Make readers’ brains light up
After I presented a Make Your Copy More Creative workshop recently, an attendee pulled me aside. “The speeches I write are just 20 minutes long,” he said.… Read the full article
creative
Why creative content writing is important
Grab attention, keep it longer, communicate better & more
My husband likes to quote his favorite philosopher, Anonymous:
“If a man speaks in the forest, and no woman is there to hear him, is he still wrong?”
… Read the full article‘Get the name of the dog’
Name names, number numbers
I still remember — more than a decade later — one of the thousand heartbreaking stories about Hurricane Katrina victims, an AP report about the Superdome evacuation:
Many people had dogs, and they could not take them on the bus.
… Read the full articleHow to get executive stories
Ask, ‘What’s your story?’
Sometimes the best stories come from executives’ own experiences with the problem or situation.
Warren Buffett, chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, uses this personal story in his letter to shareholders to illustrate the problem with executive spending:
“Corporate bigwigs often complain about government spending, criticizing bureaucrats who they say spend taxpayers’ money differently from how they would if it were their own.
List, rhyme and twist for news release quotations
Craft a sassy sound bite
When the Federal Trade Commission needed to explain why the agency has decided not to develop a do-not-spam registry — officials feared that spammers would target people on the list — a spokesperson said:
“You’ll be spammed if we do — and spammed if we don’t.”
… Read the full articleMake size and scale visual
How tiny is tiny? How huge is huge?
How small is small? One-third the size of a ladybug? The size of a sprinkle on an ice cream cone?… Read the full article
Give numbers context
How can you help people see 6,000?
When 6,000 power poles went down in New Orleans during a series of ice storms, Entergy Senior Communications Specialist David Lewis needed a way to make that number tangible in an executive speech.… Read the full article
Tell your process story
‘How we make it’ can be a compelling narrative
The other day, my husband came home with a bottle of Kelt — not his usual cognac.… Read the full article
‘Julius Caesar drank here’
Bottled water makers use stories to set their products apart
Want a little drama to go with your drink? I read this story off a bottle of Blenheim water:
“Within the majestic setting of Blenheim palace, an ancient spring has been supplying natural mineral water to king, queen, duke and duchess for centuries.… Read the full article
How do you organize information?
Save time — and words — with structure
As a reality TV superfan, I’ve learned a lot about writing from “Project Runway” episodes.
For one thing, time management counts.… Read the full article