Writing Archives - Page 25 of 42 - Hot Pepper Communications

18 shrinktips all in one place

While editing client documents, I often encounter superfluous phrasing. I quickly edit it to its main message, using as few words as possible to make the message as strong as possible. When I think of it, I tweet examples to my Twitter accounts under the hashtag #shrinktip, a nod to an article I wrote with techniques… Continue reading 18 shrinktips all in one place

Putting Christ back in Xmas

You don’t have to go far this time of year before you hear someone bemoaning the demise of Christian Christmas. You’ll hear such phrases as “reason for the season” and “put Christ back in Christmas”. One particular complaint that seems to be common is the use of “Xmas”. The way Christmas defenders explain it, secular… Continue reading Putting Christ back in Xmas

I vs. me: are you using them correctly?

When you were growing up, did your parents ever correct you by saying something like, “No, it’s Susie and I.”? Oftentimes, they were correct, but I think this popular correction has led to a practice of actually using “I” incorrectly.

Using “woman” or “female” as an adjective

The following is a reader submission. I received the following request from Gary Rector of Salt River Project. I follow your thoughtful writing daily; would you consider writing about the use of “woman” instead of “female” as an adjective? Reading something like “the first woman manager in our company” makes me cringe. I’m sure that… Continue reading Using “woman” or “female” as an adjective

Bold, italics, underline: when to use them (or not)

A few years ago, I wrote an article about the overuse of bold and italics when emphasizing something. In summary, when using too much bold or italics, the logic of the emphasis is completely lost and the whole point of using emphasis is muted. This weekend, someone asked me on Twitter in relation to this… Continue reading Bold, italics, underline: when to use them (or not)