[authorme] PUBLISHING EMERGING WRITERS, DECEMBER, 2007
- From: "Bruce Cook, AuthorMe.com" <cookcomm@xxxxxxx>
- To: authorme@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 30 Nov 2007 10:03:35 -0800 (PST)
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In this issue...
DIFFERENTIATING CHARACTERS IN FICTION - Cook.
EFFECTIVE BUSINESS WRITING TIPS - Khan
PLEASE SUBMIT STORIES FOR THE NEW AUTHOR-INDIA.COM!
(submit to cookcomm@xxxxxxx - marked Author-India)
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DIFFERENTIATING CHARACTERS IN FICTION
By Bruce Cook
Thinking of your readers ? if they saw a section of dialogue from your story
with the character?s names blanked out, would they be able to recognize who is
talking?
This can be a serious problem. And repairing it isn?t simple, for you must
re-enter your story and modify the dialogue for each character. Try to hear
them in your mind and try to match the speech patterns with their character.
(Further, just to complicate things, be sure to modify the speech patterns if
they are under great duress, carrying a great burden, or even dying.)
For example, Maximo might talk in bold, stentorian pronouncements, while
Minimo might ramble and avoid saying anything very definite. Mezzo might sound
like the author, while Eddie might speak in short, choppy utterances. Geppetto
might talk with an accent, or even talk in another language transliterated into
English without sensitivity to idiom.
Anyone who has read Dostoyevsky will know how important it is for an author to
differentiate among characters. Now Fyodor may be an exception, for he has so
many characters, and characters who are named differently from time to time,
but part of a reader?s challenge in reading him lies in remembering and
recognizing who the characters are.
If you are a student, and if you own the Dostoyevsky novel, you can always
write a list of the characters inside the back cover for reference while
reading the book. But, as a new author, your readers will not be willing to
make such a list. Instead, they will read on and even hopefully finish your
story. But the key question will be ? when they finish the story ? will they be
wondering if they can remember who was who?
==============
EFFECTIVE BUSINESS WRITING TIPS
By Sharif Khan
Effective business writing skills can help you win that important business
deal, earn a promotion, resolve a dispute, or generate a significant increase
in new business leads. Poor business writing, on the other hand, can never be
undone; it can cause you to lose business to your competition and even cost you
your job. Here are 11 easy ways you can improve your business writing skills:
1. Before you write a word of copy, make sure you know who your target
audience is and what specific result you?d like to achieve. If it?s an
important business communication, take five minutes to visualize yourself in
the shoes of the recipient and imagine what this person?s world is like.
What does their typical day look like? What are their unique needs, goals, and
challenges? What problem is keeping them up at night? The more thought and
research you invest in understanding your target audience and how you can help
them, the more powerful and effective your business writing communications will
become.
2. Avoid using acronyms and buzzwords. While they might seem cute and clever
to you, it?s very annoying to a busy executive who has a pile of documents and
proposals to read. Avoid using academic language like ?ergo,? ?henceforth,? or
?so to speak,? and as a general rule of thumb avoid use of technical jargon.
Simplify big words: write use instead of utilize, send out instead of
disseminate, fair instead of equitable, etc.
3. Use a strong, active voice instead of the impersonal, passive voice. ?The
meeting agenda could be discussed further? is passive. ?Let?s discuss the
meeting agenda? is active. Express confidence and decisiveness in your business
communications. Instead of writing, ?I intend to write a report on sales
performance measures,? which comes across as weak and indecisive, write: ?I?m
currently writing a report on sales performance measures for completion on or
before end of the second quarter.?
4. Write in a conversational tone instead of alienating your readers by being
too formal and bureaucratic ? unless you?re writing to a bureaucrat or someone
who prefers formality. Know your audience!
Even if you are writing a marketing communications piece that will be read by
several thousand potential readers, make your writing as inviting and personal
as possible. You can accomplish this feat by writing to one specific person who
you can visualize as an ideal customer. Pretend you are sitting down with this
person in a bar and having a casual conversation. Write your piece with this
one person in mind and you will positively engage thousands of readers who will
feel that you are writing directly to them!
5. Replace hyperbole with solid facts and reputable testimonials. Phrases
like, ?We?re #1,? ?We?re the leader in our field,? or ?We provide the best
service,? aren?t going to get you anywhere. Instead, use a fact such as stating
that the President of a leading association ranked your company with the
highest quality score out of 500 certified companies.
6. Convert product features into benefits. Mentioning that you provide
automated billing or an automatic domain name renewal service does not engage
your customer emotionally. Here?s an example of benefit oriented copy: ?Our
automatic domain name renewal service will provide you with the added security
and comfort of knowing that your domain names will never be hijacked by your
competitors while freeing up your administrative time to focus on growing your
business.?
7. Don?t rely on editing all your important business documents from your
computer desktop. Print out your document and read it out loud. If you
encounter any awkwardness in speech it means you need to re-write your piece to
make it more conversational and flow better.
By reading your document out loud, you will also be able to spot typos and
errors that your computer spelling and grammar check program might not have
detected. As an example, you might have written ?echo friendly? when you really
meant ?eco friendly.?
8. In writing a business letter or business proposal, it is vitally important
to write from your customer?s perspective and what will interest them. Start
off by writing about how great your customer?s company is and what specific
attributes you like about the company instead of bragging about how great your
company is. Too much use of ?I,? ?me,? or ?our company? is a sure sign of ego
getting in the way of business. Make sure to generously use ?You? and ?Your? in
your business copy if you want to make more sales.
9. Business writing is very different from writing poetry or literature. Don?t
meander or get carried away with flowery language. Write the most important
point you want to make in the first sentence. If you are writing a sales
letter, you can significantly increase sales by simply including a powerful
P.S. at the end of the letter that summarizes the main point in a fresh way,
creates a sense of urgency, or adds further credibility. Here?s a powerful
example: ?P.S. I?ve been invited to speak at your association?s annual
conference this coming Friday and hope to see you there.?
10. Be clear, concise, and to the point. Don?t assume readers will know what
to do. Guide them by including a specific call to action: ?click on the link to
get your special report? or ?call me to set up a no-cost 15 minute
consultation.?
11. Use word pictures to get your point across. Can you imagine the thrill and
excitement of driving a rocket-fast, cobalt blue Porsche 911 Turbo as it whisks
you to your desired destination? A well-written article or report can be like
that Porsche and generate a ton of new business in half the time with more fun!
After all, what?s more exciting, cold-calling prospects or having them call
you? (If writing is a challenge, consider hiring a professional).
====================
Sharif Khan is a freelance writer, copywriter, book consultant, and author of
Psychology of the Hero Soul (www.HeroSoul.com).
If you need help with an important writing project or ongoing assignment and
would like a no-cost, no-obligation quote, call 416-417-1259 or send an email
to: sharif@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ?Sharif knows how to write clear and concise copy for
business. He is quick, to the point, and a pleasure to work with,? writers Carl
Nanni, former VP, Kraft Canada
==============
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Patricia Fry is a freelance writer and the author of 27 books, including, ?The
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Contact Patricia at plfry620@xxxxxxxxx Visit Patricia Fry?s informative blog
often: www.matilijapress.com/publishingblog.
==============
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============================================================
Publishing New Writers, December, 2007 (No. 812)
Publisher: Cook Comm - Bruce L. Cook, P.O. Box 451,
Dundee, IL 60118 USA.
Submissions and comments to cookcomm@xxxxxxxx Links are welcome. To
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AuthorMe.com is dedicated to the memory of Dr. David C.Cook III
Visit our recent websites...
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Thanks,
Bruce Cook
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