#skills Archives -

January 18, 2017 By marisa

Three Ways to Energize Writing with Sound

Poetic Devices Create Excitement with Sound

Sound – and both its denotation and connotations – are important aspects of good writing. Repeating patterns and creating tension is vital to great content and ad writing. Add excitement to entice readers. Use poetic devices, such as onomatopoeia, repetition, and alliteration. They add zest to descriptions. Below are some ways to readily apply sound to improve writing.

Words that Burst with Sound

The use of onomatopoeia, or words that are spelled the way they sound, packs a punch. Such sound words are reminiscent of vintage “Batman” episodes where bam, boom, and wow were placed in zigzag-border boxes above action shots. Additionally, many nature sounds are naturally used in content and ad copy. Consider swish and swoosh. The buzz in BuzzFeed. The tweet behind Twitter. Think of the “snap, crackle, pop” of Rice Krispies. They add movement and texture to text. Use them as exclamation points, sparingly, for greatest impact.

Create Energy with Repetition

Phrase wording to add additional movement. Recall the 1981 Faberge Organics Shampoo TV commercial. It featured a multiplying screen with the wording, “I told two friends. Then, they told two friends. And so on. And so on. And so on.” And who can forget Franco American’s “mini, mini, mini, ravioli, oli, oli, oli…”. Earworms, yes? But effective ones, for certain.

Accelerate Action with Alliteration

When using alliteration, the first letters are repeated to create catchy slogans and phrases. These often form the products’ names such as Cocoa Krispies, Frosted Flakes or Captain Crunch. McDonalds had a “big. beefy. bliss” ad. And a Nike ad used repetition to sound like alliteration in “My better is better than your better.”

To bring it all together, add movement to writing with onomatopoeia, repetition, and alliteration. As that energy snowballs, it adds more interest in a product or service to potential customers. And that, as they said in the throwback Pearl Drops ad, “Is a great feeling!”

August 10, 2016 By marisa

Venn and Now: Graphic Organizer Advances Professional Writing

Traditional Ways to Use Venns

Venn diagrams are a classic organizational tool that can be taken from the classroom to the boardroom.

Some things never go out of style. To educators preparing for a new school year, Venn diagrams are as classic as motherhood and apple pie. So why toss a classic graphic aside like a pearl-button cardigan when it is so useful? Go retro and up cycle the Venn to advance professional writing. Use this academic chart to gather ideas quickly. Then, complete a project in a timely manner by seeing how companies, brands, products, or services compare and contrast. Teachers continue to give students Venns to analyze texts. Anything that could be compared and contrasted is fair game. Transportation of Union and Confederacy troops during the Civil War? No problem! Or. life in early-Industrial Age Paris and London in Dickens’ “Tale of Two Cities”? Sure thing! Venns take on subjects across the curriculum with ease. Here is the reason: they are practical!

How Venns are Practical

Educators love this construction, because it is a complete visual. What is inside the two – or three – interlocking circles is the same. And the differences? They are easily located in the slices that do not intersect. While “bubble charts” facilitate brainstorming, the words inside of a Venn’s different segments accomplish the same goal. With less mess. The analysis happens rapidly, because of the way this compare/contrast visual is in place. Students can easily access prior knowledge and link it to what can be found in sources. Then, they document it in class assignments, such a as a term paper or a Power-Point presentation.

Three Ways Venns Increase the Speed of Professional Writing

The Venn’s application as a business writing tool extends its use from the classroom to the boardroom. Everyone in a meeting can naturally use it as a reference. When ideas are quickly generated, Venns can sort random ideas for practical display and retention. Whoever is responsible for the notes from the meeting can quickly write a memo or status report.

Furthermore, when an entrepreneur or small business owner is working with a client, a Venn is a fast way to capture information about a product or service desired. Later. documents such as blogs, articles, and other forms of web content writing can be easily created from notes housed in a Venn filled with important points.

