writing Archives

Time-saving tricks using your keyboard

I spend hours and hours (and hours) online every week looking for the latest in tech for my national radio show, podcasts and, of course, newsletter.

I rounded up eight browser keyboard shortcuts I use so you can spend less time clicking around for the right button, too.

4 if you’re always in Word or Google Docs

These tricks make work (or writing the novel you always wanted to get to) so much faster and easier.

Just the text: Drop in text from somewhere else — without all the formatting coming with it. Use Ctrl + Shift + V to paste in whatever text you’ve copied, stripped completely of the source formatting.
Swift selections: Make sure your cursor is before (or after) the text you’d like to select, then hold down Shift and use the left or right arrows to expand your selection, one character at a time. Ctrl + Shift + the left or right arrows will allow you to select the remainder of a line.
Get in the mode: Need to track your changes? Switch between editing modes by holding down Ctrl + Shift + Alt, then tap X to suggest changes, Z to edit directly or C to just view the document, not edit it.
Do it in style: Easily change your text formatting by holding down Ctrl + B for bold, Ctrl + I for italics and Ctrl + U for underlining. You already knew that? OK, but what about holding down Shift + X for strikethrough text, Shift + . (period) to superscript something and Shift + , (comma) for subscripting? I thought so!

3 tricks for tabs

These genuine timesavers work in most popular browsers, including Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari.

Closing time: Hit Ctrl + W (Windows) or Cmd + W (macOS) to shut down the browser tab you’re currently looking at. If you close a tab by accident, use Ctrl + Shift + T (Windows) or Cmd + Shift + T (macOS) to bring it back.
Tab cycling: On Windows and macOS, you can use Ctrl + Tab to scroll through open tabs (yeah, all 200 of them). Hold down Shift as well to go in the opposite direction.
Turn over a new tab: Hit Ctrl + T (Windows) or Cmd + T (macOS) on your keyboard to open a new tab and jump straight to it. If you want a new window, use Ctrl + N (Windows) or Cmd + N (macOS).

2 ways to stay in the flow

Keep scrolling, scrolling, scrolling: Engrossed in something online? Tap the spacebar to scroll down the page and keep reading without looking away. Shift + spacebar takes you back in the other direction.
Eyes on the prize: Follow an interesting link without losing focus while reading. Hold down Ctrl (Windows) or Cmd (macOS) when you click on a web link to open it in a new tab while you stay on your current tab. Add the Shift key to open a link in a new tab and jump straight to it.

2 ways to re-trace your steps

Follow the breadcrumbs: You know those “back” and “forward” buttons in your browser? You can do the same with your keyboard, no clicking required — hold down Alt (Windows) or Cmd (macOS), then tap the left or right arrow button to explore your browsing history in the current tab.
Save your page: Press Ctrl + D (Windows) or Cmd + D (macOS) to bookmark the current webpage so you can get back to it later. Your browser will throw up a dialog box you can use to sort the bookmark into a folder.

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How to trust what you read online and tell if it's AI or human

I got this note from Ben in Texas. “Hi there, Kim. I love your podcast. You were talking about AI and I got to thinking. When I read a story online at some website, how can I tell if a human wrote it or some bot?”

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Your a** is grass

We’re less than a month out from Labor Day (and football season). A cookout without lawn games is a very sad affair.

Anyone else get excited about Olympic badminton? I found a stake-free badminton set for under $45 with everything included.
Allow me to introduce you to giant Jenga (26% off). Take it to the next level by writing fun challenges on the blocks!
“Bucket ball” is super-portable and fun for kids, too. It’s like cup pong, but without the alcohol. This set is 20% off with a coupon.
Take your bocce ball game to the next level with a regulation-sized set. that comes with a carrying case ($43.17).
Don’t cheap out on a cornhole set that’ll get soggy by next season. This patriotic set will go the distance (25% off).

We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

Before you text asking for a second date: Use Apple Intelligence’s new proofreading tool to catch embarrassing mistakes on an iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max or any iPhone 16 model. Highlight your message, then press Writing Tools > Proofread. This works in any text-based app, like your email, Notes or social media.

Stop writing checks

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Still paying bills with checks? Here’s why you need to switch over to electronic payments, in one minute.

49.6% of internet traffic is generated by bots

That’s up 2% from last year. The result? Billions in losses to fight fake traffic and bot attacks. That’s one thing I love about writing this newsletter — I’m writing for real people!

Ways to make money with ChatGPT

ChatGPT can write essays, solve engineering problems and even give life advice. As you can imagine, people fear the new AI tool stealing their jobs or helping students and employees cheat. However, there’s a bright side: You can make money with ChatGPT.

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A shady new side-hustle earning people $10K in a week

Who doesn’t want to earn extra money, especially during these difficult times? People have taken on side gigs during the pandemic or discovered new careers.

With remote work becoming so prominent, there are more ways to make money without leaving your house. From sitting on a virtual jury to transcribing audio, the opportunities are there if you know where to look. Tap or click here for some tips to get you started.

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🤔 Did I forget something? If your emails, blog posts, articles or any other writing feel off, ask ChatGPT to check for holes or confusion. Try this prompt: “Could you critique my writing and see if anything is missing?” Another set of (virtual) eyes will save you time.

🫡 Greetings, colleague: Dreading writing an email for work? Open ChatGPT or your favorite AI chatbot. Give it a headstart by typing who you are, your recipient and what the email needs to communicate. If the first draft is awful, give feedback (e.g., “Make it sound more conversational” or “Be more confident”) until it’s ready for your edits.

20M student papers included AI writing last year

That’s about 10% of the 200 million assignments analyzed. Oh, and about 6 million of those submissions were at least 80% AI-generated. Might be time to bring back the blue book.

4 free alternatives to Microsoft Word

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Looking for a word processor? In this one-minute podcast, I’ll share four free programs that can get you writing in no time.

Stop paying for software! 7 free versions of popular programs everyone uses

Some of the best software for your professional life comes with a heavy price tag. Luckily, there are a ton of great resources that carry you through heavy tasks. For example, you can visit free editing websites to check your writing for grammar issues. Tap or click here for five free sites that keep your writing professional and typo-free.

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5 sites for checking your grammar

There is nothing worse than sending off a business email or posting a blog entry, only to realize later that you have typos or poor grammar. How did that happen? After all, you use Microsoft Word, which has a built-in spell-checking feature. Unfortunately, this type of spell checker is basic, nothing fancy.

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