11 Tips to Clean Up Your Dirty, Wordy Writing

Get out the pruning shears: a big part of good writing is good editing. And a surefire way to give your writing a confidence boost is to eliminate words that weigh down your writing and make you sound uncertain.

We call these weasel words. Like weasels, they’re not necessarily bad on their own. In fact, they’re kind of cute. But weasels are known for escaping situations (ever heard of someone “weaseling out” of something?). Plus, if you’re a rabbit, they’re deadly.

Weasel words won’t kill you (or rabbits). But you’ll still be safer if you avoid them. So give your writing a confidence boost with these tips for cleaning up your writing.

Get rid of these dirty habits

1 Weasel words Specifically, weasel words are qualifiers that might make you sound sort of like you’re not sure of yourself. Or maybe like you’re trying to create a little wiggle room. For example:

• Like
• Sort of, kind of
• Maybe, perhaps
• Might, can

Let’s try that again. Weasel words are qualifiers that make you sound unsure of yourself, like you’re trying to create wiggle room.

Don’t get us wrong: in some cases, you need these words. But if you want to convey an idea or make an argument, remove words that make your readers think of slimy politicians trying to avoid stating something directly. Maybe it can make a difference.

No, really: it makes a difference.

2 Adverbs Like weasel words, adverbs aren’t evil on their own. They’re like seasoning: a little goes a long way. Who wants pasta with more pepper on it than cheese?

Stephen King wrote in his book On Writing:

The road to hell is paved with adverbs.

We’re not going to bring devils and brimstone into the picture, but we do strongly recommend that you seriously think about taking out the adverbs, unless you actually need to significantly modify an idea.

Oh look, it happened again. Here’s that sentence without the padding: we recommend taking out the adverbs unless you need to modify an idea. Stronger, right?

Here are some of the most common do-nothings in the adverb world:

• Actually
• Basically
• Currently
• Presently
• Really
• Suddenly
• Very
• Seriously

When you catch yourself using one of those words, read the sentence to yourself without it. If it doesn’t change the meaning of the sentence in a significant way, axe it.

3 “There is” and “there are”

There is nothing more boring than a sentence that starts with “there is.” In other words, sentences that start with “there is” are boring. In other words, write interesting sentences. Constructions that start with words like “it,” “here,” or “there,” followed by a form of the verb “to be” fall into the category of empty filler words.

Instead, try to start with yourself or a subject—or better yet, a verb—to focus on the action and the idea. After all, there are so many interesting writing styles out there. Er, that is, emulate interesting writing styles to keep your prose powerful.

Replace these signs of weakness

1 Excessive Punctuation

Sure: sometimes a colon, semicolon, or other fancy punctuation—dashes, for example—can help you get a point across; it’s elegant and convincing.

But often, shorter sentences are better. If your writing feels weighed down by long sentences crammed with lots of punctuation, try taking out some of the extras in favor of sentences that are short and sweet.

2 Too many negatives

Yes, that goes for your mood, but it also goes for your writing. If you’re finding lots of instances of “shouldn’t,” “can’t,” “don’t,” and other variations of “not” in your writing, try to diversify by picking a verb that doesn’t require the word “not.”

For example:

You shouldn’t use negatives in your writing.

Vs.

Use positive words in your writing.

Now there’s a boost to your writing style and your mood.

3 Excessively fancy words

Fancy words are fun. They make us feel smart. They remind us that we took the SAT, and despite the tribulations of the egregious experience, passed with equanimity and aplomb.

It’s a bit much. Sure, a 50-cent word here and there can help you convey ideas precisely—for example, “with equanimity” is a lot more specific than “doing a good job and staying calm.” But don’t just toss in the big guys to make yourself sound smart. Your writing will be clearer and more powerful if you use them sparingly. After all, you can have too much of a good thing.

4 The word “thing”

Really, just destroy that thing.

Pretty much every time you use the word “thing,” you could pick another word that is more specific and precise.

Take these examples:

I’m trying to strengthen my writing with things that sound better to an audience.

Vs.

I’m trying to strengthen my writing by gearing my style toward a target audience.

