7 Simple Habits That Will Help You Write Faster and Easier

“I hate writing, I love having written.” Dorothy Parker Writing is a funny process, when you stop to think about it. It’s an odd dance that requires various parts of your brain to fall into rhythm and work together. It’s a rub-your-head-while-you-pat-your-belly sort of situation but with a dozen hands on the go at one time. What…

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3 Bad Writing Habits You Developed In University And How To Fix Them

Bad writing habits can be rooted in good intentions. In university, you are repeatedly rewarded for writing choices that may not serve you well later. The positive reinforcement of good grades makes those writing choices stick with you. But when your audience is no longer limited to professors and teaching assistants, it’s imperative to break…

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How To Tighten A Sentence: 3 Easy Ways To Improve Readability

Rambling is a always a negative, whether you’re speaking or writing. That said, you have more leeway when speaking because there are many ways to hold attention. You can use tone, body language, facial expressions, etc. to keep listeners interested. But when you write, there are only words. So rambling isn’t just annoying – it’s…

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How To Enjoy Content Creation Instead Of Stressing About It

Content Creation

Had a lovely chat with Marc Guberti, as a guest on his popular Breakthrough Success podcast. Our main topic of conversation was how to enjoy content creation instead of stressing about it. I kicked things off by assuring listeners that there’s a do-able path forward to a place where you earn enough to feel successful,…

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Why I’m Not Afraid of Being Replaced By AI Writing Tools Like ChatGPT

AI writing tools like ChatGPT are designed to respond to questions using fluent English syntax. You enter a prompt and the algorithm responds with a bunch of words written in natural language. It’s a cool trick. ChatGPT and the pack of competing AI nipping at its heels are impressive, from a technology perspective. They write…

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6 Punctuation Mistakes That Annoy Readers And How To Fix Them

cat looking at laptop screen as they try to fix punctuation mistakes

“In writing, punctuation plays the role of body language. It helps readers hear the way you want to be heard.” ― Russell Baker GOOD punctuation is something most readers take for granted. In my 20+ years of writing, I’ve never had someone leave a comment raving about the perfection of my punctuation. If you’re doing it right,…

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7 Tips To Avoid Accidental Plagiarism When Writing Content

Accidental plagiarism is symbolized by a red OOPS key on a keyboard

In school, we were taught to think of plagiarism as a type of cheating. It was something BAD students did. They stole information and text from various sources and deliberately tried to pass it off as their own work. As a professional writer (and a decent human being), I know how to avoid that kind…

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7 Simple Strategies To Stop Thinking About Work All The Time

Stop Thinking About Work is shown as a swirl of ideas drawn above someone's head

There’s nothing inherently wrong with thinking about work when you’re not at work. Sometimes I come up with great ideas – and solve problems – while I’m driving somewhere (or soaking in the tub).  But when you can’t stop those work thoughts from rattling around in your head, you’ve got a problem. Because not being able…

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