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News You Can Use It's BRAVO! Awards Time Again The San Diego chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) will host its annual BRAVO! Awards on Wednesday, May 19...and you can help make this night a success:
Client Focus: San Diego Business Woman Magazine The first issue of San Diego Business Woman magazine will hit the streets this month. The publication is being touted as a "lifestyle magazine for the business woman of San Diego." Learn more at www.sandiegobusiness woman.com. Need Me on Retainer? If you'd like to have a writing/ editing resource at your disposal without having to incur the costs of hiring a full-time employee, perhaps you should consider putting me on retainer. You'd be surprised how affordable it can be to have an "in-house" writer/editor to ensure that all your written materials properly reflect your professionalism. Contact me at 619-291-4645 to talk about your needs. |
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The Write Stuff
Spring 2010 Volume 6 Issue 2
Are You Compelling?
Those of you who've seen me recently at networking events know that I'm focused on trying to communicate the difference between writing that's compelling or merely competent. Most people can achieve the latter...but it takes a little work to create compelling copy.Here are a few "compelling" tips:
- Keep it short. After you've written something, review it with a critical eye...removing words, phrases and even sentences that aren't necessary to get your message across.
- Ask for a second opinion. It's challenging to be your own editor, so ask someone else to take a look at your copy...focusing on the message as well as any writing miscues.
- Use active voice. Don't back into sentences; put the subject up front. Right: "The Sharks are the #1 seed." Wrong: "The #1 seed is the Sharks."
- Banish errors. There's nothing compelling about having to pick through copy that's riddled with spelling, grammar and syntax mistakes. Spell check will only take you so far...and your image can take a dive if your copy looks like it was written by a sixth grader. (No offense intended to my niece, Jenna!)
- Think about page layout. This doesn't mean you need to have design skills, but you should consider how the page looks as you write. Break up long blocks of copy with subheads, use bullet points and ensure your spacing is consistent.
- Get in the right mood. Postpone your writing session if you're not in a "writing mood." If you labor over your copy, it will be fairly evident to your readers.
- Stick to subjects you love. Writing about something that bores you is hard to do; it's even harder to communicate excitement about a subject when you aren't compelled by it. (Kudos to my third-grade nephew, Gabe, for his first published article about a subject he loves: sports.)
Don't stress about your written materials by hiring me to write or edit them for you! Learn more at adriennemoch.com or contact me at adrienne@adriennemoch.com or (619) 291-4645.
