Even good writers can produce bad writing. Very bad writing. Downright awful writing. That’s why there are editors. I’m a huge fan of Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner. (The writing and the ideas, at least. I’m not qualified to judge their ecomonic theories, but they’re sure fun to read.) Being such […]
Author Archives: Tom McKay
Creativity, fantasy and writing
No less a genius than Albert Einstein recognized the power of creativity. Sure, his left brain mojo was smoking, but the great mathemetician recognized the importance of his right brain, too. He wrote: “When I examine myself and my methods of thought, I come to the conclusion that the gift of fantasy has meant more […]
Writing Secret #5: Be brief. Be clear. Be yourself.
Our attention spans have shrunk, and most of the business documents you write should be downsized to match. Look at the stories in newspapers like USA Today. Most run about 300-500 words – not 3,000. Likewise, television delivers fast-paced, tightly-edited commercials, programs and videos. It’s true in the workplace, too. Welcome to Planet A.D.D. Everybody […]
Be Authentic When Communicating
Want to stand out from the general hype and din of most advertising and marketing communications? Want to forge an honest relationship with prospects and customers? Follow these (not so) simple rules: 1. Tell me clearly who you are, and why you are contacting me.2. Tell me clearly what you are, or are not, going […]
Writing Secret #4: "Hook" Them with Benefits
Your readers are only human. They glance at your sales letter (or brochure, memo, Web site – whatever) and wonder, “Hmmm… What’s this? What’s it about? Should I bother reading it? Why? What’s in it for me?” To hook their interest, you must give them compelling reasons to continue reading. Those reasons are called benefits. […]
Daydreaming: Distraction or Necessity?
For all of us (including me) who feel we’re wasting time whenever we’re not busy doing something, consider this: “Daydreaming does not enjoy tremendous prestige in our culture, which tends to regard it as unproductive thought. Writers perhaps appreciate its importance better than most, since a fair amount of what they call ‘work’ consists of […]
Levity about Brevity
A George Burns quip about sermons also applies to most memos and other business writing: “The secret is to have a good beginning and a good ending — and keep the two as close together as possible.”