How can I be a better writer? My value at work would increase if my ability to write formally improves. I'm an admin in the IT department and don't realy understand the technology or procedures that I have to write about. I think that part of the problem is that I am just not that great at communicating in general. I don't talk a lot, hate leaving vm's. And even writing an email can leave me frozen, constantly worrying saying the wrong thing and/or not being understood. [more inside]
posted by mokeydraws on Sep 23, 2009 - 17 answers

Books on cover letters and resumes geared to new college graduates? [more inside]
posted by cymru_j on Sep 10, 2009 - 3 answers

Should I blog about writer's block? What will my clients think? [more inside]
posted by Wordwoman on Aug 1, 2009 - 6 answers

Tell me what I need to do, or which bums I need to kiss, to write a storyline for a video game. [more inside]
posted by metalheart on Jul 8, 2009 - 15 answers

I am a community college English instructor, and I am working on structuring my Comp I class around the theme of work. Can anyone recommend some thoughtful articles, websites, books (easily excerpted), etc. about work or the workplace? Most of my students have limited reading comprehension skills, so I can’t use anything that is too specialized or advanced. I’m looking for articles on the level of Time or Newsweek. Thanks!
posted by alspeigh on Jul 3, 2009 - 23 answers

Can I learn how to write and think faster? Any tips you'd suggest? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Dec 10, 2008 - 9 answers

Working writers: how do you carve out time for fiction? [more inside]
posted by mynameisluka on Sep 5, 2008 - 18 answers

What are some good sites to find short-term freelance writing/Internet gigs? Similar to this post, I'm looking for some temp work that will bring in a little supplemental income. [more inside]
posted by adverb on Aug 13, 2008 - 4 answers

Academic writing filter: I am a painfully slow writer. How might I go about developing a composition process that's higher-output, requires less concentration, and is more revision-friendly? [more inside]
posted by Bardolph on Aug 8, 2008 - 13 answers

Last October I left a great full-time job, ostensibly to write a novel. Now it's a year later and, for a variety of reasons all having to do with me, there's no novel and chances are slim that there's going to be one. I'll have to go back to work eventually. When coworkers ask me how the book is going, what do I tell them to save the greatest amount of face? [more inside]
posted by Work to Live on Aug 7, 2008 - 24 answers

20-something INTP, bored to death in his corporate gig, asks: What should I do with my life? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on May 8, 2008 - 28 answers

Journalists of Metafilter – hit me with your tips for fast filing. My job (as a reporter at a daily newspaper) has gone really well and I just got a promotion!!!! Hurrah! But soon I'm going to have to do a lot more work in a lot less time. So I need to file my copy much, much faster. [more inside]
posted by t0astie on Jan 13, 2008 - 12 answers

How can I improve the writing ability of the people I work with? [more inside]
posted by VeniceGlass on Aug 9, 2007 - 33 answers

I'm 23 and working as a sales assistant/helpdesk support/office admin/web designer/receptionist in my hometown. How do I go about getting a paying job as a writer, without formal qualifications? [more inside]
posted by saileyn on Dec 7, 2006 - 10 answers

Who writes all those pages and pages of text that the US government generates? More to the point, might someone pay me to write some of them? [more inside]
posted by nebulawindphone on Feb 10, 2006 - 23 answers

I'd like to find more about selling my writing (not books), please! [more inside]
posted by tommyc on Sep 16, 2005 - 1 answer

How to write my own professional reference? [more inside]
posted by coriolisdave on May 24, 2005 - 12 answers

I want to spend three to six months writing a novel as my primary activity. I have savings, but not enough. What kinds of work can I pick up and do, wing in and out of, make money but have maximum flexibility to do my writing? I have published two books previously and have strong well-developed skills in technology writing, web writing, some copy writing, etc., if that matters to your answer. Many thanks.
posted by lustra on Mar 1, 2005 - 9 answers

I hate all forms of work (hence the anon. post) and the only way I've found to finish papers etc. is to stay up all day and night procrastinating until the last possible instance writing a bit here and there--an agonizing process--until, as the last chance deadline aproaches, something takes shape. These papers are usually final papers and usually earn me between a B+ and an -A... which is probably why I never learned how to do work in a painless and organized fashion... at any rate, I have two papers due on the same day and no chance of an extension on either one and am incapable of forcing myself to work. WHAT DO I DO?
posted by anonymous on Dec 10, 2004 - 55 answers

MLA Citation Filter: The information I'm citing was found on a website. However, the person who made the website did not create this information. The information I'm putting into my paper is all from articles cited on the website; it's either a direct quote from the journal article that I copied and pasted from the website, or it's factual information from the articles that is presented and cited by the website author.

In my paper's bibliography, how should I cite the copied portions of journal articles? How should I cite the facts from the journal articles that are presented by the website's author? Do I cite the journal article, or the website?
posted by punishinglemur on Nov 23, 2004 - 5 answers