Here are some English text books someone recommended to me that may prove useful in your daily writing endeavours.
McGraw-Hill Handbook of English-- Canadian Edition:
Mind the Stop: a Brief Guide to Punctuation
Showing posts with label writing for the Web. Show all posts
Showing posts with label writing for the Web. Show all posts
Friday, February 27, 2015
Some recommended books for effective writing
McGraw-Hill Handbook of English-- Canadian Edition:
Mind the Stop: a Brief Guide to Punctuation
Thursday, January 3, 2013
The New Year of 2013
To inspire and motivate ourselves in our writing, particularly in writers' block moments, we can try approaching this New Year by doing something different each day and getting out of our comfort zone.
Complacency is indeed the death of creativity....
So try a new approach to New Year's resolutions and check out this site... www.365thingsin365days.com. This is one way of breaking out of the norm of being mediocre.
Wishing everyone all the best for 2013.
Happy New Year !
Monday, May 2, 2011
Canadian Discovery Portal-- for your research
www.canadiana.org is a great new search engine that searches 60 million pages of info from library, museum, and archives collections from Canada.
Use it to do your research for your writing.
Use it to do your research for your writing.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Online branding and you
Branding is about identifying your rainbow of talent and applying it with a plethora of passion in your well -researched target areas.
Your online brand should have the WOW factor but this needs to be accompanied by authenticity.
Your brand—your tag line for your online portfolio—has to be a ladle dropper. Like listening to Ted Koppul s great new stories, this tag line—makes you drop your ladle asyou are cooking in the kitchen and run to the TV set.
Your online brand should have the WOW factor but this needs to be accompanied by authenticity.
Your brand—your tag line for your online portfolio—has to be a ladle dropper. Like listening to Ted Koppul s great new stories, this tag line—makes you drop your ladle asyou are cooking in the kitchen and run to the TV set.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Book Summit 2011 Publishing event in Toronto
A major upcoming publishing event in Toronto for writers, publishing professionals, editors, librarians, educators, booksellers, literary agents, policy makers, publishing students, publishers, and anyone following book industry trends.
Book Summit 2011
www.booksummit.ca
Book Summit 2011
www.booksummit.ca
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Humber College writing courses go online
Thought you might be interested in this one...
Humber College part-time writing courses go online- no grades given- just support & guidance.
Contact :steve.bellamy@humber.ca- 416-675-6622 x 3450.
Humber College part-time writing courses go online- no grades given- just support & guidance.
Contact :steve.bellamy@humber.ca- 416-675-6622 x 3450.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Building and Nurturing Harmony in Your Writing
Dr. Ian Prattis , founder of Friends for Peace Canada, who is a Zen teacher, speaker and writer about the well-being of the planet . He is a writer of articles for Guidelines to Recreate Our World based on the teachings of Zen.
He believes the source of peace in the world is a peaceful mind.
This also applies to your writng. To create this environment , you have to work on transforming the seeds of fear of failure and rejection by cultivating peace within its inner core.
Sometimes, such an environment can be nurtured simply by being at peace within yourself. Peace happens one step , one person, and one mind at a time. Yes, it can take internal work to achieve this... Some people can work towards this through meditation, Tai Chi, and Qi Qong and other programs that can reduce stress and negative emotions.
Yes, it is possible to change the human mind set-- when dealing with perils of being a writer.
He believes the source of peace in the world is a peaceful mind.
This also applies to your writng. To create this environment , you have to work on transforming the seeds of fear of failure and rejection by cultivating peace within its inner core.
Sometimes, such an environment can be nurtured simply by being at peace within yourself. Peace happens one step , one person, and one mind at a time. Yes, it can take internal work to achieve this... Some people can work towards this through meditation, Tai Chi, and Qi Qong and other programs that can reduce stress and negative emotions.
Yes, it is possible to change the human mind set-- when dealing with perils of being a writer.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Good sites for Research
Here are some sites for research:
www.fumsi.com and www.freeprint.com.. Both of these sites provide practical help with info skills, and with company and trends research.
You can also check out Moreover Newsdesk-- it has the most news content from the Web.
These are definitely some sites you should bookmark.
www.fumsi.com and www.freeprint.com.. Both of these sites provide practical help with info skills, and with company and trends research.
You can also check out Moreover Newsdesk-- it has the most news content from the Web.
These are definitely some sites you should bookmark.
Friday, August 6, 2010
A site for online computer courses
Go to www.linda.com-- for free computer online courses and not so free courses, and other great stuff that can help you in your research for your various writing projects.
