This blog post is based on Writer’s Connect newsletter Issue 56. It expands on this week’s top tip, which highlighted the limited attention span of the average reader. In the era of on-demand content and instant gratification, engaging your audience early is more important than ever. Here, we look at some methods of capturing a …
There are many words in the English language that are frequently mistaken for others. This can be because they sound the same when spoken aloud, are only a letter or two apart, have similar meanings, or are so commonly misused that the confusion has spread from one person to another. This post focuses on the …
You may think that writing about a traumatic event you’ve experienced might make you relive the trauma all over again. So how does writing heal trauma? Research suggests that trauma, in particular the stress that accompanies trauma, damages brain tissue (Payne et al. https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195158564.003.0003). The good news is that when you write about that emotional …
Want to know how to fix comma splices and run-on sentences? You may not know that they are two different terms for the same thing. Whatever you call them, they are one of the most common mistakes that writers make. Part of what makes them so notorious is that many of us don’t fully understand …
This blog post is based on Writer’s Connect newsletter Issue 54. It expands on the theme of getting personal with your writing, as presented by this week’s top tip in the newsletter. If you’ve ever sought out advice on your writing, chances are you’ve come across the phrase write what you know. But what does …
Good news! It isn’t only writers who understand and can attest to the feel-good benefits of writing. Scientific research also supports the healing effect of writing. Writing about emotions and stress may even support the immune system. There are physical benefits to those battling terminal or life-threatening illnesses. That makes a lot of sense, as …
Are you looking to have your manuscript published? Whether you want to publish traditionally or self-publish, it is wise to consider having your work edited professionally. Still, the act of sharing your work with another person can be daunting. This is particularly true when they are a professional you are expressly inviting to judge it. …
This blog post is based on Writer’s Connect newsletter Issue 53. It expands on the theme of keeping your writing simple and conversational, as presented by this week’s tip in the newsletter, to include balancing simple and complex vocabulary. While it is good practice not to needlessly overcomplicate your writing with the fanciest words you …
This blog post is based on Writer’s Connect newsletter Issue 52. It expands on the theme of planning your writing presented as this week’s tip in the newsletter. Planning your writing is one of the best things you can do as a writer. By planning what you are going to write, you can set up …
Plagiarism and copyright in writing go hand in hand. This is because if you plagiarise another writer’s work, then you are potentially breaching their copyright. Disclaimer. I am not a lawyer. If you are at all unsure whether you’ve potentially breached copyright by using, in your writing, someone else’s words or ideas or the way …
