Writing: What's The Big Deal?
We all write... emails, texts, social media updates, shopping lists, maybe presentations for work, or blogs. For a dedicated few, it's novels or screenplays. Writing is as old as when the first caveman decided to tell stories through pictures on cave walls.
I focus on three things each time I tap fingers to keyboard. Will someone be interested in what I'm writing? Will my writing inform them of something they may not know? Will it encourage them to do something? In summary: Entertain, Educate and Inspire.
Entertain
Whether you're reading the latest best-selling novel, an article in the daily newspaper, or a fifty-slide PowerPoint presentation, you first need to be entertained. Yes, this matters for business, as well as books. If you get bored, your attention wanders, and the piece has lost you. Good writing draws you in and keeps you there.
Educate
You can learn just as much from the Harry Potter novels as from articles in the Wall Street Journal. The same is true of a blog post, or a piece in a popular magazine. If someone thinks: "I'm really glad I read that, and I learned something new," you've won.
Inspire
Last, but not least, is the ability to inspire someone to take action. I strive to get people to think more about a particular subject; to visit a particular website; to donate to a particular cause; to take a trip to a particular establishment.
Take a look at examples of my published work. And don't forget to check out my (slightly irreverent) blog.
I focus on three things each time I tap fingers to keyboard. Will someone be interested in what I'm writing? Will my writing inform them of something they may not know? Will it encourage them to do something? In summary: Entertain, Educate and Inspire.
Entertain
Whether you're reading the latest best-selling novel, an article in the daily newspaper, or a fifty-slide PowerPoint presentation, you first need to be entertained. Yes, this matters for business, as well as books. If you get bored, your attention wanders, and the piece has lost you. Good writing draws you in and keeps you there.
Educate
You can learn just as much from the Harry Potter novels as from articles in the Wall Street Journal. The same is true of a blog post, or a piece in a popular magazine. If someone thinks: "I'm really glad I read that, and I learned something new," you've won.
Inspire
Last, but not least, is the ability to inspire someone to take action. I strive to get people to think more about a particular subject; to visit a particular website; to donate to a particular cause; to take a trip to a particular establishment.
Take a look at examples of my published work. And don't forget to check out my (slightly irreverent) blog.