Writing Daily

Are you, like me, sometimes overwhelmed with your daily "big picture" tasks, that you lose track of the smaller things that you should be practicing every day? Don't worry, you're not alone. As a copywriter and editor, I try to set aside X amount of minutes each day to just free-write. This is not always related to work, or personal life, or anything. It's just the practice of writing (and no, emails don't count!) that gets those juices flowing.

I recently read this article, "Why You Should Write Daily" by Leo Babuta, which outlines the importance of setting aside writing time, and also gives tips on how to do it. His top five tips?

1.) Commit to writing daily.
2.) Set aside the time.
3.) Start small.
4.) Blog.
5.) Shut down distractions.

Read the full article here, and happy writing!

The Economist and the Oxford Comma

I greatly enjoyed all of the clever grammar oriented memes and messages over social media yesterday, but this really tickled my fancy.  Enjoy!  The Oxford Comma: Is a Comma Grammar

Do You Code?

I ran across Code.orgs latest YouTube entry featuring the likes of Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg and will.i.am. (among others) who discuss the importance of coding. Calling it the new human "superpower" - the video states that 90% of schools in the United States do not teach this basic skill. 

It seems as though the industry would go to any length to retain top talent by making "the most awesome environment" for their employees. This includes full service dining centers, rooftop lounges and onsite dry cleaning (leading me to think I've chosen the wrong career path!). 

Were you taught code in school? Do you consider it a basic skill when entering today's work force?

Inspiration for today...

Confessions of a Copyblogger Junkie

I'll admit right now that I'm a Copyblogger junkie. Writers, if you
don't follow this uber helpful copywriting blog, DO IT NOW. Seriously. Someday,
after you've been twirling in your swivel chair for 30 minutes singing "la-la-la-la-la" after hitting writer's block, you'll thank
me. Whether it's a headline that isn't packing a punch, an uncooperative blog
post, or simply a complete lack of focus due to the unseasonably warm March
weather, Copyblogger will pop up in your inbox with an incredibly insightful,
clear, and concise article to pull you out of your rut. Here are a few recent
articles that I've found incredibly valuable:

The
10-Minute Technique to Becoming a More Productive Writer On the importance
of having a personal long-term writing vision in order to help you become more
efficient with your daily writing tasks.

3
Simple Storytelling Methods That Can Do Your Selling For You On the power
of storytelling in sales copy, broken down into the personal story, the
historical story, and the "meet the guru" story.

8
Quick Tips for Writing Bullet Points People Actually Want to Read  On the importance of effective, readable
bullet points in a digital, "Twitterized" world.

Enjoy, folks.

Throwing your work into the ether: measuring value

Everyone likes validation. Validation is tangible evidence that what you do is valuable. For those in a creative field it's essential, if only because for most of us the money isn't validation enough (because it's not enough money). Social media is a shining example of the power of validation. The Facebook "like" button is founded on the principle. Twitter's retweet is the same. Digg is a popularity contest. Everyone wants to go viral on YouTube. Measurement tools, metrics, and analytics are just another way to ask, 'Do people like us (me)?" In a way, it feels very much like an extension of high school. The hormones of it all are quite frankly making me breakout.

Despair
Let's assume for a second that when, for example, I write a story, it's not about me getting any sort of personal feedback--that it's about who or what I'm writing about. Now get rid of that notion. It is about me, dammit. How long would any of us keep doing something without once-in-awhile hearing an "attaboy?" Say what you will about writers having low self-esteem (it's true), but sometimes you gotta hear "good job" to believe it.

I asked a friend in a similar field about this, and, like me, he wasn't afraid to admit his deepest insecurity about self/work-efficacy. He said, "Sure, you're promoting events people might attend, making someone aware of research. They might or might not take action. But that's just too far removed...too hypothetical." His despair is my aggravation. And so, as in every situation, I first ask myself, "who can I blame?"

Assigning blame
First, I blame inadequate metrics. Metrics for online media simply aren't yet where they need to be unless you're selling something (and someone is buying). If your video of an intoxicated squirrel gets 7 million views, what does it really mean (other than being absolutely friggin' hilarious)? Who does it touch? What difference did it make in a life?

For this conversation, I reference a fantastic article on ClickZ about measuring marketing success (related), which says all I might hope to say. Suffice to say, metrics are and will continue to evolve until one day we all have high self-esteem.

Second, I blame you. And I blame me. Because it's not enough anymore to drop your work into the series of tubes (minute 2:12) that make up the internet, hearing only a "whoosh" and then...nothing...into the ether.

