Why?
As I was debating whether I really wanted to go on a long run this weekend, my dear six-year-old looked at me with her earnest blue eyes and said, “Why are running so far?” This is the million dollar question that you need to ask yourself whenever you write. Why am I writing this blog? Why am I writing this newsletter? Why am I writing this poem, book, letter? There are two important reasons to ask the question. The first is that the answer will give you the motivation to write. If this is what you’ve determined you need to...
read moreRunning to write
I ran seven miles this weekend. And while this is the lead in to a writing lesson, I absolutely admit that I’m also bragging a bit. I am not a “runner.” Historically, I have not liked running much, although I have run off and on again over the years. I did it mostly because I knew I should to get/stay fit. I never had high aspirations, however. Mostly, I was just happy to run for 20 or 30 minutes. It was a major deal when I signed up for my first 5k. Three miles seemed like a huge distance. And it is. Or was. Last year, a...
read moreFor instance
Check out this video to see exactly what I meant with my post on words: The Power of Words This was sent to me by a blogging colleague and author of the insightful “Not Running a Hospital” (who ironically had not seen yesterday’s post).
read moreTrue Power
Superman Wonder Woman Justice League Skunk Girl These are just words, but they evoke strong images and jumpstart your imagination. Even without further description, your mind has a sense of what we are talking about and what could come next. Of course, you’ve heard these words and they represent a familiar story line.* But the reason, these words can so instantly bring to mind those stories is that they were so well chosen. “Flying man who is very strong†or “group of people with special powers who uphold the law†are just as...
read moreEat less, read more
When it comes to losing weight, there is a simple formula: eat less, exercise more. It may be simple, but that doesn’t make it easy. Fortunately, the simple formula for writing better is much easier to follow: Write more, read more. The writing more gets plenty of attention, but reading more is just as important and maybe a little easier. It’s not really how much you read or even what you read, it’s how you read. As you read, pay attention to the words, the sentence structure, the paragraphs. What draws you into the store...
read moreWriting about Yellow Dresses
One of the best worst Christmas presents I ever received was a yellow dress, given to me by my grandmother when I was about 8. I suppose it was pretty enough despite the square neck and puffy sleeves, but I hated it as soon as I opened the box. I didn’t wear dresses. At all. Ever. I was a strictly jeans and cowboy boots sort of kid. Not only that, all of my cousins – there were a lot of us – got $5 and pencils with their names on them. To me, this was way better than a stupid dress. To make matters worse, I had not yet learned that all...
read moreAre you stuck?
Are you facing a blank screen? Have you typed and deleted and typed and deleted and still you don’t like what you have? Try asking questions. Put yourself in the shoes of the reader and interview yourself. What are you trying to tell me? Why should I care? What do I need to know? What do I need to do? How should I do it? When should I do it? This little trick can be used when you are first getting started, as well as when you are moving along. You could even take this literally and write in a question/answer format. Does that really...
read moreS-T-R-E-T-C-H
It may seem that in order to get better at the kind of writing you want to do, whether it is for blogs, newsletters or websites, that the best thing to do is to concentrate on doing that sort of writing and to do a lot of it. This is true. However, there is something to be learned from the sports world. Good athletes cross train. Runners sometimes lift weights. Football players take up ballet. (Okay, not too many do that, but they should ‘cause that’s a funny image.) In writing, this means trying to all sorts of different styles and...
read moreCustomer Service in Writing
At first glance, customer service seems pretty disconnected from writing unless you’re talking about writing as a way of enhancing customer service. There are, however, some principles of good customer service that can be applied to writing. Your customers are your readers. Rather than their money, you’re asking for their time. To start with, good customer service requires clear communication. You need to let people know what to expect, which is a good thing to do when you’re writing. You can do this with the headline, the first...
read moreThe path to improvement can be painful, get over it
If you want to get better as a writer, you need thick skin. You need to be able to listen to criticism and not take it personally. Writing is a skill that can continually be improved. Even the best writers can get better. For one thing, grammar rules are complicated. You may know them and be concentrating so hard on your thoughts that you mess up. Maybe there are a few you don’t know as well as you thought. Even if your grammar is 100 percent correct, the sentence may be clunky or it may not convey what you thought you were saying. If you...
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