Flickr Creative Commons Image “The Lightning” by mhdhasan Not long before he died, a scientist friend objected to the title of Walt Whitman’s “Leaves of Grass” on the grounds that grass has spears, not leaves. “But,” said Whitman, “Spears of Grass would not have been the same to me.” Indeed it wouldn’t. Mark Twain called… Continue Reading
Wit and wisdom for wordsmiths
Category Archives: Secrets of good writing
Alan Alda’s guide to reaching kids and other smart people
Actor Alan Alda, who’s also a science nut, once used a walk with his 5-year-old grandson to explain evolution. Later, he heard the boy asking his older sister about something he didn’t understand. “Why don’t you ask Grandpa?” she said. Answered the boy, “I’ll never make that mistake again.” Find out below what Alda… Continue Reading
The secret revealed: How to make science and IT writing compelling!
African Dung Beetle, Flickr Image Let’s say you’re a scientist or an IT professional who has to write something from time to time – say an article or a speech. Or you’re a communications person in a scientific or IT organization who writes press releases and web copy. Here’s a quiz: What’s the only reason… Continue Reading
Does your writing have rhythm? Take a lesson from Brubeck
I’m not much of a jazz fan. But when Dave Brubeck died last week I remembered a joke his son, Chris, once told about rhythm. At the time, I was singing in a small chorus in Wilton, Connecticut that performed everything from madrigals to pop. But for one concert we did a Brubeck piece full… Continue Reading
An idiot’s guide to commas – and why a good one should make you smile!
At last. The Big Spenders have stopped writing checks, The People have spoken, the East Coast is picking itself up after Hurricane Sandy, and we can all get back to writing. Today we’re going to talk about those little grains of grammar called commas and periods. Stop! You’re reaching for… Continue Reading
The metaphor: the powerhouse of the writer’s arsenal
In case you’ve wondered what happened to The Writer’s Clinic for the past few weeks, I’ve been in Mexico. Specifically, in a Spanish Colonial city in the central highlands called San Miguel de Allende. It was amazing. I’m still digesting the experience. Next post I’ll tell you about it – and what I learned about… Continue Reading
Writing lessons from Lady Grantham
Bloggers have been weighing in all week about why Downton Abbey is making us all so misty for history. Is it the Lady Mary-Matthew love story? The inside look at the class structure of Edwardian England? That fabulous house? I’d say it’s for some of the best lines ever heard on television, the best of… Continue Reading
Why ALL your writing should be personal
A few days ago, a guest poster named Dr. Mani of Internet Infopreneur wrote this in Problogger Blog Tips “Listen, no one cares about you. . . . They only care about how much you care for them.” Come on. Nobody cares about your opinions? Your politics? Your career? I don’t buy it. Sure, readers… Continue Reading
The 3 elements good writing absolutely has to have
Once there was a woman who loved words. She loved words more than chocolate, more than Christmas carols, more than lightening or thunder, more than gigantic waves. More even than Golden Retriever puppies, though that one was close. Of course she was a blogger. So when she had to take a few weeks off for… Continue Reading