How to Take the Fog Out of Business Writing


Book Description

"How to Take the Fog Out of Business Writing" shows you how to save time, money, and energy for your business. It introduces you to The 10 Principles of Clear Statement; 24 simple ways to lift fog and improve your writing; the Fog Index scale; and how to measure the complexity of your writing. Plus, 18 of the most commonly asked questions about business writing and helpful clear writing exercises to help you sharpen your business writing skills.







Knitting the Fog


Book Description

Weaving together narrative essay and bilingual poetry, Claudia D. Hernández’s lyrical debut follows her tumultuous adolescence as she crisscrosses the American continent: a book "both timely and aesthetically exciting in its hybridity" (The Millions). Seven-year-old Claudia wakes up one day to find her mother gone, having left for the United States to flee domestic abuse and pursue economic prosperity. Claudia and her two older sisters are taken in by their great aunt and their grandmother, their father no longer in the picture. Three years later, her mother returns for her daughters, and the family begins the month-long journey to El Norte. But in Los Angeles, Claudia has trouble assimilating: she doesn’t speak English, and her Spanish sticks out as “weird” in their primarily Mexican neighborhood. When her family returns to Guatemala years later, she is startled to find she no longer belongs there either. A harrowing story told with the candid innocence of childhood, Hernández’s memoir depicts a complex self-portrait of the struggle and resilience inherent to immigration today.




Editor-Proof Your Writing


Book Description

Don’t let simple mistakes ruin your book’s chances! If you’re not getting published, you may suffer from foggy writing—writing that’s full of unnecessary, misused, and overused words. Foggy writing drives editors crazy, and it’s the number one reason most manuscripts are rejected on first glance. Let veteran editor Don McNair show you how to clear up your foggy writing and produce sparkling copy that will attract agents, editors, readers, and sales. Editor-Proof Your Writing will show you how to avoid fatal writing mistakes by eliminating unnecessary words—and in the process you’ll strengthen your book’s action, invigorate your dialogue, and make your writing crackle with life. Containing 21 simple, straightforward principles, Editor-Proof Your Writing teaches how to edit weak verb forms, strip away author intrusions, ban redundancies, eliminate foggy phrases, correct passive-voice sentences, slash misused and overused words, and fix other writing mistakes. A must-have addition to every writer’s toolkit, Editor-Proof Your Writing won’t just make your writing clearer; it will make you a better writer — more expressive, more entertaining, and more likely to sell.




Stairway to Earth: How to Writer a Serious Book


Book Description

Stairway to Earth: How to Write a Serious Book is a book dedicated to helping authors write superb manuscripts.Veteran book consultant Bill Birchard details his unique 14-step process to writing serious nonfiction. Among the topics covered: How to craft a crisp book message. How to structure an argument into a progression of logical chapters. How to organize a research program and manage a flood of reference documents. How to craft a book proposal that agents and publishers find irresistible. How to draft a superb first, second, and final draft without wasting countless hours in rewriting.For both new and seasoned authors, Stairway to Earth provides the secret for mastering book development. The book is packed with tips and secrets to make the job go easier and quicker. Birchard reveals story after story with insights from years of hands-on experience. For would-be authors who know they are destined to write a book, Stairway is the indispensible guide.




Writing Through the Fog


Book Description

Ronayne began struggling with MS-related brain fog more than a decade ago, and relearning to write became her obsession. In the years since, she's discovered and cultivated a number of tricks to keep a muddied writing mind - whether from brain fog or not - on track and energized.In Writing through the Fog, you'll learn how to: Re-frame your attitudes toward brain fog and writing Find and use the inspiration that's all around you Determine your optimal writing times Harness small windows of clarity and creativity Work with your foggy brain to develop routines that work for you Set up a writing space that helps you realize your writing goals Banish distractions And much more Learn how to stay focused while you pen the great American novel - or a simple birthday card to your cousin. If you feel that brain fog has forced you to give up writing, but the urge to create hasn't gone away, this book is for you. Cognitive issues don't have to be the end of your writing. You still have the same abilities you've always had; the process just requires a different approach these days. With patience, persistence and a healthy dose of humor, you can reclaim the writing life you once took for granted.What About Writer's Block? If you don't have brain fog but you feel unable to produce the same kind of writing you once did, this book is also for you. Aging brains, overwhelming schedules, a life of distractions and an inability to focus on our writing lives can be just as maddening as dealing with fog caused by chronic illness or medications. No matter how large or small your writing project, Writing through the Fog will help you reach the end of it with your sanity intact.




How to Write Short


Book Description

America's most influential writing teacher offers an engaging and practical guide to effective short-form writing. In How to Write Short, Roy Peter Clark turns his attention to the art of painting a thousand pictures with just a few words. Short forms of writing have always existed-from ship logs and telegrams to prayers and haikus. But in this ever-changing Internet age, short-form writing has become an essential skill. Clark covers how to write effective and powerful titles, headlines, essays, sales pitches, Tweets, letters, and even self-descriptions for online dating services. With examples from the long tradition of short-form writing in Western culture, How to Write Short guides writers to crafting brilliant prose, even in 140 characters.




Plain Language in Plain English


Book Description

This book shows you how to write for customers and clients in language that’s easy to understand. It is a thorough companion to the writing process, with comprehensive guidance and advice on understanding your readers, planning and creating your text, and presenting your words in a good design.The contributor list reads like a who’s who of plain language experts. Plain Language in Plain English is a valuable resource for governments, businesses, service providers, and professionals in any field to improve their communication.From organizational guidelines, literacy awareness, and reader expectations, to effective speaking strategies for presentations, Plain Language in Plain English, is a comprehensive tool to have in your “communication toolbox.â€




How Writers Journey to Comfort and Fluency


Book Description

This book, by a psychologist with two decades of investment in writers, depicts his programs for instilling patience, pacing, constancy, and resilience in writing. He shows how writers proceed to comfort and fluency by detailing strategies, rules, and turning points for a diversity of writers--professional, professorial, and otherwise. The result is a thorough-going discussion of what helps writers and a review of the broad literature that program participants found most helpful.




Renovating Your Writing


Book Description

Renovating Your Writing outlines the principles of effective composition by focusing on the essential skill set and mindset every successful writer must possess. Now in its second edition, this novel text provides readers with unique strategies for crafting and revising their writing, whether for school, work, or play. The new edition emphasizes, in particular, the importance of the writer embracing a rhetorical perspective, distinguishing between formal and social media compositional styles, and appreciating the effort needed to produce clear, concise, and compelling messages.