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Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing (Quick & Dirty Tips) Online sensation Grammar Girl makes grammar fun and easy in this New York Times bestseller Are you stumped by split infinitives? Terrified of using “who” when a “whom” is called for? Do you avoid the words “affect” and “effect” altogether? Grammar Girl is here to help! Mignon Fogarty, a.k.a. Grammar Girl, is determined to wipe out bad grammar—but she’s also determined to make the process as painless as possible. A couple of years ago, she created a weekly podcast to tackle some of the ... [Find out more ...]

Developing your effective writing skills is easier than you think. In many cases, you can make significant improvement by applying simple adjustment to your individual writing process. To start off, you must remove yourself from the whole process of writing, thus being able to actually figure out what it is you mean to say.

Most people become so involved in the ‘how’ of writing that they forget what it is they want to communicate. Not knowing the purpose of what you are writing only make writing more difficult. The process itself is not what is difficult; it is your mind that makes writing complicated. Developing your effective writing skills can make writing much easier and more productive.

Take the time to choose a subject matter that is either of interest to you or one that will be of interest to your readers. Keep track of writing ideas you would like to write about so that you have topics readily available. It is best that you know the subject well and provide insight into the matter for your audience. If not, thoroughly research to understand the topic.

Once you have your topic, decide your main points on the topic. What is it that you want to say, and why? List these reasons out in an organized manner, and you have the outline before you know it. This will also helps you when you are writing your introduction, as you already have what you want to say. The words you need will flow. And if they do not, simply take a walk and figure out how you would like to get your points across. Always remember, your words are not going to impress your readers as much as what you actually have to say. In other words, do not write as if you wish to impress but rather to be understood.

Let your thoughts flow freely, not stopping to edit or worry about grammar, punctuation, or spelling at this point. Simply write down your thoughts. Once you do this, the process will come much faster. When you are finished, take a break. This will give you time to come back to your writing with fresh perspective. Then, you can edit. Check your spelling, punctuation, grammar and eliminate unnecessary wording. Check to see if it flows properly and if it actually gets your points across the way you meant to in the first place.

In order to develop your effective writing skills, you must try to avoid overcomplicating what it is that you want to say. In other words, your writing should merely be a conversation with your audience. You want to be able to allow your thoughts to flow freely without interruption. That is how true writing greatness can be achieved. Mean what you write and write what you mean.

Archipelagic English

Seventeenth-century 'English Literature' has long been thought about in narrowly English terms. Archipelagic English corrects this by devolving anglophone writing, showing how much remarkable work was produced in Wales, ... [Find out more ...]

Oxford English Quest: Y5/P6: Support Guide for ...

Oxford English Quest is an exciting English resource that provides quality complete texts for shared reading and comprehension, and activities to improve the quality of children's ... [Find out more ...]

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