No free pass when you want to learn more about grammar and punctuation

Not understanding grammar or punctuation doesn't give you a free pass to avoid writing. As I've said, writing in simple forms can get you started in your mission to learn grammar. But don't stop there. As time goes by, you should improve your knowledge. Here are a few simple ways to develop your writing skills.

1) Write your own material as much as possible. Avoid using your administrative assistant as a crutch.

2) Read as little as 15 minutes a day. Choose wisely, for example, a modern, noted author. When you read, analyze the usage of grammar and punctuation that scares you. Look up words you don't know.

3) Avoid texting abbreviations when possible. When you write an email, don't write: "u 2." Spell it out and explain.

4) God and Word gave us spell-check. Use it.

5) The Internet is a wonderful research tool. Look up usages about which you are unclear.

What is a 'Writer's Voice?'

If you've always struggled with writing, it is likely because you don't have your "voice."

What does that mean? A writer's voice implies tone, choice in language, and even subject matter. When I was in college, I discovered, for example, that I preferred short sentences. One of my professors told me to write in more complicated and longer sentences. I asked why -- he had no answer.

Those short sentences were the beginning of the discovery of my voice. Over the years, my voice has developed. Little things cropped up -- there was liberal use of semi-colons, colons, dashes and hyphens. And I found that it is really OK to start a sentence with "and."

The easy answer is that your voice is a reflection of how you speak. But it is a little more than that. It is how you think; it is how you perceive the world. You use vocabulary that you wouldn't say. Your sentence structure is simpler -- or more complex -- than your spoken word.

So how do you find your voice? That's for another post.

Unlike Knowing Tax Law, You Have To Write

Everyone needs to know how to write. You don't have to possess an accountant's knowledge of IRS rules, or an attorney's knowledge of tax law. But you need to be able to write. From business letters to emails, at some point, we have to put our words on paper.

However, you will never improve if you don't practice. By delegating your writing to your administrative assistant, you are delaying the inevitable, and you will be ill-prepared when the time comes for you to write your own words.

If you are uncomfortable with writing, start by breaking your sentences into short, concise chunks. Keep the structure of your sentences simple, and as always, write what you know.

Write around what you don't understand until you have more experience. "Whom" stumps the best of us, for example. If you are unsure, structure the sentence to avoid the usage that scares you, until you are on firmer ground.
Don't trust "whom?" Instead of: "Mary, with whom I went to the store, loved the walk along Elm Street," write: "I went to the store with Mary. She loved the walk along Elm Street."

Online Writing Rules Grandma Taught You

There has been a lot of chatter on the Web in the last year about corporate policies on social media. The mantra? Good manners.

The same things that the likes of Ford Motor Co. and Dell have addressed in their policies carry over to the private Twitter addict: Follow the rules Grandma taught you. Hopefully, you don't misbehave at the grocery store and argue with fellow shoppers about who gets the choice head of lettuce. So why do we feel compelled to behave rudely when we're online?

Some online rules to live by:

1) Ask permission or cite the source when you post a graphic, text or other form of communication. Many sites don't mind if you lift, as long as you say where you got it from, but check.
2) Whether you get a comment on your Facebook wall or on your blog, count to 10 before getting snarky. Imagine you are looking them in the eye. How would you orally negotiate through a rough patch? Write the way you would speak (as always). Humor is ok, but think it through before you type.
3) Be honest. If you don't know, say so. If you have something constructive to share, write it.
4) Avoid off-color remarks. Not only will you get banned from many websites, you can get unfriended. And we don't want that, do we?
5) Finally, think it through one more time before you hit the send button. Remember, your content will linger on the Web for years to come. You don't want to cringe when you Google yourself, yes?

Social media guru Todd Defren has some excellent tips on his PR Squared resources site. Check it out.

Tips On Writing Good Titles For Your Blog

Titles are as important as the text, maybe more so. They compel the reader to continue and promise what is to come. Here are four rules.
1) As in good writing of text, choose an active voice. Like: "Cows and the Men Who Love Them."
2) However, most of us aren't adept at writing the snappy, compelling title. Consider titles with one of the five "Ws." Like: "What you need before bathing your dog," or, "How to blow dry your dog."
3) Choose the style of your titles. For example, decide if you want to capitalize the beginnings of all words, only words over three letters or only the first word. Do you want to end the titles with punctuation? I only use punctuation for questions and when there are two clauses. Consistency makes for a cleaner page.
4) Keep the titles as short as possible. If you can't, your post's topic may be too broad. Keep titles to one deck, or one line.

Blogging Ad Infinitum. Just Say No.

You have a blog subject. Now you need to start writing. Consider these rules before filing your first post.
1) Bring your reader value by educating and illuminating. If you write opinions, make sure they are well-informed. If you write fact-based posts, do your homework first.
2) For each post, choose a subset of a topic, rather than offering a broad-stroke piece. Address in bite-size chunks how to paint your dining room: choosing colors (one post), figuring out how much paint you'll need (second post), masking (third post), and so on.
3) No. 2 will help you keep the copy tight. With few exceptions, keep your posts to the top of the screen. If the reader has to scroll, they probably won't. If you must file a longer post, break up with graphics and subheadlines.
4) Think about ways to make lists. People love top five ways to brush your dog, particularly in a blog -- rather than words, words, words, as Beavis and Butt-Head say.

Blogging What You Know, Not What You Think

Remember the last-night's-dinner blogs of 2000? Yeah. I didn't read them either. Most of us have figured out that "dinner" blogs don't bring hits. But you have a burning desire to tell the world your tale. Where to start?

First, you need a topic. Here are some simple rules:

1) As in all good writing, write what you know. If you've never been exposed to Islam, why in the world are you talking about it? You must be able to speak authoritatively.
2) Search your topic on Google. Check out other blogs and websites on the same issue, and make sure you can offer something unique and of value.
3) Pick a subject that has a life of its own. You want something that will bring you gobs of ideas. Painting a house offers limited subject matter. Do-it-yourself renovation will generate multiple topics.
4) If you don't want to attach your name to your topic, then don't write about it. People are more trusting of a blogger who proudly states who she is.
5) Identify why you deserve to be trusted with the subject matter, whether it ties into your profession or it is a lifelong hobby.