10 writing quotations from “I Capt...
Last summer I had a “where have you been all my life” experience with Dodie Smith’s 1948 novel, “I Capture the Castle.” The book details the story of 17-year-old Cassandra Mortmain and her outlandish family, who live in a broken-down castle in the English countryside. In addition to telling her story, Mortmain is also working to perfect her writing skills. The reader is captivated by her narrative, quips, and insights as she chronicles her struggles to properly pen her thoughts. Below are a few quotations from the book to which most writers can relate: 1. “I...
How to write clearer copy
There are several techniques used capture the attention of your readers, who will likely give your message 10 seconds before they leave your website or delete your email. In previous posts I’ve written about the importance of “starting with the why” and “not burying the lede”—two important techniques that writers should employ. “Burying the lede” refers to the failure to mention the most important or actionable items at the beginning of your message. “Starting with the why” means that you state the reason up front, so everyone understands the purpose of...
Just say “no” to double nega...
Writers and editors know to avoid double negatives in formal writing. You would probably scramble to correct a sentence like this on your company website: “The facility will not allow no more visitors after 10 p.m.” However, double negatives still exist. The sentence below came from a press release sent by a federal agency: “It is not uncommon for a firm, based on its own appropriate evaluation of potential suppliers and raw material, to change the source of a raw material after the device has been cleared by the FDA . . .” This sentence could be improved...
26 Latin phrases and expressions
In a scene from my favorite TV show, “Freaks and Geeks,” teenager Lindsay Weir has been caught skipping class. In trying to justify her delinquency, she says, “Daddy, I skipped Latin.” He replies, “Oh. Well, I can understand why you wouldn’t want to learn about that. It’s only the building block of our language.” Whether we realize it or not, Latin terms are everywhere in business and corporate communications. Below are some common ones, along with their translations and definitions (definitions are from Merriam-Webster and Oxford Dictionaries): 1. A priori...
Hilariously misplaced modifiers and othe...
How many of you snicker when you see a sign that says something like this: “Caution heavy pedestrian traffic” In a previous PR Daily article, I wrote about modifiers and why their location in a sentence is important: When used correctly, modifiers add interest and depth to your writing. When modifiers are used incorrectly, the reader may not understand the details of the sentence. A misplaced modifier occurs when a word or phrase is placed too far from the word it describes. Because of this separation, it’s not clear what is being described in the sentence. They can...
19 of literature’s best first line...
I recently reorganized my books. As I took the titles off the shelves, dusted and reordered them, I was struck by how much I had loved reading them. It was like spending time with every friend I ever had. Whenever I find myself struggling with a writing project, I turn to fiction for inspiration. By revisiting all the books I love to read, I found inspiration in their opening lines—enough to get me through any writing project. Here are several of my favorites: 1. The music-room in the Governor’s House at Port Mahon, a tall, handsome, pillared octagon, was filled with...
