Why you should avoid superlatives and hyperbole in your writing
By Dan Kaufman on May 24, 201805We all use superlatives, even if we don’t know the term.
A superlative is a fancy way of saying something is the absolute best it can be – typical examples are most, best and fastest.
Donald Trump uses them in almost every sentence – a good writer should never use them except if they can be proven.
Why a hyphen and a dash are not the same – and why a dash is easier to use than a semicolon
By Dan Kaufman on March 18, 2018Most people have no idea that a dash is not the same as a hyphen – which is unfortunate, as a dash is an easy and effective way to add a pause into your writing …
How to write email preview and preheader text
By Dan Kaufman on February 16, 2018Email preview text (often called the preheader) is so important it can make the difference between someone opening your email or ignoring it. This article explains what it is and how to write for it.
How to write news stories in the inverted pyramid style
By Dan Kaufman on August 26, 2017The inverted pyramid is the most common way you can structure news stories, press releases, web pages and anything else that needs to immediately tell the reader what they need to know …
How to make your writing positive (which is not the same as making it happy or upbeat)
By Dan Kaufman on May 30, 2017Using positive language is a great way to make sentences short and snappy.
At the risk of sounding like a Grinch, using the positive form isn’t about being happy and upbeat. Instead, it’s about saying what something is – not what something isn’t …