See? Rewriting can be a powerful thing.

Follow these key rules

1 Make verbs stronger

In other words, strengthen your verbs. That just about covers it.

2 Think about icebergs

You know, the tip of the iceberg. It’s an idiom that means a small or visible part of a much bigger issue, and it’s how Ernest Hemingway thought about writing as a whole. Here’s the idea in his words:

If a writer of prose knows enough of what he is writing about he may omit things that he knows and the reader, if the writer is writing truly enough, will have a feeling of those things as strongly as though the writer had stated them. The dignity of movement of an ice-berg [sic] is due to only one-eighth of it being above water.

The metaphor: the dignity of writing is also due to slashing what you want to say down to what you need to say. Maybe one-eighth sounds extreme, but even if you have a different fraction, the rule stands: show, don’t tell, and if you’re showing, show it in a shorter way. Whether you’re writing fiction, nonfiction, or something that defies definition, it’s a good rule of thumb.

3 Listen to George Orwell

In an essay called “Politics and the English Language,” he defined six rules of writing. If they worked for the author of 1984 and Animal Farm, they may just work for you. Here they are now:

1. Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.

2. Never use a long word where a short one will do.

3. If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.

4. Never use the passive where you can use the active.

5. Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.

6. Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.

There you have it: keep your writing simple, brief, active, free of clichés, and to the point.

But Orwell gives you a little bit of leeway: if something sounds “outright barbarous” (in simpler terms more in line with his own rules: brutal, uncivilized, or bad), you might just have permission to break these rules. Which leads us to our final guideline:

4 Use your own best judgment

These rules will help you maintain clean, clear prose that argues, convinces, or portrays efficiently and powerfully. But there are always exceptions: sometimes a grandiloquent word best serves your purposes, or the word “thing” really comes in handy. You don’t have to treat these rules like a religion, but if you keep them in mind when you’re polishing your writing, you’re likely to have a more powerful product. Even the weasels can’t argue with that.

Behavioral Interview: 11 Questions and Answers You Need to Know

During your job interview, your prospective employer is likely to ask you some behavioral questions. Unlike job-related questions that focus on past performance, behavioral questions help the employer get a better feel for who you are and how you’ll carry yourself on the job.

Here are some of the common behavioral interview questions you can expect, with advice and examples to help you answer them.

Ability to Work and Play Well With Others

1Tell me about a time you had to work closely with someone whose personality or work style clashed with yours.

It’s okay to be honest here, but don’t bash your former colleague. It’s important to show that you can be flexible and overcome challenges.

“I had a supervisor who was ultra-creative, and so he had a creative person’s impulse-driven approach to projects. I need more structure, so we worked together to develop an Asana project where he could add creative input when inspiration struck, and I had a central place for project notes to keep me on task.”

2Talk about a time when you made a mistake that affected a colleague. How did you handle it and what was the outcome?

The employer wants to see that you own your mistakes rather than mounting a defense or deflecting blame. Admit something you did, and explain how you corrected the mistake.

“I contacted a lead that my colleague was already working with and ended up taking his sale. When I caught the error, I realized that I’d forgotten to check the client database before reaching out to the lead. I apologized to my colleague and split the commission with him. Then I put some measures in place so that I’d always remember to check the database before getting too enthusiastic about client outreach.”

3Let’s say you need something important from a coworker and that person isn’t responding. How would you deal with this?

It’s important to show that you’re persistent and able to follow through. Just be careful not to give the impression that you’d be unreasonable or belligerent.

“Things fall through the cracks sometimes. I’d follow up with my coworker by email or Slack, and if that didn’t work I’d check in with him personally. If the problem grew to a point where it was going to be detrimental to the project, I’d ask a supervisor for an assist.”

Time Management Chops

4Tell me about a time when you had to manage multiple responsibilities. How did you handle that?

If you’re a great multitasker, you may be tempted to brag. Resist the urge. Instead of trying to make yourself sound like a superhero, try showing your capacity to learn.

“My partner left for a new job right in the middle of a major project and her responsibilities fell to me. It was a huge challenge! I spent a day prioritizing the project steps and created a timeline for keeping everything on track. I ended up putting in some extra hours, but the project was completed by deadline.”

