John A. Williams is an author, teacher, and journalist in Edmond, OK. His latest book, "The Truth About Fake News: Top Tips To Separate Fact From Fiction" is available as an eBook and paperback on Amazon.com. How To Spot Fake News by The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA)is licensed under CC BY 4.0
When Larry McMurtry began writing, he had no reason to believe that the dusty plains and grim ranchers that inspired him would capture anyone’s attention. Here is an interview with McMurtry from the July 2016 issue of Texas Monthly. Enjoy.
I had difficulty settling on a single tip to offer for improving your business writing, so instead I present a potpourri of advice. These tips are offered to provide professional consistency and aesthetic appeal in your business correspondence, speeches and writing. As a general rule, avoid using abbreviations and acronyms that your readers would not … Continue reading I’ll Take Potpourri For $200 Alex.
Comedian Steve Martin tells this joke on his first record that humorously makes a point about using technical jargon to the wrong audience. “Ok, I don’t like to gear my material to the audience but I’d like to make an exception because I was told that there is a convention of plumbers in San Francisco … Continue reading Well If You Want To Get ‘Technical’ About It…
A writing crutch that many writers will lean on too often is adding the word in where it really doesn't belong. These verbose constructions can often be whittled down with no loss of clarity or meaning. Here are some examples of where in can be dropped for cleaner, tighter writing. This applies for fiction, nonfiction … Continue reading Dropping “In” For Better Writing
As a broadcaster and public speaker I have often been asked questions about how to write and deliver a strong speech. Over the years I’ve learned that there are essentially five rules that all business leaders, public spokesmen and spokeswomen should follow in order to write a winning speech: 1. Read your speech out loud … Continue reading 5 Tips For Writing A Great Speech
When was the last time you wrote a business letter to a client, coworker or vendor? It may have been a while since "snail mail," or postal letters, have decreased in favor of email. However good business writing with purpose and proper structure can enhance your position at work and your customers. Allow me to … Continue reading The Lost Art of Letter Writing
Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to conceive written communication. So many pairs or trios of words and phrases stymie us with their resemblance to each other. Here’s a quick guide to alleviate (or is it ameliorate?) your suffering: 1. a while / awhile: “A while” is a noun phrase; … Continue reading 50 “Tricky” Words and Phrases
Most writers don’t need encouragement to write more words. After all, that’s how some of them get paid: by the word! Using the words you need and no more – writing concisely – is a skill that every writer spends a lifetime learning. Mark Twain once said, “I didn’t have time to write a short … Continue reading The More You Tell, The More You Sell
You know you must streamline your writing, but the devil’s in the details. Here are some specifics about what to look for: 1. Remove Redundancy Avoid double-teaming terms like “a period of one week,” “end result,” “free gift,” and “personal opinion.” Watch for phrases that echo the quality in question: “oval in shape,” “larger in … Continue reading 8 Steps To Better Business Writing
Inspired author. Provocative storyteller. 