This blog post written by a columnist at The Charlotte Observer talks about what we’ve been saying for many years. Sometimes, writing in simple language is a discipline in itself.
I couldn’t agree more.
Posted by Dana Minter
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Writing Simply is Difficult
20 MayWhere does inspiration come from?
4 FebI’ve read a few books, articles and blog posts about ‘inspiration’ – that is, the type of inspiration that comes when you’re sitting in front of a computer waiting for the words to come out (or, if you’re like my co-partner, in front of a blank pad).
I don’t know about other writers, but I find I can’t force inspiration. It’s there, or it isn’t. It always turns up eventually – to date, at least.
I’ll start by telling you where I don’t get inspired to write – I wish these worked, but they don’t for me (it doesn’t meant they won’t for you).
- In the shower (as much as I wish I could say it does)
- From above (divine inspiration – it would be so easy, wouldn’t it?)
- Browsing stock photography sites
- Looking through award winning ads (I do enjoy going through annuals, but it’s really procrastination)
- Stressful situations
- 3 in the morning (although my husband does)
- Unreasonable client demands
- Staring at my computer waiting for the words to come out
Here are a places I do find inspiration:
- Walking away from my computer when the words don’t come out (see above)
- At work (surprise – still the best place!)
- Walking the dog in the park
- Laying my head down on the couch at work (some of my best ideas have come this way and I have no idea why)
- Cooking
- Out of the blue
The truth is, the last point is probably where inspiration always comes from. I have absolutely no clue where ideas come from. I’ve been in this business long enough to stop questioning it. As long as it comes, I’m happy (and so are our clients).
Posted by Dana Minter
Writer’s Resource
6 Nov
This isn’t the best looking website on earth, but if you’re a writer this is a great resource for information.
Posted by Dana Minter
How to use an Apostrophe – The Flowchart
4 Nov
I just discovered this fantastic website via Twitter (thanks @bentortora via @likeomg and @kollektor). It explains, in easy to follow steps and simple illustrations, one of the basic lessons of grammar.
Great for students (young and old).
Posted by Dana Minter
Confusing Words – Help is as Hand
28 Oct
Arguably, a professional writer should already know how to use words that are ‘difficult’. In reality, it’s not unusual to be in the flow of writing and stop dead. I should know this! Your brain fries mid-thought, and that’s when the spell is broken.
I Stumbleupon’d this website, Confusing Words, and I am very glad I did. Every writer should have it bookmarked.
Posted by Dana Minter
Death by email
2 MarEmail is a wonderful thing, but the very speed of this communication appears to open up a number of nasty traps we can all fall into now and again.
Too often, I receive something resembling a stream of consciousness from normally quite coherent individuals. Then there are the poorly written emails, full of grammatical and spelling errors from well-educated friends and business people. Plus, the annoying, ” Reply To All” emails, used indiscriminately, so I receive information I just don’t want. There are the inconsiderate, blunt emails, from those who can’t spare the time to be civil. And, finally, there’s the deliberately rude email, usually sent in the heat of the moment, from people who wouldn’t dare say such things to your my face. Or, even on the phone.
If these emails sound like something you’ve received, or sent, here are a few email etiquette tips I’ve put together that you might find useful:
1. Never send any email that you haven’t read first. A few seconds spent doing this could do wonders for your credibility. You could also make yourself far more understood.
2. When sending an email, leave the name of the recipient to last. It’s very easy to send an incomplete, or ill-considered message, by mistake and the ramifications can be serious. I know I’ve accidently done it. So please, always make the recipient’s address the last thing you enter. Trust me, it could save your career, a friendship, or maybe even your marriage.
3.If you’re feeling angry, however justified, don’t send your email without giving it the “10 Minute Test”. Write a draft, then go and have a tea, coffee or an politically incorrect smoke, before you press “Send”. It’s surprisingly how a few minutes reflection can affect your point of view.
4. Think carefully before you”Reply To All”. Let’s be honest, sometimes it can be to score some brownie points, but do you think that this might not also be also obvious to “All” ? Equally, you could annoy a whole bunch of people unwittingly. Again, think before you press” Reply To All”.
No doubt there are many more email etiquette rules we should all abide by, however, these 4 simple tips can potentially be a real lifesaver and all they take are a few precious moments of your time.
Posted by Ian Minter
Has SEO killed the craft of copywriting?
25 FebAs copywriting for websites involves using as many keywords as possible (as many times as possible) the first concern for the intrepid copywriter is that the craft of flowing words goes straight out the window. Connecting keywords in a coherent and credible manner is a modern challenge for any copywriter.
SEO copywriting doesn’t need to equal repetitive copywriting. It does, however, need to be carefully thought out. I am of the firm belief that you can, indeed, perform SEO copywriting AND ensure the copy is speaking directly to your customers (or potential customers).
In other words, SEO copywriting is to entice the search engines; the craft of copywriting is to entice the reader.
A professional copywriter can do both. It will take more effort, but that’s our job, isn’t it?
Posted by Dana Minter
Up The Conjunction
20 FebDo you remember your teacher telling you that starting a sentence with a conjunction such as “and”, or “but” was wrong? Well, let’s just get this silly business out of the way right now – your teacher was talking out of his, or her, backside.
This alleged breach of the English language has been broken repeatedly by some quite well known writers, including Henry James, Virginia Woolf, Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, not to mention some fellow called Shakespeare. Now, if it’s regarded as acceptable for them, it should surely be deemed A-OK for the rest of us.
Therefore, I suggest you feel free to break this “rule” anytime you want to. “And” to do so whenever you wish. “But”, not necessarily for the sake of it.
Posted by Ian Minter
It’s the little things that count…
12 FebThe possessive apostrophe. Maligned. Abused. Inappropriately inserted at random. Yet it’s so very easy to get right and getting it wrong cha
ges the entire meaning of a phrase. Consider “the winner’s prize” and “the winners’ prize”. The first, “the winner’s prize” means the prize of just one winner. Get that apostrophe in the wrong place and, all of a sudden, you’re sharing that single prize with the other winners…. I had a fantastic english teacher, Mrs Brosnan, who helped us embrace the possessive apostrophe by substituting “of the” to work out who owns what. So if you’re talking about the prize of the winner, it’s the “winner’s prize”. If it’s the prize of the winners, it’s the “winners’ prize”. And, if we’re talking about the prizes of the winners, it’s the winners’ prizes.
Likewise, “the boy’s punishment” means just one boy is being punished (the punishment of the boy), while “the boys’ punishment” sees more than one person in trouble.
So the pyjamas of the cat is the “cat’s pyjamas” and if we’re talking about more than one cat, it’s the “cats’ pyjamas”. “Those things over there are my husband’s” means I’m picking up vs “Those things over there are my husbands” means I’ve picked up. Come on, join the supporters’ network for the possessive apostrophe – it’s not that hard (even if that’s an apostrophe due to a contraction!)
Posted by LJ Loch
The Fertiliser Analogy
8 FebWhen I first began copywriting many years ago, I was fortunate enough to have a wonderful teacher in my first Creative Director. His red pen kept me on the straight and narrow, and his love of the craft of copywriting was infectious.
However, the best piece of advice he ever gave me was in the form of one simple sentence:
“Don’t tell me about your fertiliser. Tell me about my lawn.”
It sums up what good advertising copywriting is all about. It’s not about being boastful, it’s about providing useful information.
When writing advertising copy, I always keep a typical customer in the back of my mind. What will this product do for them? How will it make their life easier? They’re saying – “I couldn’t care less about how good you and your product is, I just want to know what it will do for me.”
That’s what sells.
Posted by Dana Minter
