A better way
My friend Jenna’s company is folding. She spent her entire career with the company and is now just one of the dispirited employees going...
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The Writing Desk
Ellen's newsletter
Feb 12, 2023
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...
Jan 26, 2023
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,...
Jan 11, 2023
"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...
Dec 27, 2022
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...
Dec 17, 2022
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...
Dec 8, 2022
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...
Nov 24, 2022
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...
Nov 16, 2022
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...
Nov 2, 2022
In the dark
Problem: Employees are 10 times (!) more likely to be frustrated by leaders who under-communicate than those who over-communicate. ...
Oct 19, 2022
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...
Oct 5, 2022
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...
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