Empowering Writing Workshop, Part Two
1 like289 views
The document is a presentation focused on effective writing practices for blogging, emphasizing the importance of sharing personal insights and connecting with audiences. It discusses the significance of adhering to a house style, using visuals to enhance engagement, and ensuring clarity in communication. The content encourages writers to be authentic and relatable, while providing practical tips on improving editorial processes and reaching a diverse readership.
Empowering Writing Workshop, Part Two
- 1. Finding the joy in writing and the courage to share it, widely Part II A presentation that evaluates writing rules and effective ways to reach an audience with words, in order to make the process your own Photo credit: Metatron Mandala by Soulscapes
- 2. But … if you don’t write it, someone else likely will, and maybe not even as good!
- 3. What’s the point of blogging? Communicating experience in an effective way—inviting people to a new way of thinking, sharing insights, staying in touch, creating community, lighting the world one mind at a time!
- 4. Ideation:Wings become windows • Those tips you give to each other? Those are blogs! • Things you find yourself repeating to guests, to each other?Those are blogs! • Your thoughts and experience matter • So many ideas could help so many
- 5. Let’s focus • From heart to audience—meeting them halfway • The importance of an editorial process and working with a house style • How to find good rights-free imagery and choose visuals that suit your blog • Cross linking, ideation and the opportunity of dynamic digital space
- 6. Audience:Who are these people? • Same-same—but different • Write what turns you on, but write to them, too.They are: •Wide •Equals (authority is earned) •Busy •Overloaded with information •Quick judges (mind the details) •Seeking guidance BUT … Image credit:Anna Dziubinska,Unsplash Image credit:pixabay rights free
- 7. TRY … … not to underestimate someone’s intelligence or overestimate their knowledge.
- 8. Everyday people • Rarely practice yoga • Think yoga is exercise • Read news and gossip • Listen to audio in their cars • Love video content • Require entertainment • Have routines • Want to improve their lives • Want someone to relate with
- 9. • Develop an eye for hardline information, and be transparent about its source it—if it is speculation, state that. If it is through your direct experience, say it. If it is a theory, state that. If it is a fact related to a study or an expert, attribute this • Authority vs. credibility • Be like an informed friend —not above, not below, equal • Consider the words you use—include as many people as possible • Check and double check what you are talking about
- 10. Readers are busy, like you • Length: 800 words • Subheads • Paragraphs • Visuals • Get to the point • Make it about them! Image credit:Jason Rosewell,Unsplash
- 12. Information overload: Bee different! • What are you saying that people haven’t already heard before? • ADDINGVALUETOTHEWORLD • Find how you are doing this and draw confidence from it • Speak with humanity not authority—authorship is a dying art, people are all authors and researchers now • Take time to find the right visuals that grabAND include people
- 13. •Imagine having to go somewhere and someone starts talking—what do you want them to do?What would keep you from walking away? •People are hooked by authentic emotion •Let your first draft be a ramble—a draft! •Then edit it for its highlights Give them a why, fast
- 14. Readers don’t read, until they scan • A few baseline assumptions: Users won’t read your text thoroughly • First two paragraphs contain most important information • Subheads are critical • Subheads, bullet points contain vital information
- 15. Reasons to ask others to check your work • What if you worked out every day, learned several languages, worked on your personality, kept up with fashion, and then showed up at a party unshowered and in your lounge- around clothing? • Writing full of errors: People might see the potential but wonder about quality • People today snap judge this stuff—it is not even conscious; they know quality in an instant and lose levels of interest just as fast.
- 16. Approaching the editorial process • Yes, you can achieve the word limit, (inner critic is not all bad) • No matter how much experience you have, or how high up you are in a company, two pairs of eyes are better than one • Clean it up—if it feels better, save the scraps somewhere • Skilled editor: Luxury of time? Conversation is best, then tracked changes and exchange, then just sending it off. Depends on context.
- 17. Saying:“There are no good writers, just good editors.” Is it true?!? • This is a friendly butcher shop • Somebody did all the hard work • Somebody had the intentions • Somebody’s passion is on the line • Work together—combine brains • Make it about the information, the impact, the effect, not the ego Image credit:Lukas Budimaier,Unsplash
- 18. The difference between good and great … … is in the details.
- 19. The importance of house style • Samahita has a style guide. Knowing the rules helps you hold them through a single piece • Title case, sentence case, mixed case and anything goes looks/FEELS haphazard when someone reads more than one blog on your site • It’s easier to write in the long run when you lock in the house rules • Take pride—if you are going to do it, do it all the way, final touches—be professional The importance of House style The Importance of house Style The importance of house style The Importance of House Style Yoga yoga Ashtanga ashtanga Ayurveda ayurveda
- 20. The importance of imagery • Colored visuals increase a person’s likelihood to engage in content by 80 percent • When people hear info, they are likely to retain 10 percent of it three days later. When same info is paired with relevant visual, retention rises to 65 percent. • Articles with an image once every 75-100 words got double the number of social shares than articles with fewer images. • ETC. Read: http://goo.gl/9BO9KE
- 21. What is relevant? What is inclusive?
