Someone asked me this week about the case for reading fiction (as opposed to science, politics, more weighty genres), and my answer is always the same: stories are how we fuel our ability to make change. And it doesn't really matter if you're reading something that's true in the sense of having happened to real … Continue reading The Value of a Good Story
Tag: clear goals
Telling the Right Story
Time for another look at the stories we tell, about ourselves and about our business. As one of the resident Story Folk for our local 1MC community, I give this advice on a weekly basis--though usually I don't have this kind of space to develop my thoughts. When thinking about your story, it's important to … Continue reading Telling the Right Story
Hello, Is it Me?
It seems like every tool I use now implements AI features. Aside from the more obvious questions like why does my window fan need to be that "smart"?, I find myself more and more routinely annoyed by the assumption I might require AI's assistance or editing feedback in the things I do professionally. No, thank … Continue reading Hello, Is it Me?
Finding Your Type
Writing for our businesses can be overwhelming, whether or not we think of ourselves as writers in any other context. Sometimes it's even the last thing I find energy for because I'm more focused on writing for my clients--and I won't find energy for it at all if I don't have a clear motivating goal. … Continue reading Finding Your Type
Let’s Be Less nice in the Workplace
Hang on, hang on. Stick with me. I'm not advocating for rudeness, meanness, or disrespect. But I think the emphasis on nice (over, say, kind or clear) can get in the way of effective communication--and reinforce some pretty awful power systems in the process. For instance, one of my current clients has explicitly asked me … Continue reading Let’s Be Less nice in the Workplace
The forever undead five-paragraph essay
Close your eyes. Picture one of your middle school English teachers handing you a sheet of paper to prepare for an upcoming essay. It has a series of fill-in-the-blank lines that you've seen before, adding up to a series of five short paragraphs. With me? Cool. Now let's crumple that handout, throw it in a … Continue reading The forever undead five-paragraph essay
I’m Back, Back Again
Well, I had the intention of getting ahead enough on writing to accommodate all the travel and visits and general busy-ness of the summer...but clearly even my best-laid plans aren't up to snuff. My writing, in all arenas, has definitely taken the time-management hit. As we move into the end of the third quarter, I … Continue reading I’m Back, Back Again
How Did I Fool the News?
While some outlets did immediately clock satire, several others ran the story without even a careful close read. Satire is an especially tricky kind of writing, sure, but it also highlights an essential truth: sometimes the hardest part of writing is nailing the genre expectations, and sometimes nailing the genre expectations is how we produce … Continue reading How Did I Fool the News?
Ersatz Excitement
Last week, I fooled the news. Like a lot of other campuses in the US, my alma mater has been making a lot of highly public missteps, earning them the moniker of Homeless Student University--among other things. National news attention and public outcry has not stopped the university from continuing to focus on enrollment numbers … Continue reading Ersatz Excitement
Habitual Forgiveness
Look, at the risk of getting out of my lane and into life coach territory, I think it's important at this shift-into-the-second-quarter point to pause and look at where we've come so far this year. Personally, I've fallen a little short of where I hoped to be by now. I set out in 2023 with … Continue reading Habitual Forgiveness
Something Polished 