I have written about clichés in a previous blog but there are some words and phrases that are just as annoying as clichés. Clichés at least have the distinction of once being original — it’s their overuse that makes them
Titles – tips on how to write an attention-grabbing title
Good titles are the best way of grabbing the attention of your audience. Have you ever been drawn to a book in a bookshop, an article in a magazine or a blog on a website by its title? Or, have you ever rejected
Cinquains – what are they and how do you write one?
My blog on six-word memoirs is all about brevity and and so continuing with this theme let me introduce you to the world of cinquains. What is a cinquain? A cinquain (pronounced sin-cain) comes from the Latin for five and
Develop your own writing style
As a new or inexperienced writer you probably haven’t given much thought to your own writing style. You are probably just relieved to get something down on paper and the last thing on your mind is what style you are writing in.
What are idioms and should you use them?
What are idioms and should you use them in your writing? The Cambridge Dictionary definition of idioms is ‘a group of words in a fixed order that have a particular meaning that is different from the meanings of each word on
Why you should avoid clichés like the plague
Clichés are words and phrases that have been used so often they have ceased to have much impact. When they were first written they may have been original and colourful but overuse has guaranteed that they are now anything but.
Never use a long word where a short one will do
A mistake some new or less experienced writers make is to believe that if they want to appear clever they should avoid short words and use long, pretentious words or phrases which are not part of their normal vocabulary. But you