Creative copy can attract or distract Creative copy is powerful. It attracts attention, helps people learn and remember — even makes them more creative, according to the research. But the power to attract may also distract readers from your main idea. If your “seductive details” don’t illustrate your key points, they can: Draw attention away from more important ideas … [Read more...] about Communicate, don’t decorate
Creative writing
Model the masters
Make a mentor of your favorite writer Did you ever take your mom's toaster apart to figure out how it worked? You can do the same thing with writing. It's called modeling the masters: studying the best writing out there for technique, form and process, then incorporating what you've learned into your own copy. It’s the best way I know to polish your skills. To get … [Read more...] about Model the masters
‘Spray, delay and walk away’
Try a triad of rhyming words My husband used to leave the room when I turned on “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.” Then he’d stand behind his chair in the living room while I watched. Finally he sat down. When I saw him spray, delay and walk away, I knew he was hooked. “Spray, delay and walk away” is a mnemonic Kyan Douglas used to teach men to use aftershave. Instead … [Read more...] about ‘Spray, delay and walk away’
Funny formulas
Try these fill-in-the-blanks jokes Want to add humor to your piece? Two professional speakers shared these formulas in SpeakerNet News, a weekly e-zine for professional speakers: Jargon jokes I know, I know. Your organization is overloaded with jargon. Take advantage of the situation, suggests Paul Seaburn, “The Humor Handyman,” by writing funny definitions for the worst … [Read more...] about Funny formulas
Give great verb | May 2010
“A story should be a verb, not a noun.” — Byron Dobell, former editor of Esquire and American Heritage 'Spank those naughty little oxidants' Creative communications from London London: How can I miss you if you won't let me go? After presenting a writing workshop for TELLABS UK and CCGroup last month, I was treated by a volcano to an extended stay in London. Although … [Read more...] about Give great verb | May 2010