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Category Archives: Flair & Finesse
In the Spotlight
The word “just” has been highlighted this past year as a prime illustration of the female tendency to apologize too much in written and oral communications. (“I’m just wondering if you’ve had time to review my idea.”) According to some … Continue reading
Posted in Flair & Finesse, Tone
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Striking the Right Tone
If we write an A+ email – glittering with pithy content, impeccable grammar, and masterful brevity – but the tone is stuffy or condescending or brusque or flippant, the reader will consider our message a D-. Rather than reacting with … Continue reading
Posted in Flair & Finesse, Tone
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Setting Alarms
As we grow more proficient in any pursuit – be it bowling, baking, or barbecuing – we are continually setting new alarms to avoid problems. This is particularly true in writing and editing. Once we realize we’re prone to mistakenly … Continue reading
“I” Contact
In elementary school many of us learned we were starting too many sentences with “I,” and we corrected that. But in the working world, where forging relationships with clients, colleagues, vendors, and others is so critical to success, many of … Continue reading
Posted in Brevity, Flair & Finesse
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Eye on the Arts
With the Academy Awards ceremony set for Sunday, let’s continue our refinement of newspaper excerpts with a look at two arts pieces – a movie review and book review. Each excerpt was chosen, in part, because it’s unwieldy, but I … Continue reading
In the News III
Continuing our February theme, this week’s post again gives you an opportunity to play copy editor. Examine the following three excerpts from recent newspaper articles and consider what you might change. 1. While many Clevelanders were excited about and pleased … Continue reading
In the News II
Try your hand at catching errors or making other refinements in these recent news stories. 1. Gov. John Kasich has spent 130 days of the last 10 months on the road outside of Ohio as he campaigns for president. 2. … Continue reading
Posted in Brevity, Commonly Confused Words, Flair & Finesse
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In the News
We all make errors when we write – even the pros who report the news. Play copy editor and decide how you’d refine these passages from the past week. 1. The middle-of-the-road shopper, neither low-end nor high-end, who in recent years … Continue reading
Picture This
At two of my recent writing workshops, I figured many participants would want to devote some time to discussing the use of photos to complement text – whether that text was for a brochure, newsletter, email blast, website, or other … Continue reading
Posted in Flair & Finesse
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“Olio”
If you’re a crossword puzzle aficionado, you know that an “olio” is a miscellaneous collection (related to another frequent crossword answer, “olla,” or stew). Today, see if you can correct or refine these sentences from an olio of sources. 1. … Continue reading
Posted in Brevity, Common Grammar Errors, Flair & Finesse
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