writing coach | Writing with Clarity

Clear, Graceful Writing

Aug 9, 2016 | Effective Writing

Blending and restructuring sentences can create fluid and more concise writing that keeps readers moving. The simplified, declarative sentence is powerful. “You should send me the details soon,” and “Cari met with me yesterday to discuss the...

Stop Over-Capitalization in Your Writing

Feb 10, 2016 | Communication, Editing, Effective Writing, Punctuation and Grammar

Avoid the widespread tendency to capitalize common nouns. Not everything has an official, formal name, but many writers think that if it’s something special, it should be upper case. Writers routinely uppercase names of committees, projects, departments, titles...

“They” as a Singular Pronoun: It’s Here to Stay

Feb 2, 2016 | Effective Writing, Punctuation and Grammar

Grammar purists bristle when they hear the plural they used to refer to one person, but the usage is likely to stick, because it’s a convenient answer to a vexing writing problem. When you don’t know if someone is male or female, you need to find a...

Reaching the Unmotivated: Persuading People Who Don’t Care

Jul 28, 2011 | Persuasion

When you are making a persuasive appeal, your audience might be supportive or opposed, but what about people who simply don’t care? Influencing people who are indifferent and unmotivated requires different tactics. These are not always people you can ignore, because...

Influencing Your Audience: Making Your Persuasive Message Stick

Jun 17, 2011 | Persuasion

Capturing interest at the start of a message is important, but in persuasive writing, you also need to sustain the audience’s attention throughout the message. That’s how you influence people’s thinking and motivate them to accept your ideas. Here...