Blog
Tips, observations and reflections on better writing, editing and communications planning…
Five fast fixes to add flavour to your writing
We all spend a lot of time communicating in writing.
Whether it’s through briefs and reports or emails, tweets and Facebook posts, good writing skills help us communicate effectively both at work and in our private lives.
Here are five ideas to spice up your writing so it is appetising no matter what you’re serving up.
To boldly go against the rules
Some grammar rules can be broken.
You can start a sentence with ‘and’. And depending on the product and audience, you can even start a sentence with ‘but’.
It is also acceptable to split the infinitive. Sometimes you just have to boldly go…
Before you start writing: know your purpose
About a month ago, a little wattlebird started making a nest in the tree outside our lounge room window. From the moment we first noticed her, that mother bird was 100% clear about her purpose. No dithering, no distractions, no dilly-dallying. Watching her, I realised there’s a lesson in that: If you need to write something, know your purpose before your fingers hit the keyboard.
Declutter your writing: the value of a good clean up
A friend recently told me she had just decluttered her whole house in two weeks. I’m in awe. It would take me two weeks just to clear a path to the back of our garage. My friend was inspired by author Marie Kondo, who says a decluttered environment becomes ‘a place where there are no unnecessary things, and our thoughts become clear’. Sounds good. But instead of tackling the garage (have to work up to that daunting task) I thought about how well this theory applies to writing.
Better bullet points
Have you heard about parallel construction and bullet points? It’s not as hard as it sounds. First, you just need to pick the bullet points that don’t match.
Good guides vs bad guides: tips for writing guidelines
How frustrating is it trying to follow poorly written guides? Sort of like trying to understand the illustrations that come with flat pack furniture. So how can you avoid ‘flat pack syndrome’? Here are some suggestions for writing clear, useful guides, instructions or explanations that are easier for people to understand and follow.
The power of podcasting
Last century, the power of audio had people crowding around the radio in their lounge room to hear the news or the latest episode of their favourite serial. Fast forward and today we’re selecting from a smorgasbord of audio content, which we can listen to virtually anywhere, anytime. This phenomenon is seeing podcasts pop up on just about any subject you can imagine. Here’s why these highly portable on-demand audio programs have become so popular and why they are such a powerful way to communicate.
To emoji or not to emoji?
It’s no laughing matter. There are more than 700 of them. They regularly pop up in emails, text messages, tweets and websites. Foreign Minister Julie Bishop famously conducted an entire interview in emoji. A British company has created a new type of passcode that uses emoji instead of a four-digit PIN for online banking. And Penguin Random House has launched the OMG Shakespeare series. But is emoji really a language?
Effective emails: common culprits and cures
How many of the emails that land in your inbox are clear, relevant, useful and easy to translate into actions? Thought so. Here are 10 common email culprits (are you an Agatha, a Quick-draw or a Scorpion?) plus some tips on how to improve your email persona.