5Let’s say you’re working on a major project and you’re in the weeds. How do you find your way out?

We all end up in the weeds now and then, so don’t blow off this question by saying it’s never happened to you. Even the most productive rockstar can think of a time when things went south.

“I’ve worked hard to get good at time management, so I’m usually in good shape. But I did once get overwhelmed when I was working on my department’s annual report. I had too much information to compile, and I was overthinking it. I called in a couple of my colleagues to help me sort and prioritize, and we got the report finished on time.”

Professionalism and Client-Oriented Skills

6Tell me about a time when you went above and beyond to deliver exceptional customer service.

Saying that you go above and beyond every day is a cop-out. Think of a story you can relate here that will demonstrate how much you care about providing great customer service.

“We were preparing to give a video presentation to a potential new client when I learned that someone on their team was deaf. The presentation was scheduled for the following morning, so I stayed late captioning the video so she’d be able to experience it. The client was impressed by our attention to detail and we landed the account.”

7We all deal with difficult customers from time to time. Tell me about a challenging client-facing situation and how you handled it.

The employer wants to see that you can keep a calm head when difficult situations arise, so share a narrative that shows your ability to resolve conflicts.

“We had a customer who complained frequently and was becoming hostile toward customer service reps. I did some investigating and discovered that our CS agents were repeating the same templated scripts to him and he felt as though his complaints weren’t being heard. I helped devise an escalation system so that this endless CS loop wouldn’t happen again. Then I contacted the customer personally to apologize and thank him for helping us find and fix a glitch in our process.”

Flexibility

8Sometimes we have an all-hands-on-deck situation that may require everyone to work extra hours. How would you handle that?

Like it or not, we’re working more hours these days. Although you don’t want to become a slave to the office, if your prospective employer has asked you this question, you can be sure she’s going to need you to be a team player.

“I try to keep a good work/life balance, so I’d do my best to help my team meet project goals during working hours. That said, crunch times happen. I’m dedicated to putting in the extra hours when they become necessary.”

9Everyone starts somewhere. Talk about a time when you were new on the job and had a lot to learn. How did you manage that?

Here’s your opportunity to show that you’re eager to learn and keep learning.

“I love being a newbie! It’s exhilarating to learn new things. When I was new to marketing, I immersed myself in the many great blogs, video presentations, and books available about current trends. In fact, I still do that. Things change rapidly in this industry, so I make a point to stay informed.”

Aspirations and Values

10I’m interested in how you recharge when you’re not working. What do you do with your downtime?

Try to mesh your leisure activities with the company’s values, which you will have researched before your interview. Let’s say the company has an active, energetic culture. Talk about your most active leisure pursuits. If the company has more traditional values, talk up things like volunteer activities.

“I love to recharge with a good long hike on the weekends. Your company culture webpage said that your company went on a team-building kayaking excursion last year. I’d definitely be on board for something like that!”

11Give me an example of how you set goals for yourself.

The employer wants to know that you’re focused on goals and what process you use to achieve them. Prepare an example that illustrates the steps you took to accomplish something in your career.

“When I wanted to move from staff writing to content management, I started by breaking that goal down into manageable steps. I looked for an entry level position where I could learn the ropes for a couple of years. I worked hard, went to workshops and conferences, and was promoted in my department within the first year. Now I’m here, ready to take it to the next level!”

Colon

A colon introduces an element or series of elements that illustrates or amplifies the information that preceded the colon. While a semicolon normally joins two independent clauses to signal a close connection between them, a colon does the job of directing you to the information following it.

Many people are confused about using colons, but their function is actually quite straightforward. Think of it as a flashing arrow that points to the information following it. When a colon appears in a sentence, it usually gives the silent impression of “as follows,” “which is/are,” or “thus.”

There are three types of muscle in the body: cardiac, smooth, and skeletal.

The colon in this sentence signals that you are about to learn the names of the three types of muscles the sentence already mentioned. We might silently read the sentence this way.

There are three types of muscle in the body (and they are): cardiac, smooth, and skeletal.

