<div style="margin: 12px 0px; font-family: arial; color: #333333; background: #ffffff; border: solid 4px #e5e5e5; width: 100%; clear: left;"><div class="CM_CTB_Content_Wrap" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;background-color: #ffffff;"><div style="border-bottom: solid 1px #dcdcdc; white-space: nowrap; margin-bottom: 8px; background-color: #eeeeee ;background-image: url(http://www.clipmarks.com/images/source-bg.gif); background-repeat: repeat-x; height: 24px; line-height: 24px; vertical-align: middle; padding-bottom: 4px; color: #666666; font-size: 10px;" ><a href="http://clipmarks.com/clip-to-blog/" title="see clips that are hot right now"><img src="http://content.clipmarks.com/blog_embed/f0afda26-52ed-4cea-a6bb-3440b9c82783/7F5A3B90-624A-42E2-B756-F57A661A6FB0/" alt="" width="19" height="19" border="0" style="vertical-align: middle; margin: 0px 4px; display: inline; border: none; float:none;" /></a>clipped from <a title="http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=78&aid=103943" href="http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=78&aid=103943" style="font-size: 11px;">www.poynter.org</a></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=78&aid=103943"><div align="center"><img src="http://content6.clipmarks.com/blog_cache/www.poynter.org/img/EC933789-3617-468B-99F3-5B6122EF5E05" alt="Writing Tools" /></div></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=78&aid=103943"><DIV class="headline_colD">Fifty Writing Tools: Quick List</DIV></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=78&aid=103943"><SPAN>I.  Nuts and Bolts</SPAN></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=78&aid=103943"><BLOCKQUOTE>1. Begin sentences with subjects and verbs. <SPAN>Make meaning early, then let weaker elements branch to the right.</SPAN> </BLOCKQUOTE></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=78&aid=103943"><BLOCKQUOTE>2. Order words for emphasis. <SPAN>Place strong words at the beginning and at the end.</SPAN> </BLOCKQUOTE></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=78&aid=103943"><BLOCKQUOTE>3. Activate your verbs. <SPAN>Strong verbs create action, save words, and reveal the players.</SPAN> </BLOCKQUOTE></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=78&aid=103943"><BLOCKQUOTE>4. Be passive-aggressive. <SPAN>Use passive verbs to showcase the "victim" of action.</SPAN> </BLOCKQUOTE></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=78&aid=103943"><BLOCKQUOTE>5. Watch those adverbs.<BR /><DIV><SPAN> Use them to change the meaning of the verb.</SPAN></DIV> 6. Take it easy on the -ings.<BR /><DIV><SPAN> Prefer the simple present or past.</SPAN></DIV> 7. Fear not the long sentence.<BR /><DIV><SPAN> Take the reader on a journey of language and meaning.</SPAN></DIV> 8. Establish a pattern, then give it a twist.<BR /><DIV><SPAN> Build parallel constructions, but cut across the grain.</SPAN></DIV> 9. Let punctuation control pace and space.<BR /><DIV><SPAN> Learn the rules, but realize you have more options than you think.</SPAN></DIV> 10. Cut big, then small.<BR /><SPAN> Prune the big limbs, then shake out the dead leaves.</SPAN> </BLOCKQUOTE></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=78&aid=103943"><SPAN>II.  Special Effects</SPAN></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=78&aid=103943"><SPAN>III.  Blueprints  </SPAN></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=78&aid=103943"><SPAN>IV.  Useful Habits</SPAN></blockquote></div><div style="margin: 0px 6px 6px 4px;"><table style="font-size: 11px;border-spacing: 0px;padding: 0px;" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tr><td style="background:transparent;border-width:0px;padding:0px;">&nbsp;</td><td align="right" style="background:transparent;border-width:0px;padding:0px;width:107px" width="107"><a href="http://clipmarks.com/share/7F5A3B90-624A-42E2-B756-F57A661A6FB0/blog/" title="blog or email this clip"><img src="http://content7.clipmarks.com/images/c2b-foot.png" border="0" alt="blog it" width="107" height="17" style="border-width:0px;padding:0px;margin:0px;" /></a></td></tr></table></div></div>

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