I recently wrote a newsletter about grammar checkers and somehow let my brain turn off long enough to type "grammer." And while I proofed the newsletter carefully, I managed to miss checking the subject line, which was where the error resided. Talk about embarrassing.  Continue reading...

What kind of writing works best on the web? Crawford Kilian has the answer. The author of the blog Writing for the Web, he offers solid advice on how best to communicate on websites. Check out his entry here.

Last month we talked to novelist Laurel Dewey about her invaluable techniques for charting a novel, which got a huge response from Visual Thesaurus readers. Well, Laurel, we can't get enough of you! We called her again, this time to ask how she crafted such memorable dialogue in her novel Protector. Laurel graciously shared her writing secrets:  Continue reading...

Dallas Morning News copy editor Nicole Stockdale writes a terrific blog on grammar and writing called A Capital Idea. In a recent entry she recaps a presentation on usage that covers quotes, danglers, the "who vs. whom" conundrum, and parses variations of the sentence, "only I hit him in the eye yesterday." Hit this link to check it out.

As the science reporter for KQED Public Radio's Quest program in San Francisco, Amy Standen covers a wide beat: Science, environment, technology, and everything in between. We were curious to know how Amy tackles her diverse subjects -- nuclear power, indoor air quality, peregrine falcons nesting under the Bay Bridge -- and brings them to life, subjects that could sometimes be a tad, um, dry. Amy's approach to writing about science holds insights to writers of every stripe. Here's our conversation with her:  Continue reading...

I'm in the final stages of writing a book. My working title is: The WriteNow System: 8-1/2 steps to writing better, faster. The work's going well, although not quite as quickly as I'd like, which is kind of embarrassing for someone who bills herself as a writing speed expert.  Continue reading...