Solution: "Good job!"
When is the last time any of us read something wonderful and sent a note to the writer, or photographer? Why doesn't this happen? If someone sat down and told you a story in person, or showed you a slideshow, and you just sat there and didn't say anything afterwards, it would be...a very weird and awkward silence. Direct feedback can't be beat. Most of us, I'd wager, would trade 1,000 "impressions" for a direct comment any day. So next time you read something you like, send a note to say so*.

So, what are some solutions here, and how are you getting your fix? Do comments on Facebook do it for you (certainly more meaningful than "likes")? Is a retweet enough? Should the author always include a byline with an email address? Let us know in the poll.








*The irony here is that most of the time, if someone takes time to send a comment, it's negative. Nothing motivates quite like displeasure. Let's try to change the tone.

P.S. The Comm Forum does a nice job of filling this void with its yearly conference and Maroon & Gold awards program. And members are known to give the occasional shout out. But no one should need to fill out an application in order to receive positive feedback.

Link Roundup: Photography

Mastering photography is an elusive art. But, practice makes perfect and building photographic skills is an enjoyable hobby.

Here's an edition of link roundup on getting good at taking pictures.

-- 14 Ways to Improve Your Photography in a Few Days
-- 90+ Online Photography Tools and Resources
-- How to Stay Up Late and Make an HDR Image
-- How To: Master Smartphone Photography 
-- iPhone Photography + Social Networking = Instagram
-- The Washington Post Wants Your Instagram Photos to Illustrate Health of U.S. Economy

Friday (Random) Links Roundup

Remember Links Roundup? I am reviving it, if only for one post. Here are some of the places I'm getting my ideas and advice of late.


TargetX is a provider of interactive marketing technology and services
in higher education, helping more than 400 colleges and universities
recruit web-savvy students. Even if you aren't actively working in
recruiting, their Recruitment Minute emails on Friday are a quick
insight into the working mind of the typical tech-using 16- to 18-year
old. Register for the Recruitment Minute by scrolling down their iThink
blog (on the left).



SmartBrief on Social Media is a daily compendium of social media actions
and trends mostly in the corporate world. Sometimes a bit overwhelming,
but when I do read I usually see something useful. Read the sample
issue to see if it's for you.



Brandmanager's Notebook is all about higher ed branding and marketing.
Recent topics: The Good, Bad, and Ugly of Student-Made Videos, Branding a
Schizophrenic, and Help and Support Pages in Higher Ed.



Some of you will remember Leslie O'Flahavan from our conference a few
years ago. She and partner Marilynne Rudick run the Writing Matters
blog, and their advice is so down-to-earth and real world, I just love
it. Check in to their blog and there is always a fantastically bad
example. If you want advice about clear, concise writing, especially if
you communicate with external audiences or in any sort of customer
service venue, this is a must-subscribe.



What are your favorite online resources? Share with us in the comments section.

Brief is on Facebook!

It was inevitable. After 41 years as the U's internal news digest for faculty and staff U-wide, Brief has dipped a toe into the cool waters of social media via Facebook.

From the salmon colored paper of old delivered in a frenzy of envelope stuffing parties, to today's all electronic variety, Brief continues its evolution. We're just now getting our feet wet, but expect that this supplement to Brief proper will go swimmingly. Our content will very often highlight faculty and staff at the U, with a particular focus on community and culture--the manifestations of our aspirations, expectations, values, systems, and programs as embodied in our people that characterize the U.

So tell us about your people. Come post on our wall.

Befriend us at http://z.umn.edu/2uv

Writing for the web: When an "F" pattern = Fail

Something within me wants to believe that writing for the web is really no different from writing for any other medium. The key to all writing, in the end, has to be quality. The key to all everything, in the end, has to be quality. And so very often I tell myself,
that if people
are reading
things on the
web in an "F"
pattern, then
perhaps what
we're reading isn't worth the time that it took to read. Perhaps
what we're reading isn't worth the time that it took to create.
Maybe, we're wasting our minds away with quantity and meaning-
less drivel to
satisfy some
some compul-
sion external to...
what we'd
write about
if we cared.
Maybe if we
wrote about
meaningful
things, readers
would read
in another
pattern.
Maybe they'd
read an "O"...
maybe "F"
equals FAIL.
More on this
in a later post.
In the meantime,
here's some interesting
thought on the matter.

Writing for radio, Barry White, and the importance of being an organ donor

It still surprises me that soul-singer Barry White died of kidney failure. It seems like, with a voice so smooth--responsible for hits like, "Can't Get Enough Of Your Love, Babe", and "You're The First, The Last, My Everything"--that someone (a lady?) would have just given him a kidney if he'd asked*(if you are offended by this joke, see the asterisk below and calm down. If still offended, see the double "**" asterisk).