Colons are often used with lists, as in the example above. They can also be used to signal further clarification.

We have two options here: stay and fight, or run like the wind.

One might silently read this as:

We have two options here (and they are as follows): stay and fight, or run like the wind.

Colons can also introduce a quotation:

He ended with the immortal words of Neil Young: “Rock and Roll can never die.”

Colons Separating Independent Clauses

A colon can be used to separate two independent clauses when a) the second clause is directly related to the first clause (not just vaguely related) and b) when the emphasis is on the second clause. While you can also use a semicolon or a period between two independent-yet-related clauses, the colon is a little softer than the period, but a little harder than the semicolon.

A dolphin is not fish: it is a warm-blooded mammal.

The research is conclusive: climate change is a reality.

In British English, the word following a colon is not capitalized unless it is a proper noun or an acronym. In American English, styles differ, but it is best to capitalize the first word after a colon if what follows forms two or more complete sentences.

I have several plans for my immediate future: First, I’m going to win the lottery. Second, I’m going to buy a unicorn. Third, I will marry Brad Pitt.

Misuse of Colons

A colon should not separate a noun from its verb, a verb from its object or subject complement, a preposition from its object, or a subject from its predicate.

To illustrate, here is one of our sentences from above rewritten incorrectly.

The three types of muscle in the body are: cardiac, smooth, and skeletal.

Putting the colon here separates the verb are from its subject complements (cardiac, smooth, and skeletal).

When I graduate, I want to go to: Rome, Israel, and Egypt.

The colon should be removed from this sentence because it separates the preposition to from its objects (Rome, Israel, and Egypt). To write this sentence correctly, the colon should be removed.

When I graduate, I want to go to Rome, Israel, and Egypt.

Interjections

Ouch! Oh my! Wow! Yikes!

If you’ve ever uttered any of the words above, you’ve used an interjection, whether you knew it at the time or not. The word interjection comes from the Latin words inter (between) and jacĕre (to throw). So, an interjection is a word that you throw in between sentences or thoughts to express a sudden feeling.

Standalone Interjections

Because interjections usually express sudden feelings, you’ll often see them used to convey surprise (both good surprises and bad ones) or excitement.

Yikes! There’s a snake in the garage! You planned this party just for me? Wow! Ouch! That wasp just stung me! Yahoo! Oops. Terrific! Jordan will send you the contract this afternoon.

There’s no strict rule about where an interjection must go in relation to other sentences. You can use an interjection before or after a sentence that explains what’s going on. You can also use an interjection alone, although it may not make sense if you haven’t adequately described the situation that caused you to use the interjection. Interjections often use exclamation points, but they don’t necessarily have to.

Interjections in a Sentence

It’s possible to use an interjection within a sentence. When you do, treat the interjection as a parenthetical element that’s separate from the rest of the sentence. You can put the interjection inside parentheses or set it off with commas.

I may not succeed, but, hey, at least I tried. The project was delayed because the logistics team made a few (ahem) miscalculations. It will take only thirty minutes (Wow!) to reach the city on the new train.

The important thing to remember is that the interjection should be set off somehow. Don’t just drop it in with nothing to mark it as separate from the rest of the sentence.

I forgot to do the homework assignment oops but my teacher gave me an extra day to finish it.

I forgot to do the homework assignment (oops), but my teacher gave me an extra day to finish it.

Gee I hadn’t thought of that.

Gee, I hadn’t thought of that.

When to Use Interjections

Because interjections are usually separate from other sentences, it’s hard to use them incorrectly. The bigger concern is whether it’s appropriate to use an interjection in your writing. Interjections are fine to use in casual and informal writing. It’s okay to use them in speech, too. But avoid using interjections in formal writing because it may appear that you’re not treating the topic seriously.

And now, you’re ready to go out and use interjections. Hooray!

5 Things That Will Make You Better at Content Writing

Writers around the world publish millions of articles to the Internet every day. Does yours stand out? If you’re a content creator, making a few simple changes will help you become the kind of writer whose posts are readable, relatable, and shareable. Here are five things that will make you better at content writing and help your posts shine like a beacon in a sea of words.

