Copy Chemist » Writing

7 Ways to Make Your Writing More Interesting

Emily Soares Proctor — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 15:34:37 +0000

: Image via Wikipedia

We could all stand to increase the power of our writing, right? You learned in early writing classes to avoid the passive voice, for instance. But while we’re at it, why not increase the interest of your writing? Whether you’re drafting a blog post or a magazine piece, here are some ideas to keep in mind, inspired by a look through Writer’s Digest Handbook of Magazine Article Writing:

1) Make the information useful. No one has much time for casual reading these days, so write pieces on subjects that people need to know more about. The rise of “news you can use” as a best-loved format of web and popular magazines is because we’re all looking for applicable information.

2) Make it usable. Anytime you cut something out to put on the refrigerator for quick reference, you know how handy that little box of tips, dates or contact detail embedded in an article is. Boxes get attention! The kind of content that would go into a box makes great tweets or fan page status updates.

3) Go short. Yes, I’ve already said it―not much reading time out there. So take your pearls of wisdom and cut them by a third before you even send to your editor. It’s painful, but satisfying too.

4) Connect with readers. Ask them questions to get responses and make sure they have your contact information.

5) Is it news? Even history is news. Say you’re writing a travel piece. Odds are good that your readers aren’t going to know about the long ago festival, battle or celebrity sighting that happened in a particular location. Maybe there’s even a contemporary link. In every story, there is a kernel of “I didn’t know that!” Find it. If you’re intrigued, your readers will be too.

6) Is it new? We all want to discover a way of doing things we didn’t know about before. Find a unique angle to your useful subject.

7) Subheads. No one has enough―Nevermind. Make your writing quick and easy to read by guiding your reader through it. She will not only know better what to skip, but those who read all the way through will be comforted by knowing what comes next.

What’s the secret weapon that makes your writing zing?

Everyday Magic

Emily Soares Proctor — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 12:44:30 +0000

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I’m working on a book that involves magic, all kinds of magic, from its earliest record in ancient civilization to the great showmen like Houdini, Blackstone and the like. No offense to David Copperfield and more contemporary conjurers, but my personal fascination with the performing end of magic ends somewhere near the dawn of television.

It’s kind of all-consuming, this subject. Like once you start asking yourself, ‘what is magic, really?’ and ‘what in the modern world can still be considered magic?’ it oozes across the lines of everything else you’re doing. What magic is ultimately, I think, is any instance that lets you see that there may be something more going on around you, behind you and before you than you originally thought. It’s anything that suggests the infinite and makes you feel that there are many mysteries in this life yet to be revealed, like an impossible coincindence that hints at a master framework. The mystery delivers hope somehow–in that night-before-Christmas kind of way, but bigger.

Sometimes clarity, the opposite of mystery, delivers the same sensation. I get that wonderful feeling of the veil being lifted often when I’m writing, whether I’m freewheeling it or drilling down to some place of precision. Interestingly, it doesn’t matter what I’m writing. It could be a company profile or a poem, but when you get to the truth of something, as sublime as a mystery, the universe seems more right, more functional.

What is magic to you?

Writing to Remember

Emily Soares Proctor — Wed, 12 May 2010 18:57:07 +0000

: Image by | El Caganer via Flickr

As I was waiting at a stoplight this morning with the windows rolled down, I heard a “ding, ding” that I almost couldn’t believe. It was a distant sound from my childhood–the signal bell you always used to hear in a gas station when you rolled over the hose stretched in front of the pumps. I was stopped next to a car wash that was using one. I thought back to the long-ago day when every station was a full-service one. I grew up in California, which went to self-serve when I was in junior high. But as a young child, gas stations were more interesting places. My uncle Bernie in San Diego owned an Exxon and always had plenty of stickers for me. My twin cousins knew everything about cars and probably put together every model set available in the ’70s. Arco stations used to sell/give away cool toys, like an entire Noah’s ark set that you could collect two by two.

I loved going to the gas station then. There was always someone to help, to ask questions of and to get your tank filled. Soon enough, however, taking care of business yourself became second nature, at least in California. I remember an out-of-state road trip with my University of Oregon debate team. None of them had any idea what to do at a self-service gas station when we were in Idaho for a tournament, since they had never had to pump their own gas. As a freshman and one of the few women on a very sharp team of extreme smart alecks, I felt quite inflated when I had to take on filling duties for our van.

As I’ve been writing about gas stations, pieces of my past that I haven’t thought of in forever have resurfaced. What about you? Is there a memory that you can use as a writing exercise? An object, image, sound or smell that triggers stories for you? Writing about what triggers a memory is a great way to connect with rich, inner content for fiction writers. For business writers, the process is no different. Are there ways that things used to be done in business or culture that you could build a newsletter or blog post around? Maybe there are new versions of old practices that we’re surrounded by now, such as the “water cooler” aspect of a Facebook discussion. It’s amazing how tapping old memories shared by others can give you a platform from which to talk about nearly anything.

What’s your favorite memory right now? Leave us a taste here!

