CATEGORY: Writing

Who inspires you to be a better writer? (Part 2 of 2)

(This is a continuation from Part 1.  I encourage you to read that first.)

As the quantity of my writing has expanded of late to include numerous blog articles, eNewsletters, magazine columns and eBooks, I am finding that I am drawing upon a new muse to further inspire my writing.

And it’s fitting to mention this as we near Fathers Day.  My new muse is my deceased father, John E. Ryan.

You may well ask why didn’t he influence me more when I was struggling with writing during my youth?  Well, it certainly wasn’t from his lack of trying.  My dad was a GE engineer through and through.  He would provide me with constructive criticism my writing, just as he would strive to receive concise and clear reports from his staff at GE.

My dad – with jacket on above – always encouraged his GE team to write clearly

But like any kid, I would roll my eyes, just as I did when he tried to get me to enunciate better,  use proper grammar, stand up straighter and practice my cello more.

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Who inspires you to write better? (Part 1 of 2)

If you are going to be a successful marketer, there is no way around it, you have to be a good writer.

You might get by being a good salesperson without good writing skills, but marketing is  different.  It’s a more diffuse activity that requires succinct communication presented in a creative manner.

And what’s more, you have to enjoy writing, and look forward to it.  I know, that’s asking a lot for many folks.  But it’s a critical mindset.  If you don’t enjoy writing, you will find any seemingly rational reason to procrastinate.   And avoiding marketing will make your business anemic.

Here’s how I make it fun for me.  I jot down ideas and drafts of paragraphs throughout the week.  Then I finalize the blog on a weekend morning while sipping my coffee.  It’s turned out to be  one of my most enjoyable times of my week.

Also, if you enjoy writing, guess what, chances are it will infuse your writing.  I can’t tell you how many readers have said to me, “You seem to have a lot of fun writing, don’t you?”

It wasn’t always that way for me.  I struggled with writing throughout my youth.  Somehow I got excellent grades in high school.  I guess it was through just plain ‘ole hard work and a gregarious  personality.

But in college, the jig was up, and it wasn’t until years later that I realized all the criticism from my professors about my writing was valid, and that my quick dismissal of them being academic snobs was immature and totally incorrect.

Where did things go wrong?

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The comma is your friend . . .

I like to say that I work with people whose job is “to get the message out.”  And although I sell media replication and multimedia servicves, my job is deeply affected by my writing skills.  I am sure it’s no different for you.

Now, you may not recall your days in English class with fondness, but I suggest you should think of the comma as your friend when it comes to your written communications. 

You can check out this link for a refresher on the details of proper usage of commas: http://tinyurl.com/rwlyb, but to sum it up, remember that the main  purpose of a comma is to inform the reader of your written work where to take a breath.

That’s important when writing e-mails, proposals, resumes . . . and yes, even when Twittering and texting.

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Good Writing Will Always be in Demand

So our teenage daughter mentioned at dinner the other night that she is giving some thought about making journalism a career. 

It’s really the first time she has spoken outwardly about her professional interests, so my wife and I wanted to handle this in a supportive manner.

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