1Studying other writers.

If you’re going to create solid content, you have to be aware of what other writers in your space are doing. Read widely. Keep a clip file of articles that hook you. The bonus? When you’re short on inspiration, you can browse through your clip file to discover topics you’re excited to write about.

Here’s a tip: Don’t let great ideas get away! You may think you’ll remember that cool topic you stumbled upon while reading outdated magazines at the dentist’s office, but chances are it’ll slip your mind unless you write it down. Use Evernote, or any note-taking app on your smartphone, to jot down your flashes of inspiration.

Reading good writers will help you become a better one. Use social media to follow writers whose work informs and entertains you. (Or, if it works better for you, subscribe to their email updates.) Study their articles analytically—what are they doing that’s so appealing? Is there something about their technique that you could learn from?

Take a look at how your favorite writers draw you in with their opening sentence and paragraph. Pay attention to what you like about their voice and style. Do they structure their articles in a way that makes them particularly readable? Is there anything unique about their presentation? How do they handle closing paragraphs? Reading and analyzing the work of other writers can give you valuable insights.

2Researching without overdoing it.

When I begin a new article, I start with some reconnaissance reading. I perform a Google search for my article topic and then scan through the articles in the top results. As I do this, I think about how I’m going to frame my own article in a way that brings something unique to the subject.

My approach to creating content quickly involves writing first and researching last. While I do my recon reading, I make quick notes about the research I want to include in my article. But I won’t dig into that research until I’ve finished my draft. We writers love to learn, so it’s easy to take a deep dive down a research rabbit hole if you’re not careful, and climbing back out of those rabbit holes takes time that busy content producers don’t have.

Odds are, unless analyzing research is your specialty, your readers aren’t going to be looking for in-depth coverage. In most cases, they’ll thank you for digging out the most fascinating discoveries and sharing those in a few sentences. Just make sure you provide a link to the research in case your reader is curious and wants to learn more.

3Getting familiar with SEO best practices.

Search engine optimization is a huge topic. This article isn’t the place for a deep dive, but SEO best practices are something any content producer should study. Here are a few bare-bones basics.

• Titles will make or break you. A good title with competitive (but not too competitive) keywords is key to getting your article seen, read, and shared.
• Structure is crucial. The Internet has made us into scanners rather than deep readers. Your article needs to be skimmable. Not only that, but subheaders are important for placing SEO-friendly keywords.
• You should link back to yourself. Linking back to your own relevant articles is a great way to generate more pageviews.
• Fresh content is critical. Keep your articles updated. That includes creating fresh new stories and updating older ones.

If your SEO knowledge is lacking, Neil Patel offers a great step-by-step SEO guide.

4Knowing how to create a killer hook.

As I mentioned, your headline is the first thing that will draw your reader in, which is why getting it just right is essential. After that, your opening sentence and lead paragraph need to be compelling enough to keep the reader on the page.

I often draft the rest of my article before going back to work on the opening paragraph. I find that, once I’ve written the body of my article, I have a good idea in my mind about what’s unique and interesting about it. Think of your opening paragraph as an advertisement for the rest of your article. Consider these examples.

Weak Hook

Writing a great opening paragraph is very important. Here are a few tips to get you on the way to hooking your readers.

Yawn. Don’t tell your reader that something’s important, show her. Why should she want “a few tips” from you?

Strong Hook

I just stopped reading your article. You had about two seconds to hook me, but your yawn-inducing opener made me surf on to something else. Writers (not to mention their websites) thrive on being read, so why do we invest so little time in crafting strong opening hooks?

Here, we’re showing why a strong hook is important—because if you don’t have one, your reader won’t stick around. (Pro tip: Dwell time is a key factor in SEO.) Readers who navigate away, rather than staying on your site to read what you’ve written, don’t engage. They won’t comment, or subscribe to your newsletter, or follow you on social media. And they probably won’t come back.

There’s one caveat when it comes to opening paragraphs—they should sell, but they shouldn’t be misleading. Never let your opener write a check that your article can’t cash.

5Finding your voice.