It also has a great online course for using Twitter-- a great research and marketing tool that all writers can use...
Happy Hunting on this site. Enjoy!
It also has a great online course for using Twitter-- a great research and marketing tool that all writers can use...
Happy Hunting on this site. Enjoy!
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Focus on the big picture
When you are writing, it is important to think of your script/piece – not as a thing in and of itself, but as part of a larger process.
This is particularly significant in our digital world with its emphasis on open platform, interactivity and global venue.
This is particularly significant in our digital world with its emphasis on open platform, interactivity and global venue.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
TheFuture of E-Publishing and E-Reading—
Here below is an excerpt and link to a Panel Discussion on e-publishing. I thought you might like to see it as it may help you in developing plans for your e-book
The Future of E-Publishing and E-Reading—Panel Discussion—April 7th, 2010
Traditionally publishers have been printing books for authors, selling to distributors who turn it around and sell to retailers. A consumer buys the book and sells second hand book to other consumer or a specialist used book store. The digital publishing is changing the model and on its way by passing many middle businesses. The book is no longer a physical entity and an e-author can publish the book him or herself and sells directly to the consumers. The process has also created new vistas – eBook readers, self-publishing houses, e-authors, and e-books. Anita’s presentation has a lot of good info. See below for link.
Future of E-Publishing and e-Reading Panel Discussion Apr. 7 2010 http://www.sipgroup.org/events/e_publishing2010/index.htm
The Future of E-Publishing and E-Reading—Panel Discussion—April 7th, 2010
Traditionally publishers have been printing books for authors, selling to distributors who turn it around and sell to retailers. A consumer buys the book and sells second hand book to other consumer or a specialist used book store. The digital publishing is changing the model and on its way by passing many middle businesses. The book is no longer a physical entity and an e-author can publish the book him or herself and sells directly to the consumers. The process has also created new vistas – eBook readers, self-publishing houses, e-authors, and e-books. Anita’s presentation has a lot of good info. See below for link.
Future of E-Publishing and e-Reading Panel Discussion Apr. 7 2010 http://www.sipgroup.org/events/e_publishing2010/index.htm
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Common Sense Writing
I recently discovered the book “The Art of Plain Talk”-- real oldie but goodie-- by Rudolf Flesch . As the book quotes: ” it shows you how to say and write what you mean in English that people understand.”
It is well worth a look through for those interested in what I call “ common sense writing”.
It is well worth a look through for those interested in what I call “ common sense writing”.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Turn your blog into a book.. soft or hardcover
As you continue into the New Year of 2010, are you looking at ways to get your writing "out there" in a trendy, but cost effective manner?
Did you ever think about turning your blog into a book.. soft or hardcover? Well, here is a link that deals with this endeavor.
http://blog2print.sharedbook.com/blogworld/printmyblog/index.html
Did you ever think about turning your blog into a book.. soft or hardcover? Well, here is a link that deals with this endeavor.
http://blog2print.sharedbook.com/blogworld/printmyblog/index.html
Monday, December 28, 2009
The Importance of Plain Language for the Web
A lot of websites suffer from a bad combination of “gobbledy gook” corporate speak addiction, excessive jargon use and superfluous words.
The literacy level of these sites are also often too high for their target audience/market niche. As a result, they are turning off existing users who may become potential customers and in the process, giving users/clients headaches who are trying to access the info. they need to use the service or product the site is offering.
Most websites have way too much info. that speaks too little about their services or programs . They fail to emphasize the “FAB factor” of using their product or services “Features, Advantages and Benefits”. Because most of today’s products and services are highly complex ,along with the barrage of daily communications from all directions and sources, we often end up acquiring the 21st century’s condition of attention deficit disorder/ information overload. Such a situation makes it critical that all content on websites be in Plain Language/Plain English- no matter what the type of info. it is and what format it is in.
The literacy level of these sites are also often too high for their target audience/market niche. As a result, they are turning off existing users who may become potential customers and in the process, giving users/clients headaches who are trying to access the info. they need to use the service or product the site is offering.
Most websites have way too much info. that speaks too little about their services or programs . They fail to emphasize the “FAB factor” of using their product or services “Features, Advantages and Benefits”. Because most of today’s products and services are highly complex ,along with the barrage of daily communications from all directions and sources, we often end up acquiring the 21st century’s condition of attention deficit disorder/ information overload. Such a situation makes it critical that all content on websites be in Plain Language/Plain English- no matter what the type of info. it is and what format it is in.
