None of us is just good at writing, the first time or even the thousandth time: getting to the good stuff takes wading through an awful lot of mess on the way. And we can't do that unless we're willing to sit down and get our hands dirty. It's a lot harder to wade in … Continue reading Make Some Mess
Category: Writing Principles
Shakespeare and Swift
You can take the girl out of the classroom, but you can't take the classroom out of the girl. Despite my best efforts, I'm still prone to spontaneous lectures on the material I spent fifteen years teaching. Last night, over a friendly beer at Book Club, someone got me going on that favorite old conspiracy … Continue reading Shakespeare and Swift
Talk to Yourself: It’s not that Weird
I have a few go-to pieces of advice when business owners or other writers ask me for help. Standard networking event conversation: What do you do?I help writers sound the way they do in their headsOh! I write! When I can. But I'm stuck right now...halp? From here, I have a few options--assess exactly what … Continue reading Talk to Yourself: It’s not that Weird
A clear call to action
You've put all this effort into building your brand. You have a clear sense of what you have to offer customers. But do they? Writing, especially for our customer-facing materials, is all about convincing our audience--it's an argument for further engagement, for the worth of our services or products. And if there's one thing I've … Continue reading A clear call to action
Something Polished 