear the rise of AI writing tools, such as ChatGPT, Bing Copilot, and Google Gemini, which threatens to automate and devalue their work. Like me, you probably had an instant negative reaction to AI (artificial intelligence) writing tools and could only see downsides. It’s a natural response because of the ease and simplicity…