I’d like to understand the most important challenges you’re facing as a writer or editor. Have those challenges changed since you joined this community? Are you struggling with confidence, clarity, finding your voice, or perhaps wondering how AI will affect your work, and whether it could eventually threaten your job? Please air your grievances below. Be as candid as you like. And if you would rather speak privately, message me directly.

"Make sure every word is there because it is necessary." —From Writing With Flair: How to Become An Exceptional Writer Remember that words can serve different purposes. They may contribute to simplicity, clarity, elegance, or evocativeness in different ways. So just because a word isn't necessary for comprehension doesn't necessarily mean it's unnecessary. What's the hardest unnecessary word for you to delete from your own writing?

“Due to the fact that the weather conditions were extremely inclement, the scheduled outdoor gathering ended up being cancelled at the very last minute.” Rewrite to make that sentence simpler, clearer, and more elegant — without losing meaning. Post your rewritten version in the comments. (Bonus points if you can do it in 12 words or fewer.)

Here’s a tough one for the more adventurous among you. Explain why this sentence is potentially ambiguous, and then attempt to fix it: “I don’t agree with Alex 90 percent of the time.” Answers below.

—it's a list where the usual conjunction (like and) is intentionally left out. It's not only grammatically acceptable, but it's also a stylistic choice often used for emphasis or rhythm, especially in advertising, headlines, or strong calls to action. Take this sentence from one of my own texts: "Kill jargon, dump ambiguity, nix vagueness." This is grammatically fine without the "and"—and arguably stronger because of it. It feels sharper and more urgent. The more traditional version would be: "Kill jargon, dump ambiguity, and nix vagueness." Still totally correct—just a little more conventional in tone. So it's all about the mood you're going for. Want it punchy? Stick with the original. Want it a tad more formal or flowing? Add the "and." What do you think of this rhetorical device? Do you use it often, rarely, or never in your writing? Care to share any memorable asyndetic lists you've written, or that you recall reading elsewhere?