Once a week, we gather stories about the media business, journalism, writing, communications, and freelancing—with a Canadian focus—and share them in Off the Wire. Who needs a water cooler?

From around the web:

• Flabby writing? Try these 7 tips for toning and trimming text [PR Daily]
• Tip: How to network at events [Journalism.co.uk]
• New year, old fear: What scares you most as a writer? [The Writer]
• New Year’s resolutions for writers [The Writer]
• Your Next Big Book Idea: How to Figure Out Topics to Write About [The Write Life]
• Do we really need to talk so much about the future of work? [Freelancers Union]
• These tips will make you a better writer [Poynter]
• Top European destinations for freelancers [Freelancers Union]
• 7 tips for non-Native journalists covering Indigenous communities [IJNet]

Recently on Story Board:

• The Born Freelancer on Preparing Your Creative Estate: If you passed away tomorrow would your estate know what to do with your work archives? For the vast majority of freelancers, I would posit the answer is a resounding “no”...

Spot a story you think we should include in next week's Off the Wire? Email the link to editor@thestoryboard.ca or tweet us at @storyboard_ca.