- 22. Finding awesome rights-free images
- 23. Samahita Stock • Great visiting photographers • Showcase the locale • Faces people recognize • Vibe As of today: • Repetitive • Tend to be a bit ethnocentric
- 24. Google • Type a term • Click on “images” • Click on “search tools” • Click on “usage rights” • Click on “labeled for reuse” • You can filter for size, color, time, etc. • All images are free to use however you want! Image credit:Ng,Unsplash
- 25. Unsplash •Search through a bunch of inspiring images covering a range of terms •Create catalogues for projects •Credit people if you feel like spreading the love Image credit:Padurariu Alexandru,Unsplash
- 26. Linking in/linking out • Try to find at least one idea you have expressed in the archives of the Samahita Retreat blog • Try to find at least one related article (through a Google search, or better yet, through a blog, article, video by an expert you admire) and link out • When you do the later, drop the person a line to thank them, tell them you shared their content and ask them to peek at yours! • Draft email in the tech specs copy/paste document
- 27. Tapas Do great things come easily?
- 28. Burying the point • Readers want to know that the writer understands that they are busy, that their time is valuable • Show them by getting to the point and then elaborating • Let the rest of the story back the point up—tell the reader what on Earth is going on, ASAP Image credit:Auggie GomezVergera, augie.com.au
- 29. Tempo/sentence length variability This is a pretty big deal Snip apart compound sentences Simple, compound, compound, simple, simple Read out loud—feel the rhythm of the messages and how it helps energize the information Image credit:Jamille Queiroz,Unsplash
- 30. GrammarCritical to flow and your credibility Meeting common expectation around language Most common things I see: Image credit:Joao Silas,Unsplash
- 31. • British vs.American English—Bra-merican English • Comma overuse or underuse (comma use without purpose) • Use of “which” (British overuse relative toAmericans) and “that”—they are different • Hyphenation of compound non-adjective/non-descriptive phrases • Misuse of semicolon and colon • General inconsistency in rule application • Capitalization of things for emphasis, inconsistently • Spelling is another matter altogether but: to, too, its, it’s, where, were, we’re, who’s, whose, etc.
- 32. A few requests to draw more readers … and keep them • Please provide minimum two, engaging images (Samahita image library or many online free shots: https://bootstrapbay.com/blog/free-stock-photos/) • Please consider your headline carefully, as part of hooking the reader (have someone else brainstorm with you or think of one for you based on their reading of the piece if you are tired at this point) • Look in your piece, find the golden sentence and use it as a subhead • Subheads will go under the title and for the subhead in the blog main page: (172 characters no spaces/203 with spaces) • Length—no longer than 800 words, and please split it up with … • Section heads
- 33. Enjoy!
Editor's Notes
- #3: Dave has actually taken this to heart. I invite him to speak a bit about the past couple months and how he explored ways to get his ideas down on paper for the blog.
- #4: https://www.asianart.com/lieberman/gallery3/2.html
- #5: https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2286/1561440998_59ed334df2_b.jpg Many people need desperately to receive this message: 'I feel and think much as you do, care about many of the things you care about, although most people don’t care about them. You are not alone. — Kurt Vonnegut
- #6: https://pixabay.com/static/uploads/photo/2016/04/21/02/33/abstract-1342498_960_720.jpg
- #8: http://www.tripwire.com/state-of-security/wp-content/uploads/cache/2014/10/shutterstock_158795060/3643127633.jpg
- #9: Christian Bataglia, Unsplash
- #10: The dynamic of author and reader has changed dramatically. Just because you have your name on a byline doesn’t mean your are credible or trusted. What builds trust?
- #13: background art: mine
- #14: http://www.theguardian.com/media-network/media-network-blog/2012/mar/19/attention-span-internet-consumer https://www.nngroup.com/articles/f-shaped-pattern-reading-web-content/ http://conversionxl.com/how-to-grab-and-hold-attention/ Image: http://www.lifeandstylemag.com/posts/for-world-emoji-day-7-times-justin-timberlake-made-emoji-faces-63553/photos/justin-timberlake-emoji-face-6-46397
- #15: https://www.nngroup.com/articles/f-shaped-pattern-reading-web-content/
- #20: Augmented photo by the late Bill Cunningham
- #21: The 37 visual content marketing stats you should know in 2016: http://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/visual-content-marketing-strategy#sm.00001fihn3atzxeapuo8pygekpqc2
- #23: Unsplash: Cameron Kirby
- #24: Lesley Fisher
- #27: Manu has a great story to share about this—he is always trying to link his blog back to his pieces, the team’s pieces and to experts he admires. (Joke about him writing a piece with all links.)
- #28: Unsplash: Christian Allard