Thinking about the active and passive voices
Even if you feel safer with the passive voice, consider how you might use the occasional active sentence to liven up your writing.
Finding your faults
When we edit, most of us simply read the text, line by line, correcting as we go. But it can be more effective to read for one kind of fault at a time.
Dealing with deadlines
Note all your deadlines on a planner and create false deadlines to allow yourself extra time.
The art and craft of editing
Use focussed tasks to turn editing from a fuzzy, depressing process into a proactive, task-based operation with clear goals.
Evidence for eyes and ears: teaching sentence style online
When re-designing workshops for online delivery, I try to exploit the auditory and visual potential of the platform to enhance what I’m communicating.
Working with your word limit
Cherise Saywell When coaching students nervous about the blank page, I’ve often used the word limit as a technique for getting started. A big project, such as a PhD thesis, is less intimidating once you break it down. For example,…
Parts of speech – the pictorial way
Here's an enjoyable way to learn how the different parts of speech affect your writing style.
Printing your work
Printing a draft is like taking out a map halfway through a journey to remind yourself of where you’re going.
Reading aloud for a sense of distance
When you read aloud to somebody else, you put yourself in their shoes.
Pruning versus felling
Sometimes you can selectively prune your writing, but sometimes you need to cut a whole section.
