The 33 The-ses
An article on an underappreciated article: How much thought have you given to the English language’s most commonly used word? Read More “The 33 The-ses”
English language
In defense of ugly prose
The virtues of very bad sentences. Read More “In defense of ugly prose”
Not to be: Removing be verbs from your writing
How to rout out lifeless be verbs from your work. Read More “Not to be: Removing be verbs from your writing”
Ponder your words: How to wield the power of language
Carefully weigh your work (and its impact) before sending it out into the world. Read More “Ponder your words: How to wield the power of language”
Read like a writer
Learn the art of “x-ray reading” to better your own writing. Read More “Read like a writer”
Hale verbs well met
Paying close attention to verbs can enliven writing. Writer and editor Constance Hale explains the vex, hex, smash and smooch of language’s punchiest words. Read More “Hale verbs well met”
Do I italicize the title of a short story? What about poem titles?
And what happens if you write a poem about a poem? Read More “Do I italicize the title of a short story? What about poem titles?”
25 tips to sharpen your writing
Want to learn some ways to strengthen, energize, clarify and trim your works? Here are a few tricks of the trade from a Writer editor. Read More “25 tips to sharpen your writing”
Expletives deleted
There’s nothing like a ‘there is’ phrase to suck the energy out of a sentence Read More “Expletives deleted”
Who or whom?
A wordsmith offers some modern rules to live by for one of grammar’s knotty questions. Read More “Who or whom?”