Someone recently pointed out that I use punctuation in my text messages. Apparently, that can convey an unintended tone. Trust me, my commas and periods don’t have subtext. They’re simply deeply ingrained grammar habits. But, I get it and I’m not here to take a stand about adding punctuation to your next text. However, I would like to make the case that good punctuation habits saves lives.

Finding out about a new assignment is one of my favorite parts of being a freelance writer. Right up until I see the word count. That’s the reality check that makes the assignment feel daunting. Or impossibly constrained. Word counts are my nemesis. And spoiler alert: Word counts are also my friend.

I love some words for the way they sound or how much fun they are to say. Others I like for what they mean or how, just by saying them, your tone is instantly more formal or downright silly. So, I made a list of a few favorites. Take a look.

Some grammar rules are made to be broken. Some aren’t. Read on to discover six annoying grammatical mistakes that are never okay.

Research shows that if you want to boost your creativity, you can. In fact, you can essentially train your brain to make creativity your repeatable, go-to approach for both work and life. How cool is that? Here are the 3 resolutions to help get ideas flowing.

It turns out typos happen for a good reason: we’re highly focused on conveying our message, not typing. And we don’t always see our mistakes because our brains know what we meant. Still, typos are exasperating — and potentially damaging to our credibility. Read on for more about why typos happen and my 5 favorite tips for spotting them before it’s too late.

As a business owner, one of the most valuable marketing assets you have is an opted-in email address of a client or potential client. By opting in, this person is basically saying, “Okay, market to me.” Are your email marketing strategies up to the task?

Every word counts. But more words won’t automatically make your writing better. So, how do you ensure you’re choosing the right words and getting rid of the ones that aren’t necessary? Read on for three easy-to-implement tips to de-clutter your writing and catch – and keep – your readers’ attention.

I went into my new career chapter with an idealized vision of what a freelancer’s day looks like. What’s not to like about a calendar that’s driven by when you want to work and the work you want to do? As it turns out, plenty.

Back in high school, I developed a habit of doing all the legwork on a project and then putting off the writing part for a day or two. To observers (aka my mom), it sometimes looked a lot like procrastination. However, I had inadvertently tapped into the power of my subconscious mind. Read on for 3 blog writing tips that optimize your subconscious to help create better posts.

The average American knows 42,000 words by the time she is 20 years old. After that, our collecting of new words slows way down, and we end up with an active vocabulary that relies on around 3,000 words. It’s time to give your words a workout and expand your active vocabulary.

Real-life often gets in the way when we set out to execute our content marketing plan. But, generating leads and achieving your marketing goals won’t happen without developing and committing to a realistic plan. Here are 3 essential ah-has that make your content marketing strategy totally do-able.

It’s not a good use of sales resources or marketing dollars to have salespeople cold calling a list of prospects who don’t match up to the ones you’re targeting with your digital marketing and content strategies. But, that’s exactly what happens when your company’s sales and marketing aren’t in synch. Discover the 5 secrets behind successful smarketing.