Writing

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 technology, software updates, buggy tools, or confusing new apps? Trying new tools is always tempting, but how much new or real value do they bring to your writing or publishing projects? The most time-consuming aspect is the learning curve associated with using a new…

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. That said, a number at the beginning of a sentence is usually grammatically correct, whether written as a word or a numeral. So why do most style guides, like MLA and The AP Stylebook, advise against it? The…

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…

Is history repeating itself? The concerns writers have today with AI (artificial intelligence) must be similar to how scribes feared the printing press. It’s not difficult to draw comparisons because AI, like the printing press, poses threats to writers’ jobs and livelihoods. Technology, particularly automation, has always created change and upheaval, and adapting to it…

Writing consistently is one of the biggest challenges many writers face, and that’s why adopting positive writing habits can help you stay focused, motivated, and balanced, especially if you’re a new writer. Even with good ideas and strong motivation, it is easy for writing routines to become irregular over time because creative writing isn’t always…

Can you protect your online writing from being copied or scraped? The answer is an emphatic no. Not a single word of your writing is safe on the Internet. In years past, it was ebook pirates that were of most concern. But times have changed, and AI (Artificial Intelligence) has opened Pandora’s box. AI is…

When you write fiction, articles, or blog posts, you usually use informal writing. It’s also the most common form of writing for messages, personal emails, and social media posts. You know that it’s a conversational style with simpler structures than formal writing. But how do we define it, and how can you be sure you are not…