The Writing Desk
Ellen's newsletter

You had me at Hello

Of all the topics that come up during my business writing class, how to write a suitable salutation (or write one at all) often generates...

Looks like magic

Last week on LinkedIn I read a ‘how to’ piece on writing a cover letter using the AI tool ChatGPT. The process seemed remarkably easy,...

"Know what you want to say and say it clearly"

Cellist Yo Yo Ma is revered around the world not just as an outstanding artist but as a superb communicator. He makes beautiful music and...

No hard and fast rule

You would probably be hard pressed to remember the names of your elementary and high school teachers. But when it comes to their odd and...

The old college essay

Applying to graduate school is nerve-wracking and time-consuming. You’re committed to this further course of study and yet know you’re...

Success story from Jennifer K

University of Toronto Business Writing student, Jennifer Kanji wrote in to share a persuasive writing win: Ellen, A few weeks ago, I was...

Pick up a book today

A fortunate few of us studied English in university or college. I did not and realize now how digging deep into the foundations of our...

Our writing voice

One of the areas we worry about in our notes is tone. This is understandable because our readers can’t see our facial expressions or hear...

In the dark

Problem: Employees are 10 times (!) more likely to be frustrated by leaders who under-communicate than those who over-communicate. ...

Be pithy

There are always going to be critics, but the hardest one to silence is the one in our heads. For many years, I agonized over every word...

Beckon with a good lead

It may be the last thing you write or the first, but there is no way to minimize the importance of your first sentence. Nothing kills...

Chocolate mousse: the enemy of perfection

On a humid summer’s day, I’m reading about the host of a garden party ladling out chocolate mousse, what one guest describes as, “cool,...