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Author Archives: Norm Friedman
“Precision!” Encore
Last week (http://www.normfriedman.com/blog/precision/), I suggested that when we write we might want the melody of “Tradition” from Fiddler on the Roof playing softly in the back of our heads as “Pre-ci-sion!” Let’s continue the discussion. Many people have told me … Continue reading
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Precision!
Picture Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof singing “Tradition,” but with different lyrics. The song is now called “Precision,” and it’s his advice on writing in the workplace. (Maybe Tevye even dreams of writing ad copy – “If I Were … Continue reading
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Huh?
Clearly, clarity is paramount in writing effectiveness. But even if we understand that and commit to it, we’re bound to send fuzzy messages from time to time. The antidote? Allocating ample time to organizing the message is crucial, but it … Continue reading
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Time for the Red Pen Again
Reach for your red pen and try your hand at this short summer quiz. What corrections and other refinements would you make in the following two sentences? 1. The principal reason I held a meeting with the Marketing staff was … Continue reading
ALL CAPS
I don’t want my readers to get too rusty over the summer, but this isn’t the season to throw a tricky quiz at you either. So let’s revisit the fairly straightforward issue of capitalization, a subject we first addressed in … Continue reading
Posted in Common Grammar Errors, Flair & Finesse
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Editing Steps II
As promised, here are six more steps to polishing your message – whether it’s a relatively brief email or a hefty report. Invest in strong verbs. Dynamic verbs give writing more zest, but they don’t always show up in the first … Continue reading
Posted in Brevity, Flair & Finesse
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Editing Steps
Are editing and proofing different? I think so. I see editing as sharpening our content through means such as reorganizing, elaborating, cutting, and rephrasing. I see proofing as rooting out errors in usage, grammar, punctuation, spelling, and facts. And although … Continue reading
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Your All-Star Opportunity
You and I won’t be on the field this Tuesday night in Cincinnati for the 86th Major League All-Star Game, but here’s your chance to sock some tricky curveballs out of the park. You get four times at bat to … Continue reading
Wicked “Which” II
Last week (http://www.normfriedman.com/blog/wicked-which/), I tried to make the which vs. that dilemma less scary, and I promised you a few postscripts. All three relate to using that. Bonus tip #1 Whenever we edit our work and come across that, we should see if that is … Continue reading
Wicked “Which”
Knowing when to use that and when to use which is not as wicked a situation as you might think. Simply put, we use that to introduce a phrase or clause that is essential for clarity. We use which to … Continue reading