In their classic book The Elements of Style, Strunk and White called word clutter “the leeches that infest the pond of prose, sucking the blood out of words.”

You can start by eliminating extraneous phrases tha […]

Things break down. Muscles atrophy from lack of use, cars won’t start from lack of maintenance, and houses get messy due to lack of cleaning. Sometimes life just doesn’t go the way you plan, and the e […]

In business and in life, we tend to irrationally build things up in our heads and overcomplicate what’s in front of us. We tend to overthink what it takes to complete our next project. In reality, there’s only one […]

Because your professional affiliations are part of your résumé, a “Member of NAIWE” badge image is provided so that you can add it to your social media profiles or other websites you own. Then when someo […]

Before detecting the passive voice and addressing how to change it to active, consider why you should care.

Active verbs will improve your writing (most of the time) because

active verbs declare who or […]

We wanted to get to know Jake Poinier (NAIWE’s Freelance Expert) better, so last month we sat down with him. Here is what he shared with us.

Are there standards to setting the fee structure?

Setting a […]

Does it take all of our senses to bring a word to life? Explain.

Prepare for the Writing Challenge

During Words Matter Week, we host a writing challenge. Each day we will post a question on our blog […]

For the most part, to produce feelings pertaining to a word, the word must be said or written. What are some other ways to feel a word?

Prepare for the Writing Challenge

During Words Matter Week, we […]

Is the power of words less effective and more easily misunderstood when only heard and not seen? Why?

Prepare for the Writing Challenge

During Words Matter Week, we host a writing challenge. Each day […]

Do you find words more powerful when in the written form? Why?

Prepare for the Writing Challenge

During Words Matter Week, we host a writing challenge. Each day we will post a question on our blog and […]

Did you develop a plan or even start crafting your book?

If so, congratulations! If not, you have a clean slate in this new year—a fresh opportunity to share your expertise with the world!

Look at this y […]

To help bring your words to life, how do you use them so your readers hear them?

Prepare for the Writing Challenge

During Words Matter Week, we host a writing challenge. Each day we will post a […]

Words Matter Week, which is in its 13th year, is a holiday that is celebrated annually the first full week in March by the National Association of Independent Writers and Editors.

Words are the basis for […]

If you don’t subscribe to my ezine Word Tripper of the Week, you’re missing out on a regular opportunity to sharpen your word use skills. You’ll find easy explanations of confusing word pairings such as “acce […]

What can editors tell writers about improving their writing before they even begin the editing process? Here’s a summary:

Mistake #1. Being so self-absorbed as a writer that you’re unaware of the reader’s exper […]

My daughter Amber recommended The Queen’s Gambit (Netflix) to me because she knows I loved the period piece “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” and I’m a chess nut. Good call on her part. After watching Episode 1: “Openin […]

In years past, writers who found themselves in the unfortunate position of finding their work infringed upon would have only one course of action: to take the infringing party to federal court to pursue damages […]

In this fun, fresh, fat-positive anthology, fat activist and sex educator Virgie Tovar brings together voices from an often-marginalized community to talk about and celebrate their lives. Hot & […]