Posts by Ugur Akinci
Write for Free Rather Than for Just a Few Bucks
Introduction I’d rather write for free than for a few bucks and I will explain why. Race to the Bottom There are too many freelance job sites out there, offering one embarrassingly low-rate “assignment” after another and sure enough, a number of writers are jumping on them! The result is a never-ending race to the…
Read More11 Indispensable Concepts of English Grammar You Should Know
Introduction Nobody’s perfect. Nobody knows ALL the rules and concepts of English grammar. But do you know enough not to raise eyebrows when you open your mouth? Do you know enough of the basic terms and building blocks of English to communicate smoothly with an editor, reader, or another writer? 11 Basic Concepts of English…
Read MoreINFOGRAPHICS – Technical Writers Work for…
How to Write a Great Overview Sentence for an Ordered List
© Ugur Akinci An ordered list is one with numbers for each entry. In technical or business writing it helps a lot if each numbered/ordered list is prefaced by an OVERVIEW sentence. Such lead sentences prepare the user/reader appropriately for what is to follow. For example, here is a great overview sentence for the list…
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7 Ways to Overcome Writer’s Block
Here are seven time-proven ways to overcome Writer’s Block. They worked for me in the past. I hope they’ll work for you too in the future. Start from any part of your project you like. You do not need to start writing the “Introduction” or the “Overview” first. Try starting from the middle of your…
Read MoreSelected to "Content Experience Strategist Top 200" List
I’m honored to be selected one of the TOP 200 Content Experience Strategists by Mindtouch.com. Thank you Mindtouch! I appreciate it.
Read MoreHow to Write a Great Topic Sentence for a Paragraph
© Ugur Akinci A TOPIC SENTENCE is the first lead sentence in a paragraph consisting of multiple sentences. The topic sentence summarize the main idea of the paragraph. It sets the expectation about what is to follow in the rest of the paragraph. You can even say it’s a “commercial” so to speak that “sells”…
Read MoreHow to Write Questions with Binary YES/NO Answer
When the answer to a question is either YES or NO, you need to pay attention to make sure the readers are not confused. One way to do that is NOT asking a negative question. For example, consider the following question: “Do you refuse extra insurance?” Even though “Yes” is an affirmation, if say yes…
Read MoreHow to Write a Conditional Sentence Correctly in Technical Writing
A conditional sentence in technical writing tells the user to do something IF a certain condition is met. That is, the CONDITION always comes FIRST. But sometimes this fine point is neglected. In some if not all cases this may lead to catastrophic results. For example, here is how NOT to write a conditional sentence:…
Read More101 Tips and Tutorials to Write Like a Pro
© Ugur Akinci Why I Wrote This 318-Page Book “It’s none of their business that you have to learn to write. Let them think you were born that way” – Ernest Hemingway Writing can be taught. Definitely. When we read a good writer we tend to think she is born that way. Nothing can be…
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