Tips that illuminate and liberate

Monthly Archives: April 2015

An Embarrassment of Glitches III

Posted on April 30, 2015 by Norm Friedman

Here’s another example of how much good we can do ourselves by putting aside a rough draft and returning to it later with renewed energy and refreshed lenses. The brief paragraph, from an online newsletter, describes employees who merit supervisory … Continue reading →

Common Comma Misunderstandings, Part 2

Posted on April 22, 2015 by Norm Friedman

As promised, here is the follow-up to last week’s discussion and quiz (http://www.normfriedman.com/blog/wp-admin/post.php?post=542&action=edit) related to comma errors. This time, decide which sentences need corrections and which are fine as is. Quiz time 1. I can’t figure out why the pie … Continue reading →

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Common Comma Misunderstandings

Posted on April 15, 2015 by Norm Friedman

Sometimes comma use is arbitrary, but usually we have rules to guide us. So to brush up on the rules, let’s look at a few of the most common misunderstandings about when to hit the comma key or resist the … Continue reading →

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Framing Your Message, Part 2

Posted on April 8, 2015 by Norm Friedman

Last week, we looked at the prime location for workplace writers to frame their messages: the subject line of an email. For most of us, email is the most frequent medium of written communication, and the subject line box is sitting … Continue reading →

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Framing Your Email Message

Posted on April 1, 2015 by Norm Friedman

Skillful writers do their readers, and themselves, a favor by effectively framing their messages. They let their readers know at the outset precisely where they are going. Whether the message is an email, letter, proposal, news release, or PowerPoint, effective … Continue reading →