Blog
Puzzling Pairs: Words that Confuse Writers
English has many troublesome pairs that often perplex writers, because many words in English are similar to others but are not synonyms. Here are some "twins" that often leave a writer wondering which one is appropriate and why. i.e. and e.g. -- Using these two-letter...
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The Only Five Ways to Organize Your Writing
You might be scratching your head as you try to arrange your topics before starting to write, but you only have five ways to organize information. Many business communications professionals don't invest much time, if any, in organizing. They assume that as long as all...
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Use this Resource to Write a Strong Headline and Strong Lead
Major news sites are models of how to use strong headlines and tight story summaries to pull readers in and get them to click. Public relations and business communications professionals can use this resource as an example for their own writing. Getting attention is...
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Can Writers Trust Writing-Style Guides?
Strunk and White's "Elements of Style," for 60 years a bible of good writing for many students and adults, is still valuable but has some "cockamamie advice," says famed linguist Steven Pinker. In an essay titled Writing in the 21st Century, Pinker, who teaches at...
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The First Draft is Just That: a Draft
Instead of straining to write the first version of a communication, just relax and write; that's what a draft is for. If you ever moved into a house or an apartment, you know that your initial concern is simply getting the boxes and furniture into the new home; you...
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Persuasive Writing Tip: Focus on the Number of Readers
If you send a persuasive message to a group, consider two important factors: the strength of your argument and the number of people who will process it. For persuasive writing to be effective, an audience needs to be motivated to read the message (or hear it). And one...
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Use Judgment when Texting to Candidates
Using text messaging as a communication tool in hiring might be practical, but remember that writing leaves an impression. A recent story in the Wall Street Journal said some companies are turning to texting to communicate with prospects, because it is more convenient...
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Persuasive Writing Tip: It’s Not Just About the Message
If you sit down to write a persuasive message, you probably focus on carefully selecting the right words and emphasizing the appropriate points. But the success of your message might depend on something else. People often decide how to respond to your persuasive...
read moreBy Ken O’Quinn
As a contributing author in this book on leadership, Ken offers insights and tips for managing difficult conversations, providing effective feedback, and being authentic. Order here.
Perfect Phrases for Business Letters (McGraw-Hill)
Provides the right words and phrases for any situation - quickly. The book was reprinted in Japanese because of high-volume sales there.
TD at Work — Business Writing for Managers
The Association for Talent Development invited Ken to write this 22-page booklet for the TD at Work series.
Current Blog Post
Passive Voice is Not Always Wrong
The passive voice remains an easy target of business writing critics, but sometimes it is preferable to an active sentence. …