It’s been documented that over two million blog posts are published every day. (Enough posts to fill TIME Magazine for 770 years.) Writers, our numbers are legion. Which means that it’s more important now than ever to stand out.

The one thing you have that other writers don’t is your voice, and your voice is forged by not only your writing style but also your experiences.

Whenever you can, don’t just cover a topic, share a story. I recently wrote about imposter syndrome. Instead of covering the same ground others had, I decided to take a more personal approach and share some how-to tips for defeating imposter syndrome through the lens of my own fraught experience at an open mike night. In doing so, my article became more relatable to people who think they may be dealing with the effects of imposter syndrome, too. (At least, I hope it is. I mean, I wrestle with imposter syndrome, so . . .)

If you don’t have a story to relate to your readers, you can at least infuse your article with your personal style. Instead of writing like you’re churning out a dry research paper, write as though you’re telling a friend about some cool new stuff you’ve learned. Use your own natural, conversational tone. Keep your language simple and direct. In other words, just be you. No one else can.

20 Email Subject Lines That Will Get Opened Every Time

Did you know that 33 percent of email recipients decide whether or not to open an email based on subject line alone? If you want your email read, you’ve got to get it opened first. Here are twenty powerful headers to try for four different types of email outreach, plus a few helpful tips for creating subject lines that work.

Networking

Met you at [event]. Let’s connect!

If you’ve met your contact before, and you’re convinced they’d remember the meeting favorably, it’s always helpful to bring it up

Aspiring [profession] seeking advice from the best

Is there someone in your desired industry that you admire? Flattery will often get an email opened.

[Referrer name] recommended I get in touch

A referral will often get you in the door, so don’t be afraid to name-drop right from the subject line.

[Topic] is a passion of mine, too!

You’ve scoured your contact’s blog and social channels and discovered that you both have an interest in hockey. This is fate! Break the ice (ha ha) by referring to a common interest.

Fellow [university] alum looking to connect

If you went to the same college, even if your paths never crossed, use a little school spirit to get a foot in the door.

Sales and Marketing Pitches

X ideas to help you with [problem]

We humans like numbers. Email subject lines with numbers are opened more often. Drop a number, and then offer to give your contact help with some challenge and you’re likely to catch their attention.

How to [accomplish a task]

Let’s say you’re offering customized meal plans. A subject line like “How to become an awesome cook in one week” is sure to get attention.

Only three spots left in [topic] workshop

Tell people that a deadline’s coming up and most of them just shrug. Oh, well. If I miss the deadline, it’s whatever. Tell them there are only three spots left (or twenty-four hours left to save $100, or only four magical squirrel catapults left in stock) and FOMO kicks in. We’re competitive creatures, and no one wants to miss out.

3 out of 4 people are deficient in this mineral. Are you?

Subject lines that create curiosity are infinitely clickable. Don’t you want to know what mineral you’re likely to be deficient in? (We don’t know, either. We made it up. That’s not the point.) If you can make your recipient curious to find the answer to something, you’re more likely to get them to engage.

Introducing [product], a better way to [accomplish a task]

People are curious about new things. Campaign Monitor discovered that emails with “introducing” or “new” in the subject line increased the chance of the email being opened by 9.45% and 3.26% respectively.

Content Promotion

Do not commit these epic Twitter fails

This subject plays off the curiosity gap, but it also suggests that the recipient might be making some critical errors, which makes it a must-open email.

My biggest [topic] mistake

We want to read confessional content. If we’ve made similar mistakes, then we’re reassured that we’re not alone. If we’ve avoided the mistake, we feel grateful. It’s a win-win.

28 ways to get organized right now

Again, we’re using numbers. If the content you’re promoting uses a numbered format, then use that in your subject line. People respond to numbers, and they like tips, too!

What you must know to protect yourself from identity theft

Any time you tell your recipient that there may be a gap in their knowledge, you encourage them to open your email to find out more.

I wrote this for you

Okay, it’s a bit gimmicky, but email subject lines like this work. They feel personalized. Just make sure you deliver some intimate, compelling content or you’ll lose your reader’s trust.

