When most people set out to write something like a report or proposal, they make one fundamental error. They might adapt a similar one that they wrote before or find one that someone else has written and model that. Or they'll tweak a template – which is probably also...
Writing Matters
Welcome to the blog – advice, opinions and musings on how to make words work
From the blog
Latest
Are you allowing your team to be great business writers?
Once, in pre-Emphasis days, I found myself in a training room full of people whose body language told me that they really did not want to be there....
How better communication can reduce your team’s stress
It's one thing when stress intrudes on your own working day. But when you're responsible for a team, their stress is your stress too. If you're...
Will ChatGPT silence human writers?
If you're ever feeling down about what you've achieved in life, this surprising fact might cheer you up. You managed to rewire your own brain before...
Are you driving readers to distraction?
As you read this, a miracle is happening. Your eye is detecting dots and squiggles on the screen in front of you and your brain is...
How to get what you want by changing how you write
A while ago (OK, quite a while ago), I announced that I was starting a research project on the science of written communication, with a view to...
Expert advice to your inbox
Our newsletter Writing Matters will help you to get your point across, supercharge your writing and make sure you stand out from the crowd. We've helped over 80,000 professionals achieve their goals.
Writing to engage – for learning and development leaders [webinar recording]
As a learning and development professional, you'll know only too well the wide range of documents, updates, posts and messages you have to write in...
Everything you need to know about our bespoke in-company business-writing training
You may or may not be tempted to visit a tailor the next time you want to buy a suit. But you probably know that if you did, you'd end up with...
Editing and proofreading – what’s the difference?
The first draft of a document is usually something like the proverbial first pancake: a less-than-ideal shape, a little thin in some parts and...
How to handle post-presentation questions
Presentations are known for striking fear in the hearts of many. But, for some, the terror of presenting is surpassed only by having to field...
Why do we keep our course group sizes small?
We cap our small-group training at ten delegates per course. Eight is even better. But these limits may seem a little stingy at first – especially...
Are our courses suitable for non-native speakers of English?
An estimated one billion people in the world now speak English as a second language. That number will only grow. Meanwhile, some big international...
Are big words clever? Finding fluency in your writing
What do you want your writing style to say about you? What impression do you hope the things you write at work leave on those who read them? We know...
We’re on the LPI’s top learning-provider list for the third year running
Training is only worthwhile if it works. It needs to do far more than simply let you tick a box. That’s why we’re proud that the Learning and...
Remote learning versus e-learning versus webinars
If your learning options are limited to the digital, you actually still have a range of possibilities to choose from. But what are they, how does...
Why you need to practise good information hygiene too [research]
I didn’t sleep well last Thursday night. The media images of the previous few days had been playing on an endless loop in my mind, so what little...
Learning in lockdown: 5 lessons from over 10 years in the virtual classroom
Our consultants reveal how they make remote courses every bit as engaging as those in the real world. 2020 is changing us. Working from home,...
Screen blindness and the $331 million typo
No matter where you are as you read this, you spend most of your time living in the same place as I do: in your screen. We all live in our screens...
Knowledge Hub
In-depth guides and actionable advice – whatever you're writing
Your go-to guide to better writing
Get your own PDF copy of The Write Stuff, the definitive guide for everyone who writes at work.

