[2-minute read] I recently heard a businessman giving a testimonial. He said, “I can’t thank Bill enough for what he did for me.” My first reaction was, “Why not give it a try?” What did he mean when he said he couldn’t thank the person enough? That he could thank him, but he won’t? I believe he meant something […]
“I Could Care Less”… or could I? Read More »
[6-minute read] A prominent attorney called me yesterday with an embarrassing question. “I’m helping my daughter write her college entrance essay, so we have to get this right,” he said. This man went to a well-known law school and earns a hefty salary in litigating complex cases. Nevertheless, he was stumped by one of the
Avoid Common Vexations: Mistaken Word Pairs Read More »
[4-minute read] I am drafting this post by hand, using a favorite fountain pen, in a leather-bound journal that I cherish. Consequently, this article may be more intimate than others. Different Writing for Different Times Writing on a computer is great for business correspondence, but right now, business may be far from our minds. We
Writing With Hand and Heart Read More »
[4-minute read] Quick: What is a noun? Person, place, or thing (or concept)What is a verb? Action or being. We just clarified an essential truth about writing: Nouns, by definition, sit still until they encounter verbs. Verbs are the engines of language. Of course, nouns are necessary; they form the subjects of our sentences. What
Be Concise: Write with verbs. Read More »
In a time of intense blathering, conciseness counts. When you make a point succinctly, people listen to you. They respect you. They might even believe what you say. In the next three Writamins, I will introduce tools from the Worktalk training that support you in tightening up your writing so that you are the person
Be Concise: Use Fewer Modifiers Read More »