The Business Writing Toolkit

Emily Soares Proctor — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 16:29:18 +0000

: Image by Neil Tvia Flickr

Whether you love writing or hate it, all business people have to do at least some of it, especially since no one seems to actually talk on the telephone anymore. Even if your business sometimes hires professional writers to save time and bolster quality, there’s no getting around doing a certain amount of writing, especially when you’re a solopreneur. So, I’ve put together a basic toolkit of what you’ll want to have in your head and on your desk to write successfully every day.

1) A Modern Sensibility

Evolution in advertising and a revolution in communication, thanks to digital media, have really changed the way businesses talk about themselves. Business-to-consumer is smarter and less salesy and business-to-business is far less stuffy. We’ve learned that legitimacy can be hip—ala Apple, among countless others. So what does this mean for your business writing? It means that you can be creative, be yourself and get new clients all at the same time.

2) The Cult of Personality

Thanks to the Internet, we are all growing accustomed to learning and perhaps sharing more personal information than ever before. This phenomenon can be tedious at times, especially if you are following the tweets of someone who puts the word out every time they brush their teeth. But in the sea of sites, blogs, Facebook pages and Twitter posts, business today requires at least a glimpse of the personality behind it like never before.

That doesn’t mean that you have to deliver too much information about yourself, but it is appropriate to let clients know where you’ve been, where you’re coming from (philosophically and geographically) and what your plans are for the future. Hence, the importance of profiles, “about me” blurbs and bios is obvious and may be why you’re reading this post.

Whether or not it feels right for your business to blog, tweet and spend a lot of time on Facebook, now is a good time to consider a social media plan. You may be doing the work yourself, or hiring someone to do it for you, but all of this cross-platfrom messaging needs an attitude of some kind. The core principle of branding requires a business or personality to take a position, and in this new world of extreme detail, there is no room left to be all things to all people.

You may be the face and voice of your business or develop a brand that creates an atmosphere of its own. In either case, being specific is the way to make your business known.

3) Differentiation

Personality goes a long way to differentiate a business from the competition, but if you’re in a crowded field, you have even more explaining to do. Is your product or service better for the environment? Faster? Cheaper? More established? More effective? Do you have unique training? Though you need to be concise, be sure to lay out the details of why clients should go with you. You’d be surprised how far your unique approach to your industry goes in making you the first pick.

4) Price Perspective

In this economic climate, everyone is cost conscious. Don’t be afraid to talk about your pricing and why you’re worth it. This goes back to differentiating your service or product. You can break down the cost or talk about the payoff to the clients, which can be emotional or intrinsic. Maybe what you do delivers peace of mind, makes your client’s clients happy or increases revenue for the businesses you work with.

5) Accuracy

One way of building belief in your business is tooting your own horn. But you’ve got to prove it too. When it comes to numerical details, be precise. Don’t round up percentages, for example. Cite particular rave reviews, testimonials and awards and if you and those on your staff have special certifications, say so.

6) Brevity

We all know that good writing requires clarity, and with the planet’s attention span growing increasingly short, now is the time to cut to the chase. Whether you’re working on an email, web content or a newsletter, make it short, sweet and to the point. It’s tough to edit ourselves, but few people we deal with have the time or patience for rambling, so do the work before you send. That means subject lines that lead the messaging for emails, and, in other formats, bullet points and concise paragraphs to break down the point of your piece. Remember, most readers are attention deficient, so help them out before you lose ‘em.

7) Good Tone

A few words about tone. Yes, we want to be personable, immediate and engaging when we write about our business, but we still need to keep it professional. In correspondence, forget emoticons, unless you are also close friends with the person you’re writing to. Also, leave txt abbreviations out as much as possible.

And be sure to leave out all industry jargon. Approach your writing from your readers’ point of view and don’t obscure your message with language that is either too confusing or formal to allow your audience to connect with the ultimate message: that you are so good at what you do that you don’t have to use off-putting language to explain it.

Call to Action

Okay, so you’ve crafted an effective written message about your business that defines your product or service and why clients want to work with you. But now what? All of your persuasiveness could fall flat if you don’t hit it home by inspiring them to talk to you or buy what you’re selling. Don’t underestimate the power of a “call today” message. Why not offer a time-sensitive promotion or coupon to get clients interested? Or offer them something free for calling, writing or visiting your web site

9) Grammar Guidance

Good writing is usually invisible, but nothing sounds the alarm like a simple grammatical error. I recommend the following guides for all desks: The Chicago Manual of Style (15^th Edition), The McGraw-Hill Desk Reference for Editors, Writers and Proofreaders and The Associated Press Guide to Punctuation, broken out of and extended from The AP Stylebook, which I also recommend.

10) Spell Check

The following will seem obvious, but it’s amazing what we forget when we’re in a hurry. Spell check! And after you do, read your copy again. P-i-e-c-e won’t be flagged in a spell check, even though what you wanted to use was p-e-a-c-e. Also, in addition to the reference texts I mentioned, have dictionary.com open when you write.

What’s in your writing toolkit?