Affect or Effect: 5 Tricks to Never Use the Wrong One Again
“Grammar is to a writer what anatomy is to a sculptor or the scales to a musician. You may loathe it. It may bore you. But nothing will replace it, and once you’ve mastered it, it will support you like a rock.” — B.J. Chute The English language has its nuances. Well, some of those nuances can get quite tricky. In some cases, they can be downright frustrating. Ta...
October 7, 2022 READ MORE
The Great English Plurals Debate
The other day, I overheard my kids having a passionate debate about the plural of “octopus.” My son insisted that the correct word was “octopi,” while my daughter argued that it was actually “octopuses.” This debate brought to mind an article that TWFH’s Office Manager, Kathy Rinchuiso, recently shared with us about the general rules of pluralization in th...
August 1, 2022 READ MORE
For the Love of Words: A Writing Agency’s Story
“I’ve always loved writing; I really had a passion for it all my life,” says Wintress Odom, owner and editor-in-chief at The Writers for Hire (TWFH), a Houston-based writing agency with clients across the U.S. and the world. When she started out as a solo freelance writer over 20 years ago, Wintress Odom didn’t know that both adversity and success lay ahead. She...
July 27, 2022 READ MORE
How To Become a Great Self-Editor: 7 Questions To Improve Your Writing
We’ve said it before, and we’ll probably say it again: Editing is an essential part of the writing process. Every writer -- from the bestselling novelist to the complete novice -- can benefit from a thorough review by a critical, impartial eye. Of course, it’s hard to be critical and impartial about your own work. This is also true for every writer, which is why ...
July 15, 2022 READ MORE
5 Ways Using Active Voice Will Improve Your Writing
The English language has two “voices” used in speaking and writing. It is quite common to hear references to these voices, but what do they truly mean? And when should each voice be used? What is voice? English uses the term “voice” to refer to the connection between the subject and the object of a sentence. This connection is possible through the use of ...
May 30, 2022 READ MORE