Tag Archives: *writing

Effective Practices For Getting Readers To Return To Your Blog

Posted on November 22, 2015 by robertstevenson

The best way to get your visitors to return to your blog is to reward them with your writing. All the available social networks and blog marketing tools will do little to increase return visits to your blogs unless you … Continue reading →

Posted in *grammar posts, *writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 29 Comments

Blogging: Keep ’em coming back for more!

Posted on April 18, 2011 by robertstevenson

The best way to get your visitors to return to your blog is to reward them with your writing. All the available social networks and blog marketing tools will do little to increase return visits to your blogs unless you … Continue reading →

Posted in *writing | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Twelve Interesting Words

Posted on July 31, 2008 by robertstevenson

Twelve Interesting Words  How many words are in your vocabulary? The average high school graduate is said to know about 10,000 words. The average 4-year college graduate is said to know about 20,000 words. Do you have room for any more … Continue reading →

Posted in *grammar posts, *writing, Interesting stuff | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Overcome the comma!

Posted on July 12, 2008 by robertstevenson

Puny but powerful, the itsy bitsy comma remains a foe to many folks striving to use good grammar. The comma is among the most confusing and misused punctuation marks in English grammar. Some people place a comma whenever they pause … Continue reading →

Posted in *grammar posts | Tagged , , , | 23 Comments

The left-handed ceramic tile cutter of writing

Posted on June 4, 2008 by robertstevenson

In the back of the top shelf of your writing toolbox, sits three writing tools that often get dusty due to neglect. This post is meant to a stepladder to help reach these tools to prepare them for more frequent use. If you’re … Continue reading →

Posted in *writing | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

An exercise in brevity

Posted on June 2, 2008 by robertstevenson

Brevity is an important goal in online writing. Longer posts can be intimidating. Many visitors will only scan long posts at best. The theory is that online readers have relatively short attention spans. Of course, there are exceptions, but in general I … Continue reading →

Posted in *writing | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

We all know they exist, but we do not speak their names

Posted on May 16, 2008 by robertstevenson

We all know they exist, but we don’t speak of them. They are used everyday, but we dare not say them aloud. Their very existence requires us to be silent. And we comply without question. Most of them have no … Continue reading →

Posted in *grammar posts, *writing, Fun stuff | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

How to use news values

Posted on April 21, 2008 by robertstevenson

When considering your next newsworthy post or freelance article, it is important to consider the following news values: prominence, proximity, impact, conflict, timeliness, novelty/bizarre. Prominence deals with the characters you include in your piece. If it is relevant, include the … Continue reading →

Posted in *writing | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Stewardesses

Posted on April 14, 2008 by robertstevenson

Stewardesses. Stewardesses, Stewardesses Why am I posting about Stewardesses? The answer is I hurt my neck tossing heavy boxes into a truck over the weekend. Stewardesses. Stewardesses, Stewardesses Why Stewardesses. Need more info? The neck pain is causing my right … Continue reading →

Posted in Life | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Overcoming writer's block

Posted on April 10, 2008 by robertstevenson

Many of us have experienced it: the urge to write, but nothing – no words, no ideas – bubble up like a shaken soda ready to burst forth. Writer’s block can be compared to a slump, or a rut, or … Continue reading →

Posted in *writing, Thoughts | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Overcoming writer’s block

Posted on April 10, 2008 by robertstevenson

Many of us have experienced it: the urge to write, but nothing – no words, no ideas – bubble up like a shaken soda ready to burst forth. Writer’s block can be compared to a slump, or a rut, or … Continue reading →

Posted in *writing, Thoughts | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Write Good 3: subtly blatant

Posted on April 7, 2008 by robertstevenson

  1.      The passive voice should not be used. 2.      Go around the barn at high noon to avoid colloquialisms. 3.      Don’t repeat yourself, or say again what you have said before. 4.      Who needs rhetorical questions? 5.      Don’t use … Continue reading →

Posted in *grammar posts, Fun stuff | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Write good 2

Posted on April 6, 2008 by robertstevenson

One should never generalize. Eliminate quotations. As Ralph Waldo Emerson once said: “I hate quotations. Tell me what you know.” Comparisons are as bad as cliches. Don’t be redundant; don’t use more words than necessary; it’s highly superfluous. It behooves … Continue reading →

Posted in *grammar posts, *writing | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments