Down with nouns!
Joe Moran, the author of First You Write a Sentence. hates how people abuse nouns, sometimes abetted by the passive voice. He says Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann defended himself at the Nuremberg War Trials “With an impenetrable shield of nouns.” For example, “He described his role as ‘emigration specialist.’ The Auschwitz death trains were […]
MISTAKE MONDAY for May 25: Can YOU spot what’s wrong?
Can you spot what’s wrong in the image below? Please post your answer as a comment. Oh my, I don’t know how this mistake happened. I post these challenges to raise awareness of the importance of proofreading.
What “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee” taught me about writing
Today’s guest post comes to you from business writer Anne Brennan. What “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee” taught me about writing By Anne Brennan Between the political climate and writing deadlines, sometimes you just need a break. I’m not really into cars, and I drink coffee strictly for the caffeine, but I do like to […]
Creative Commons Zero - CC0 (NO COPYRIGHT)Ready-to-use content for financial advisors
Financial advisors with tight budgets and limited time sometimes buy ready-to-use content from publishers who offer a library of resources. I list some of them below, including links to their sites. I am not endorsing any of them. Some of the content comes from names that I know, such as Litman Gregory, Wendy Cook, and […]
Read critically, or write badly
The two sentences below from Joe Moran’s First You Write a Sentence resonated with me. Trying to explain why bad sentences exist, he says: The writer knew what she wanted to say, thought she had said it, and gave up reading and listening. To write well, you need to read and audit your own words, […]