Articles about writing, editing and improving content

Writing in the active voice is key to making your copy sharper and easier to read. Yet although many have heard about it, there’s a lot of confusion about what it means – even amongst professional writers and editors.

Some think it’s about tone or style; others think it’s about tense.

This article explains why it’s important and how to use it – in addition to explaining why there are also times when passive voice might work better.

The dash is a crucial punctuation mark, which is why AI uses it – and so should you.

Business writing is filled with abstract words such as stakeholder and outcomes – so much so, we now take them for granted. The problem is, they’re so vague they don’t paint a specific picture. Here’s what you should do instead:

Less is often more – especially when it comes to writing. Here are five easy ways you can tighten your copy without losing any meaning:

An editor once told me you’re not a real journalist until you get your first lawsuit. That was 20 years ago and although he was (probably) joking, I perversely liked the sentiment. After all, great journalism is all about keeping the bastards honest – and it’s hard to do that without ruffling feathers. The fact that a defamation suit turns your life to hell was a detail that escaped me in my youth.

These days I’m older, possibly wiser, and certainly more wary. After all …