Finally, Venns can facilitate writing a public speech or webinar script. Key points can be jotted down, weighed for importance, and organized by priority. Speakers can implement Venns as visuals during their talks. These actions make for more powerful presentations. How? The graphic is used from the conception of the idea through the writing and editing of the draft. Then, the same visual is used through the practice of the speech or voice-over in a webinar into its delivery to an intended audience. The value of the Venn is in its ability to adapt to all of the phases of the project.

There are so many ways to apply this workhorse of a diagram. From the traditional use in the classroom to the implementation in business writing, copy writing, and speech/script writing, these graphic organizers speed up writing time. They create a common ground for group participants to work together. They are multi-tasking to work in any industry. In short, Venns rule!

July 27, 2016 By marisa

Attending Writing Conferences Sharpens Skills, Part I

Conferences Hone Both Literary and Social Skills

Writing conferences – they are a no-brainer for career advancement and enhancement. So why do so many women hesitate to attend these skill-building events?

The fear of the unknown?

Attending writing conferences sharpens one's craft and social skills all at once! — Attending writing conferences sharpens one’s craft and social skills all at once!

Perhaps it can get in the way. Especially if you are not going with friends, family, or colleagues, going alone can seem scary. It brings back middle school fears of who will I share my living quarters with? What table should I plunk down my tray at in the cafeteria? Fear of unknown instructors and their commentary about sketches shared in writing sessions can be a big one, too. Or, the fear of standing up in front of strangers at an evening open-mic and reading what was produced earlier can be frightening as well.

I have found that the very best way to get over the fear is to face the music and attend a conference. Starting with smaller weekend versions is a less anxiety ridden way to start out. Check out the requirements for the workshops and lectures to make sure that they do not sound too difficult or too easy so that your experience is not frustrating or boring. Middle ground is good. Read up on the instructors credentials, interests, and books or articles that they have published to see if they match up with your own needs or interests.

Be open to meeting women from a variety of backgrounds. Learn very early on to listen carefully to people both older and younger than you for they hold many experiences that may be out of your normal routine. Also, women from different cultures can be invigorating to share a meal or an open-mic session with during the conference.

Their experiences can quite literally open doors to whole new worlds.

February 3, 2016 By marisa

The Transferable Skills of Puxatawney Phil

Groundhog to Gopher: Transferable Skills Open Possibilities

Stuck in a rut?

Held up as a centerpiece for corporate amusement?

Want more growth and freedom to build upon hopes and dreams for a better tomorrow?

You are not alone.

Consider Puxatawney Phil. His “groundhog gig” has been entertaining a nation, with fabled weather forecasts, for over a century. Truly a rockstar among animal celebrities, it would seem that Phil would get bored by the paparazzi. Phil’s one and only show is an annual event that brings the sleepy hollow of Puxatawney, Pennsylvania into frenzied activity in the hours leading up to his one-act at dawn.

His handlers know the routine: the early morning ordeal must be ushered in with a Starbucks red-eye – hold the sugar and cream – a plate of non-GMO field greens, and a shot of freshly pressed organic baby kale juice. They like to call it the magical elixir. One that has kept him glowing and ageless. Because everyone knows that there has only been one Phil. And, anyone who has to get up in below freezing conditions to hole-up in a tree trunk pre-daybreak may very well demand the same treatment. When he is not amusing the masses, Phil lives a quiet leisurely life. He and the misses reside in roomy glass walled apartment adjoined to the Puxatawney Public Library overlooking a park. Such an idyllic life sings like a poem, but after years and years may lose its charm.

What if Phil wanted to cross the line? Get moving on his career path. Transition from groundhog to gopher? His consistency of work history is impressive. He started prognosticating the onset of Spring in 1887. So, 129 years of being the ruler of rural weather forecasts. All added up, with his 364 days of paid vacation time each year, Phil has worked a little over 4 months in human terms. With all that down time, he might want to venture into new horizons. He has many transferable skills that could land him in a good job. A great job. Consider his options in Hollywood. Phil knows how to wow a crowd. He has decision making skills. He can make a statement – trends are his forte – without uttering a word. Phil could readily audition for future remakes of “Caddyshack”.

Still, he’s got it pretty good in Puxatawney.

Time will tell.

And, as always, time is on Phil’s side.