The Writing Desk
Ellen's newsletter

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...

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...

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,...

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...

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...

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

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

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...

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...

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

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...

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...