Asking for Something

Spare five minutes to give your expert feedback?

We like to be thought of as experts. We like to know that our opinions matter. Asking for feedback is often fairly easy. Reminding your contact that your request will only take five minutes helps it seem manageable.

I would really appreciate your help with [subject]

Not everyone wants to be helpful, but most people do like to be appreciated. Ask for help in a polite, straightforward way that expresses gratitude.

Urgent call for volunteers. Are you in?

Saying that you have an urgent need alone might do the trick, but adding a call to action right in your subject header can stir a more immediate response. The question “Are you in?” subtly implies that others are and urges the recipient not to miss out.

What are you doing Friday night?

Okay, so, maybe you’re going to ask your recipient to do something they’d rather not, like answer phones at the telethon or stay late to help with a special project. But you’ve got to get them to open your email plea first. This subject line is just vague and intriguing enough to do the trick.

Would you share this story on your social channels?

People often make the mistake of burying their ask so deeply in their email that the recipient isn’t even sure what they’re asking for. This type of subject header cuts straight to the chase and tells the recipient exactly what you want.

Subject Header Tips

• Don’t promise anything you can’t deliver. If your subject header promises to offer twenty great tips for starting a ferret farm, your email had better point to a website with those tips. Otherwise, you’ll lose trust.
• Keep it short. Although 65-character-long email headers do seem to result in opens, it helps to be aware of the issues longer headers may cause. People read emails on their mobile phones, where a subject line over 25 to 30 characters may be truncated.
• Avoid filler words and phrases. Your space is limited. Use it wisely!
• Don’t use all caps or excessive punctuation. When you use all caps online, you look like you’re shouting! No one likes to be shouted at. Excess punctuation (like multiple exclamation points or question marks) looks amateurish and desperate. Both all caps and over-punctuating can also trigger spam filters.
• Speaking of spam filters . . . here are some of the best ways to avoid them.

If You Work From Home, Here’s How to Be Successful

Working from home seems ideal. No need to get dressed and polished for the day, no commute, and no distracting coworkers to face—what’s not to like? But working remotely isn’t as easy as it looks.

The undisputed champion of small talk topics revolves around one question: What do you do for a living? I tell people I’m a writer and that, although I’m technically a freelancer, I have a steady gig with Grammarly. (That insight sometimes evokes the exclamation “Oh em gee! I love Grammarly!” Satisfying.) Inevitably, I’m asked whether “freelancer” means I get to work from home. I do. I’ve been working from home for about twenty years.

Tell people you work from home, and the following conversation almost always ensues:

Person: Aaah, you’re so lucky!

Me: Yeah. It’s pretty cool.

Person: I mean, you can just get out of bed and work in your pajamas.

Me: Well, it’s a little more complicated than that . . .

There’s been a shift toward remote work in recent years. According to Global Workplace Analytics, 50 percent of the U.S. workforce holds a job that allows them to work from home at least part of the time, and approximately 20 to 25 percent of the workforce telecommutes frequently. Everyone seems to want to ditch the commute and the need for a business casual wardrobe and instead work from the relative peace and comfort of their own space.

Top Three Work-from-Home Problems and Their Solutions

I was telecommuting long before telecommuting was cool. I can’t imagine ever having to work outside my home again. And yet, there are some definite challenges that every remote worker faces. Here are my top three, along with some helpful ideas for tackling them.

1 Lack of Discipline

Allow me to speculate that you’re not as disciplined as you think you are. (And if you already know you’re undisciplined, allow me to speculate that you’re even more undisciplined than you concede.) I speak from experience. The siren call of household chores, playtime with your kids or pets, and naps are the least of your concerns.

The most dangerous distraction sits before you at your desk. Social media, YouTube, and the rest of the Internet are just a tab away. Online games lurk there, too. (And, if you’re of the gamer persuasion, you already know that the game icon on your desktop, or the console in the living room, poses a serious threat to your productivity.) Unless you find ways to minimize distractions, they’ll monopolize your work day before you can say “Whoa! Where did the time go?”

Solution:

Learn good time management skills. You can’t stick to a schedule unless you have one, so schedule your time in blocks.

