Although we might strongly favor one side of an argument, our audience should not be able to discern our bias. Facts have convinced us to hold our beliefs, so we should trust that effectively writing the facts will sway others, too. To help, we have compiled six steps that will limit or hide our bias. When it’s so tempting to blast the obvious ignorance and elitism of the other side, we deliver our most effective work by becoming the objective observer.

National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo, is an annual sprint to write a 50,000-word novel in November. According to NaNoWriMo’s website, over 394,000 people tried to write 50,000 words in November 2017, and more than 58,000 succeeded. Victors claimed two valuable prizes: bragging rights and a great sense of accomplishment: writing 50,000 words in a month is no mean feat. That’s almost 1,700 words a day, or about six pages, every day, for a month. I managed it while I was in an honors program, volunteering, and involved in several extracurricular activities. Here’s how you can, too.

Because we can’t use body language, facial expressions, and tone of voice to help us convey meaning, many of us struggle with written communication. Even without these in-person ways of communicating, we can convey an effective message in writing. Below, we discuss the most important aspects of written communication.

The demand for technical writers is strong. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that technical writer employment will grow by 7% over the next ten years. The demand is primarily driven by the need for companies to have properly documented policies and procedures. This is even more important for companies deeply involved with software, electronics, and other technology, which require easy-to-understand information for internal and external use.

If you conduct research for an established nonprofit or public charity, you already have channels to funding. But if you are an individual seeking sponsorship, you will need help. For international research grants, these resources are a good place to begin:

To achieve better outcomes and a higher return on investment, organizing purchases is key. A request for proposal (RFP) serves as the starting point for high-priced purchases, whether you’re an organization or part of the government sector.

Writer’s block is a familiar obstacle that seems to grow the more we focus on it. We know we must write, so we sit down at our desk, stare at our screens, and will ourselves to write something. Anything. Still, no words appear. The longer we sit there, frustrated that we’re not writing, the more likely it becomes that we will not write at all.

When the need for online content began to edge out the need for print media content, freelance writers had to adopt a whole new set of rules, like working for free. The trends in 2017 might not be that dramatic, but freelance writers have to keep up with all trends because they affect how freelancers do business. Learning more about them will help you keep ahead of competitors and have your best year yet.