Descriptive verbs paint a picture Talk about painting a picture. In City of Bohane, Kevin Barry brings the titular town to life in sentences like this: "Amputee walnut sellers croaked their prices from tragic blankets on the scarred tile floors …" And: "The tottering old chimneys were stacked in great deranged happiness against the morning sky." And: "He had a blackbird’s … [Read more...] about And … action!
Archives for June 2012
Master plan
Help readers recall your message When you organize your copy logically, readers can read it more easily and get more out of it. Or so says Bonnie J. F. Meyer, Ph.D., professor of Educational Psychology at Penn State University. She completed a five-year research project for the National Institute on Aging to find out what helped adults understand and remember what … [Read more...] about Master plan
Splitting headache
Are split infinitives still a grammar don't? It may be the most famous split infinitive of all time — Star Trek's opening-sequence voice over: "To boldly go where no man has gone before" That's a split infinitive, because the adverb "boldly" separates, or splits, the verb "to go." So, is that OK? Are split infinitives acceptable in modern English usage? Or does good … [Read more...] about Splitting headache
Superheroes to the rescue
Put this tool in your utility belt When CenterPoint Energy needed to generate excitement for its United Way giving drive, they turned to some unlikely folks for help. The Blue Flame, Energy Force, Major Setback, The Mysterious Matrix, Pipeline and Power Arc all showed up to get the word out about the campaign. These superheroes appeared on the campaign's posters and … [Read more...] about Superheroes to the rescue
Make Ann your personal trainer
Pump up your writing with one-on-one coaching Ever wish you had a writing coach — sort of a personal editorial trainer? In customized one-on-one consultations, I’ll help you jump-start your writing skills, recharge your batteries and get your creative juices flowing. We’ll work on your own copy — not made-up assignments with little relationship to your work. You’ll learn … [Read more...] about Make Ann your personal trainer