Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Book Preview: #1 A school in Connecticut held a panel discussion about writing as a vocation and avocation. Dr. Brock, a surgeon, was going to talk about writing as an avocation. I told him that writing was not easy and not fun, but it was hard and lonely. #2 The writing process is a personal one, and it’s difficult to find the real person behind the tension. But ultimately, the product that any writer has to sell is not the subject being written about, but who they are. #3 Clutter is the disease of American writing. We are a society strangling in unnecessary words, circular constructions, pompous frills, and meaningless jargon. To clear our heads of clutter, we must practice clear thinking and clear writing. #4 The reader is someone with an attention span of about 30 seconds. They are constantly being attacked by many forces competing for their attention. The writer must ask: What am I trying to say. Very few sentences come out right the first time or even the third time.

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 A school in Connecticut held a panel discussion about writing as a vocation and avocation. Dr. Brock, a surgeon, was going to talk about writing as an avocation. I told him that writing was not easy and not fun, but it was hard and lonely. #2 The writing process is a personal one, and it’s difficult to find the real person behind the tension. But ultimately, the product that any writer has to sell is not the subject being written about, but who they are. #3 Clutter is the disease of American writing. We are a society strangling in unnecessary words, circular constructions, pompous frills, and meaningless jargon. To clear our heads of clutter, we must practice clear thinking and clear writing. #4 The reader is someone with an attention span of about 30 seconds. They are constantly being attacked by many forces competing for their attention. The writer must ask: What am I trying to say. Very few sentences come out right the first time or even the third time.

On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction (1976) is a collection of guiding principles that can help aspiring writers craft captivating works of professional-quality nonfiction in a variety of genres. Author William Zinsser argues that all writing can be improved by committing to clear, simple prose... Purchase this in-depth summary to learn more.

Do you worry that your understanding of English grammar isn’t what it should be? It may not be your fault. For hundreds of years, vague and confused ideas about how to state the rules have been passed down from one generation to the next. The available books for the general reader – thousands of them, shamelessly plagiarizing each other – repeat the same misguided definitions and generalizations that appeared in the schoolbooks used by your great-great-grandparents. Geoffrey K. Pullum thinks you deserve better. In this book he breaks away from the tradition. Presupposing no prior knowledge or technical terms, he provides an informal introduction to the essential concepts underlying grammar and usage. With his foundation, you will be equipped to understand the classification of words, the structure of phrases and clauses, and why some supposed grammar rules are really just myths. Also covered are some of the key points about spelling, apostrophes, hyphens, capitalization, and punctuation. Illuminating, witty, and incisive, The Truth About English Grammar is a vital book for all who love writing, reading, and thinking about English.

Have you ever picked up a volume of theology, read the first page, and decided you would rather scrub the bathroom floor than read another page? Theology does not need to be abstract, dull, boring, tedious, dense, inconsequential, trivial, remote, immaterial, or unimportant. Theology should not leave readers feeling bewildered and lost. Expressing Theology challenges writers of theology to craft engaging, compelling, and beautiful prose that grabs readers' attention and makes reading a pleasure. Expressing Theology provides writers of theology--academics, aspiring, and published--with perspectives and writing techniques to write theology that readers want to read.

Is Your Biggest Ministry Obstacle Writer’s Block? As an active member in ministry, writing is usually inevitable. Perhaps you approach these opportunities with excitement—or maybe you procrastinate to avoid the task altogether, your pages remaining forever blank. No matter how you feel about writing, approaching a project can be overwhelming. Knowing what to say can be as confusing as knowing where to begin. Perhaps for you, the first step in the writing process is simply to demystify the writing process, to realize that you are capable of accomplishing your projects. If so, then Writing for Life and Ministry is for you. Seasoned writer and writing coach Brandon J. O’Brien examines the obstacles that often inhibit ministry leaders from thriving as writers. Most importantly, he simplifies the writing process, so it is both accessible and flexible to fit your style. Don’t let the craft of writing keep you from flourishing in your ministries. With this resource, you’ll learn how to plan, draft, and revise. The included exercises will enable you to hone your craft and develop your skills. Best of all, you’ll be ready to tackle that writing project you’ve been putting off with confidence.

A veteran writing teacher shares techniques and exercises to help anyone who struggles with written communication create effective and engaging content. In almost any career, you must know how to write—even if it’s not part of your job description. But if you are a reluctant writer, producing even the simplest memo may be a struggle. Write Better Right Now is the springboard to get you ahead in any job, passion project, or situation that requires writing skills. No matter what you are called upon to do—blog posts, speeches, web content, press releases, or more—this step-by-step manual gives you the solid techniques you need to get the task done. Write Better Right Now works because it is: —Short: It takes a concise approach, from first thoughts to final edits, and its mix-and-match structure means you only have to read the sections you need. —Practical: It is loaded with summations, short cuts, tips, cheat sheets, and hands-on exercises. —Solution-driven: Knowing where you’ve gone wrong is half the battle. Write Better Right Now offers you the tools to identify your own problem patterns and choose the quickest and most appropriate fixes. You can improve your writing today. With straightforward guidance, Write Better Right Now is the quick read for productive people who need to create clear and crisp communication—right now.

This stimulating collection is the first to take on the issue of form and what it means to the future of scholarly writing. A wide range of distinguished scholars from fields including law, literature, and anthropology shed light on the ways scholars can write for different publics and still adhere to the standards of quality scholarship.

Written by fundraising experts Tom Ahern and Simone Joyaux, Keep Your Donors is a new, winning guide to making disappointing donor retention rates a thing of the past. This practical and provocative book will show you how to master the strategies and tactics that make fundraising communications profitable. Filled with case studies and based in part on the CFRE and AFP job analyses, Keep Your Donors is your definitive guide to getting new donors—and keeping them—for many years to come.

The #1 Guide to Excellence in Technical Communication—Fully Updated for Embedded Assistance, Mobile, Search, Multimedia, and More Direct from IBM’s own content design experts, this guide shows you how to design product interfaces and technical information that always place users front and center. This edition has been fully revised to help you consistently deliver the right content at the right time. You’ll master today’s best practices to apply nine essential characteristics of high-quality technical information: accuracy, clarity, completeness, concreteness, organization, retrievability, style, task orientation, and visual effectiveness. Coverage Includes Advocating for users throughout the entire product development process Delivering information in an ordered manner by following progressive disclosure techniques Optimizing content so that users can find it from anywhere Streamlining information for mobile delivery Helping users right where they are Whether you’re a writer, editor, information architect, user experience professional, or reviewer, this book shows you how to create great technical information, from the product design to the user interface, topics, and other media. Thoroughly revised and updated Extensive new coverage of self-documenting interfaces and embedded assistance Updated practical guidelines and checklists Hundreds of new examples