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CrushedIt! offers writing tips.
BrainCRUSH offers a variety of word-lover challenges.
CreativeCRUSH offers writing prompts and selected submissions.
Crushes
CrushEDIT!
Shout Outs!
FIVE basic writing tips to help smooth, tighten, and sharpen your writing.
After you read the Crushedit TIP, hover over the box and try to edit the sentence before the improved version pops up. Then apply the rules to your writing. (Really! Take out a piece of your writing and give it a shot.)
A few tweaks here and there can make a huge difference in the level of sophistication and clarity of your work.
You've got this.
Crushedit #1
Last night, I was working on my plan of taking over the world.
Last night, I worked on my plan to take over the world.
Avoid verbs that end in -ing.
They force you to use helping verbs and make your writing wordy.
Crushedit #2
He walked extraordinarily slowly to the edge of the pool and fell clumsily in.
He crept to the pool's edge and toppled in.
Cut out the adverbs
Choose strong VERBS instead.
They ran quickly to the car.
They sprinted to the car.
Crushedit #3
I would like to express my sincerest appreciation for your willingness to meet with me last week.
Thanks for meeting with me last week.
Be Direct
People often think that filling writing with lots of words (often big words) makes writing more sophisticated.
It doesn't.
Crushedit #4
My pet monkeys literally drive me just crazy when they actually throw all of my things off of the couch.
My pet monkeys drive me crazy when they throw my things off the couch.
Get rid of empty language
Common empty words: Actually, literally, even, just, very, of, because of the fact
EVERY WORD MUST SERVE A PURPOSE
Crushedit #5
New York fans grew angry and annoyed as the Knicks' defense crumbled, collapsed and fell apart by the end of the game in the 4th quarter.
New York fans grew angry as the Knicks' defense collapsed in
the 4th quarter.
Don't be redundant
"Ice cream is delicious. and scrumptious."
Yeah, ice cream is amazing! (Especially if it's vanilla with rainbow sprinkles.) But you only need to say it once. Delicious and scrumptious are synonyms. Pick one.
Yes, I'm up for a challenge!
Yes, I'm ready to write!
We're honored to have either coached, edited, or led workshops for these writers.
Congratulations to
JAY SULLIVAN
on his award-winning memoir,
Raising Gentle Men, Lives at the Orphanage Edge.
2014 Best Book by a Small Publisher by the Catholic Press Association.
JAY SULLIVAN's Simply Said
hit the shelves November 2016.
Jay is the managing partner of ExecComm. He is a frequent contributor to Forbes.com and the New York Law Review.
whose essay "All Mixed Up" received honorable mention in the 2019 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards competition, and whose poem, "Oblivion" received honorable mention.
SHOUT OUT to
Angelie Wallace
whose story "Henrietta" was named a winner of the 2016 National American Voices Medal by the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.
There were 320,000 entries!
SHOUT OUT to
VIOLET FEARON
Watch Your WORDS
Same words. Very different sentences.
I am afraid I forgot to lock the door and turn off the lights.
I forgot I am afraid to the lock the door and turn off the lights.
I forgot to lock the door and, I am afraid, to turn off the lights.
I forgot to lock the door and turn off the lights. I am afraid.