Writing

Write first, think later.

Or: How sexy geology changed my life.

9 hrs ago •

Tropes weaponize everything.

So why do I love them? And what exactly is a trope?

Oct 28 •

A persuasive occasion has four trenches.

Known as "status theory," they're key to any argument over dishwasher loading.

Oct 24 •

Stop telling young writers to find their voice.

Instead, use this exercise to let them channel other voices.

Oct 21 •

Pronouns without antecedents ruin everything.

I’m looking at you, They.

Sep 26 •

The college essay shouldn’t be wasted on college.

Besides persuading college admissions officers, it can serve as an act of self-discovery.

Sep 23 •

Is there such a thing as good grammar?

And when should a kid learn it?

Sep 19 •

A punctuation mark landed this guy in prison

For most of the world, the period is a “full stop.” Maybe that’s why this one-character tweet earned the wrath of the supreme leader.

Sep 7 •

This Figure Has a Power We Can Measure

If only you and I could pronounce it.

Sep 2 •

When Your Prose Should Ditch the Clown Costume

Humor is a wonderful manipulative tool. Just make sure that it doesn't violate decorum.

Aug 26 •

Do we need a Society to Limit Acronym Proliferation (SLAP)?

We need to see all those LOLs and ICYMIs and contrived acronyms for what they are: a human version of what bonobos do to each other.

Aug 19 •

The passive voice was used, and mistakes were made

Kill the copula, and your couch-potato prose will get totally jacked.

Aug 15 •

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