Write articles with your reader—not comments—in mind

I don’t know about you, but when I decide to take time to read an article, I want to come away with having learned something. Anything. Call it a payoff.

Writing-improvement and grammar-usage tips are pretty close to the top of my list for favorite things to read. I write for a living, so continually honing my skills is important to me. The thing about being a writer is that you never stop learning—it’s a lifelong apprenticeship. That’s why I try to gobble up as many articles as I can and absorb as much wisdom as I can to later impart to my work.

Lately, I’ve seen a trend in articles that play to hyperbole. You’ve seen them. Pieces titled “10 most misspelled words.” “5 words to avoid in a crisis.” “15 words that have multiple spellings.” “The worst word on the planet.”