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,...
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The Writing Desk
Ellen's newsletter
- Jan 11
"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...
- Sep 21, 2022
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,...
- Sep 7, 2022
Success story from Kevin Emsley, re: the power of persuasive writing
A student in my U of T business writing class, Kevin Emsley, told me an amazing success story that I hope is a lesson on the value of...
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