Can you finish your piece before you reach the period? My favorite city magazine, Portland Monthly, runs five one-sentence stories per issue. Editors manage to cover the most Portlandish news of the month in an average of 26 words each. Samples: "News that Powell's Books and Rogue Ales are collaborating on a beer infused with actual pages of Moby Dick raises the … [Read more...] about May writing contest: One-sentence stories
Archives for May 2013
Reframe the data
Highlight the meaning of data to improve decision-making People in one study rated a disease that kills 1,286 people out of every 10,000 as more dangerous than one that kills 24.14% of the population (Yamagishi, 1997). But in fact, it's about half as dangerous. Why? The way you present, or frame, the information changes the way people — even experts — perceive it. “If … [Read more...] about Reframe the data
‘Imagine someone else’s point of view’
How to sway people, from Justice Sotomayor "I was fifteen years old when I understood how it is that things break down: people can’t imagine someone else’s point of view." So writes Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor in her memoir, My Beloved World. Sotomayor's book is packed with insights about persuasion, including: Logic = power. Sotomayor … [Read more...] about ‘Imagine someone else’s point of view’
Be sociable on Twitter
Social behavior nets more followers Want to expand your reach and influence on Twitter? Be sociable, counsels HubSpot's viral marketing scientist, Dan Zarrella. Zarrella used TweetPsych to analyze more than 30,000 accounts. He found that social behavior — using inclusive language like we and you, as well as language that describes relationships and communication — … [Read more...] about Be sociable on Twitter
Time’s running out
Book Ann today for July, fall Four times this month, I've had to turn down opportunities to train great teams at exciting companies. The reason: They needed training fast, and my calendar was booked. If you're even thinking about bringing me in to train your team this year, please contact me today. That will give you your best chance at getting the date — even the … [Read more...] about Time’s running out