by Susan Lovett | Jun 30, 2025 | Writing |
In my last blog defending em dashes from AI, I promised another blog on ways AI can ruin writing. Again, I will say that I do not hate AI. I use it. Mostly for research, summarizing things I’ve written, outlining, and for feedback from custom GPTs designed for that....
by Susan Lovett | Jun 17, 2025 | Writing |
Back when I was the Director of Communications for a national nonprofit, my colleagues would often call me the em Dash Queen. Not only did I love that little piece of punctuation, but I’d get on everyone about the proper usage for it. It’s a great bit of grammar that...
by Susan Lovett | Jun 10, 2025 | Writing |
There’s a trend that’s been happening over the past decade that surprised many—vinyl record sales shot up. They outpaced CD sales in 2020 and keep selling. People dumped CDs to return to records or pick them up for the first time (Gen Z is the biggest buyer of vinyl)....
by Susan Lovett | Jun 5, 2025 | Writing |
We’ve all been there. Staring at a blinking cursor at the top of a blank screen with no idea how to fill the page. It happens to everyone—even professional writers. Some call this Writer’s Block, but that’s not a phrase I use. It implies there’s no remedy or recourse....
by Susan Lovett | Apr 29, 2025 | Writing |
Great writing doesn’t just say something—it speaks. In Part 1, we took a look at structure and rhythm. Now, let’s tune the instrument and dig into sounds, words, and how they feel when you speak them. If you’re writing for cadence and flow, these tools can act...
by Susan Lovett | Apr 22, 2025 | Writing |
Try adding rhythm to your writing during this April’s National Poetry Month. You don’t need to sound like Dr. Seuss (in fact, I’d warn against doing that). But adding some poetic techniques can make your writing sing. Rhythm moves your readers from line to line to the...
by Susan Lovett | Apr 11, 2025 | Writing |
Do we need more facts? Probably not. We’re inundated with them. And yet, there is still a place for providing packaged information designed to solve specific problems. But how our audiences read that information should have an impact on how we deliver it. Here are...
by Susan Lovett | Apr 1, 2025 | Business, Writing |
There is an axiom in writing: The more specific a story is, the more people see themselves in it. The more specific your story, the more universal your theme. People don’t relate to theme alone. They need a human connection to identify with to feel the theme at work....
by Susan Lovett | Mar 26, 2025 | Writing |
This may be a controversial blog for some. Sorry about that, but I feel strongly about good writing and voice, which are in danger when using AI grammar programs. In the last blog, I wrote about the fastest ways to kill your voice and AI featured prominently. Today,...
by Susan Lovett | Mar 19, 2025 | Writing |
Your writing voice can be as powerful as your speaking voice, if you don’t kill it It’s as much of you as your face, hair, and fingerprints. But more importantly, your voice is how you stand out on the page. It’s what makes your writing sound like you. The stronger...
by Susan Lovett | Feb 25, 2025 | For Writers, Writing |
Do you ever see a writer in a film or television show and think “If only I had that setup, I could write a bestseller”? It’s so easy to get caught up in the idea there’s a perfect place, desk, pen, situation that would change everything for our writing. But it’s a...
by Susan Lovett | Nov 22, 2024 | Blog, Ideas |
Dear Friend, Remember me? I know it’s been a while since you’ve heard from Figments & Fables and I apologize for that. Thank you so much for supporting Figments & Fables, especially during my extended sabbatical. I’m humbled so many of you remained...