The key is to make your time blocks manageable. If you book yourself for four solid hours of work without a break, you’ll find your mind wandering and your productivity tanking. The Pomodoro Technique, for instance, promotes scheduling twenty-five-minute blocks of work time followed by brief breaks.

Whatever you do on your breaks, I recommend leaving your desk. Stretch, breathe, grab coffee or tea, use the bathroom (thanks coffee or tea), or take the dog for a quick walk. Your body and brain will thank you. Too much sitting can sap your creativity and ability to think clearly. Grabbing ten minutes to do some yoga or go for a quick walk will clear your head and make you more productive.

Here’s a tip: If you find yourself lured away by Facebook or Twitter during your work-time blocks, try tools that keep you from surfing to distracting websites. StayFocusd is a good one for Chrome users. FocusMe, Cold Turkey, and SelfControl are a few other solid options. Oh, and turn off smartphone notifications while you’re at it.

2 Feeling Out of the Loop

If you’re freelancing for multiple clients, this may not apply to you. But if you’re one of the many telecommuters who work remotely for a single employer, staying connected to your team at the office may prove challenging.

There’s nothing like prepping your really cool project ideas only to hear the project was scrapped or has shifted directions, and that you were not only not informed of the change but also not involved in making it. In addition to leaving you feeling like you’ve wasted time, it serves as a reminder that being out-of-sight sometimes means being out-of-mind.

Solution:

Fortunately, there’s a lot of technology at your fingertips to make communicating with your colleagues easier. Stay active on company chat platforms like Slack. Don’t be afraid to ask questions when you feel ill-informed. Be persistent and go after the information you need in order to do your job. Never use “I wasn’t in the loop” as an excuse.

Be your own advocate. Ask to be included in meetings via video conference so you’ll have better insight into projects. If you can’t attend a meeting, ask a colleague for a quick debriefing by phone. You’ll feel more connected and tuned in.

Don’t make yourself difficult to get in touch with, either. If you’re required to be available during working hours, then consider yourself on the clock and answer promptly when your coworkers message or email you. If you’re accessible, your coworkers will be more likely to include you.

3 Going Stir Crazy

It’s already difficult to make friends as an adult. It’s doubly difficult when you don’t go to an office and connect with your coworkers. There are no daily break room chats, there’s no bonding over sports scores, and no getting the recipe for that awesome veggie dip Dave brought to the last office luncheon. You’re on a solo mission, and yeah, it can get lonely.

Working from home sounds great until you consider how isolated it can make you feel. Staying connected with your colleagues in the ways I described can certainly help, but it’s still no substitute for face-to-face interaction with people. You’ll have to make some extra effort to avoid becoming a creepy recluse.

Solution:

Make time for the friends you already have. Don’t turn down social invitations because you’re tempted to work—get your work done on schedule so that you can keep your evenings and weekends free. You need the downtime just as much as someone who reports to an office does.

Here’s a tip: If you don’t work on a set schedule, make one for yourself. Work reasonable hours. With few exceptions (crunch times, or when you’re getting caught up due to illness or time off), give yourself weekends off. Don’t be tempted to overwork just because your work is always within reach.

Find activities outside work that you can join. A few years back, I found myself becoming a work-obsessed hermit. I realized that, despite my tendency toward introversion, I needed to get myself out amongst people if I was going to be a happy and well-rounded. I love to sing, so I joined a community choir. I’ve since made some great friends, and rehearsals give me a reason to look forward to Mondays.

If finding a hobby or activity isn’t your jam, then at least consider working outside your office now and then. Take your laptop to a coffeehouse where you can watch people, and maybe even interact with a few, as you get work done. (You might be surprised by how well you work in that type of environment.) You could also look into co-working spaces or shared office space in your area.

Working from home can be wonderful. Right now, I’m sitting at my desk with a fresh cup of coffee to my left, a sleeping dog to my right, and a ukulele behind me. As soon as I send this article off to my editor, I’ll finish the coffee, strum the uke for a few minutes, and then walk the dog. It works for me because I’ve learned how to make it work. Here’s to making it work for you!