Monday, October 19, 2009
More tips re: writing for the Web
12. From your tracking analysis info, develop a profile of your readers before you start writing, e.g. who they are, what their goals, are, etc… What are the demographics of your clients: age, education, culture, geographic, etc..
13. Use pictures more often, if you can, to explain because people remember pictures more than words- images make the message more memorable. You can with the well-chosen pictures make an emotional impact upon a potential customer, which will help sell your service.
14. Overly large graphics can detract from your content delivery and your vital message to the client. Relevant and well-written content- impactive words should be able to stand on their own- even as plain text. Choose your graphics wisely--- the principle of “less is more” applies here. Keep the delivery of the content short and sweet. Avoid excessively long sentences.
15. Give them life stories on your site.. Try to include heartfelt stories by how your customers’ lives have been made easier or positively changed by using your service.
16. Don’t make the users work or think hard to get what they want or need.. i.e. don’t have them click 4 times to get back to the home page i.e. have a back button to Home page on each page of your site might prove useful in some cases. One click should get them to where they need to go on any part of your site.
17. Use the active voice and words that have impact. Whenever possible, make the subject of the sentence do something. Example:. The business proposals were reviewed by senior management. Can become- “Senior management reviewed the business cases.”
18. Understand that different audiences will have different needs and goals, and you must design for their diversity
19. Use short sentences, and paragraphs.
20. Provide sufficient visual space
13. Use pictures more often, if you can, to explain because people remember pictures more than words- images make the message more memorable. You can with the well-chosen pictures make an emotional impact upon a potential customer, which will help sell your service.
14. Overly large graphics can detract from your content delivery and your vital message to the client. Relevant and well-written content- impactive words should be able to stand on their own- even as plain text. Choose your graphics wisely--- the principle of “less is more” applies here. Keep the delivery of the content short and sweet. Avoid excessively long sentences.
15. Give them life stories on your site.. Try to include heartfelt stories by how your customers’ lives have been made easier or positively changed by using your service.
16. Don’t make the users work or think hard to get what they want or need.. i.e. don’t have them click 4 times to get back to the home page i.e. have a back button to Home page on each page of your site might prove useful in some cases. One click should get them to where they need to go on any part of your site.
17. Use the active voice and words that have impact. Whenever possible, make the subject of the sentence do something. Example:. The business proposals were reviewed by senior management. Can become- “Senior management reviewed the business cases.”
18. Understand that different audiences will have different needs and goals, and you must design for their diversity
19. Use short sentences, and paragraphs.
20. Provide sufficient visual space
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Tips for writing for the Web
Layout
Formatting and Background for the Web Article
1. Use a bigger font size for headlines
2. Use larger font size for people - it can range from 10 point to 14 point.
3. Colour code your headlines but do not use too many different colours.
4. Make sure the colour does not clash with the background, e.g. orange and pink together; blue and green; and yellow and orange ,etc…
5. Particularly avoid the following colours for text and background: yellow, green and blue.
6. Don’t use too much embolding or Italics… less is more because they are hard to read off a monitor.
7. Be careful of underlining headlines or words because it can be confused with hyperlinks.
8. Avoid the use of purple or orange for hyperlinks. These colours are very hard to see.
9. Don’t use serif fonts because you cannot differentiate serif font on the Web. Serif font is only for print.
10. Use bullet points - they are user –friendly and easy on the eyes.
11. Use vertical lists to break up complicated texts. By chunking the info., you make it easier for the reader to remember your message. Remember to use white space between chunking episodes to make the info. more appealing to the reader’s eye.
Formatting and Background for the Web Article
1. Use a bigger font size for headlines
2. Use larger font size for people - it can range from 10 point to 14 point.
3. Colour code your headlines but do not use too many different colours.
4. Make sure the colour does not clash with the background, e.g. orange and pink together; blue and green; and yellow and orange ,etc…
5. Particularly avoid the following colours for text and background: yellow, green and blue.
6. Don’t use too much embolding or Italics… less is more because they are hard to read off a monitor.
7. Be careful of underlining headlines or words because it can be confused with hyperlinks.
8. Avoid the use of purple or orange for hyperlinks. These colours are very hard to see.
9. Don’t use serif fonts because you cannot differentiate serif font on the Web. Serif font is only for print.
10. Use bullet points - they are user –friendly and easy on the eyes.
11. Use vertical lists to break up complicated texts. By chunking the info., you make it easier for the reader to remember your message. Remember to use white space between chunking episodes to make the info. more appealing to the reader’s eye.
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