Evidently, a great voice isn't the only factor when it comes to persuasive messaging.

Writing for radio
Take radio storytelling as an example, and in an example totally opposite ladies man Barry White, listen to this radio spot a friend of mine wrote: Instant Birth Control (it has three variations, and it's worth listening to all three).

My friend, a successful copywriter with a Minneapolis ad-agency, had this to say about the process:

"Radio writing is one of the hardest in advertising. It requires a knack for writing believable dialogue and good voiceover talent to deliver it...It's theater of the mind--your script has to get the listeners there, has to build a scene in their heads."

Filling in details
The U's Ryan Maus, who with voice talent and U writer Rick Moore does the weekly U of M Moment, echoes the sentiment. For the Moment, Maus sometimes repurposes audio from a U video, but in some cases they'll lose the supplementary visual context and have to rewrite the script so Rick's smooth voice can fill in the details. Listen to "Researcher brings mind control into 3D" as an example. I mean, how does radio compete with 3D! (Err...imagination?).

Writing for time
I've been thinking a bit about writing for radio lately, getting some tips from an MPR higher-up. His critique of my first submission included "think about out loud delivery/read out loud--your sentences are too long," and "the whole piece should be 2-3 minutes, and each sentence should be able to be read in 5 to 6 seconds."

Radio is simple, direct, and brief, and that's not always the case with writing for the eye. Sentences on a page have the luxury of time...they can run their fingers through your hair all day if you like, just like Barry White. You can go back and read, and read, and read some more until you're satisfied and understand. With radio (radio proper, not online fidget-with-the-controls-radio), you hear it once, probably in your car. It needs to be clear and crisp and you can't (or likely won't) go back again.

In any case, it's another adventure in writing, and one that I'm just beginning. I think it's going to help my writing to really stop and think about whether I need this word or that; whether "excessive use of verbal ornamentation" can't be trimmed down to mean "too many words."

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to read this post out loud.

---------------------------------
*I fully realize kidney failure is not a laughing matter. More than 4,000 people died along with Barry White in 2003 (U.S.) because of the lack of available donors, and that number approaches 5,000 per year now, with more than 80,000 waiting for a donation. It is important to talk about these things in the ways we best communicate. Be an organ donor. Further, a U study has shown there are no adverse long-term consequences of kidney donation.

**My mother has one functioning kidney and another that is functioning at something like 20 percent. I love my mom, and should it come down to it, I'm prepared to go to bat for her, and convince my brother to donate one of his kidneys.

More information:

Writing For Radio: Journalism 2.0

How Writing a Radio Ad will Improve your Copywriting

Eisenhower's Farewell Address

Happy new year, Forum members! Since it's University Winter Closure, and technically we aren't here, I thought it would be fun to share a little holiday trifle.

OK, maybe President Eisenhower's farewell address is not a trifle. But this piece from the New Yorker, with a lede starring former U Relations staffer Grant Moos, is an interesting brief on the back and forth of one of the most famous presidential speeches of the 20th century.

Those of us who write speeches or columns for others will surely relate to this story of the back and forth between Eisenhower, former U president Malcolm Moos, and the rest of the team who put this speech together. But 29 drafts?! Mercy.

U of M Publications

Have you ever wanted a list of U of M publications all in one place? This list is (kind of) getting there. The list is a developing resource of publications ranging from administrative, to college, institutes, and others. Primarily, it was developed as an internal resource. It's a work-in-progress, both in content and organization, but it's handy for cruising through U news.

The suggestion for the tool came from an Internal Communications monthly story meeting, one of the Internal Communications Network's (ICN) interest groups.

Feel free to provide feedback.

Dating stories

This post will likely be nowhere near as exciting as the title suggests, although in doing a bit of research, I did come across some interesting dating stories that lead me to believe my own dating life may not be as disastrous as it could be. For example, I have yet to compare firearms on a first date. Still, I have stories. I invite readers to any of the monthly Campus Club Thursday happy hours to (potentially) hear them.

Point being, it turns out using "dating stories" as your search term when looking for information on the philosophy and guidelines of including a date when publishing a story online does not get one the information most relevant to the topic. It did however, provide about a ten minute, very entertaining detour. The Internet is full of detours.

I may be in the minority here, but whenever I see a story online without an accompanying date, I'll usually immediately backtrack and look for one with a chronological anchor--there's almost always a second source, and usually many more. Of course, the relevancy of a date varies with the content--whether it's topical, for example (news stories and releases always include a date), or in the case of academics, whether it's inclusive of the latest research.
 
Lately, I've noticed that, more and more, dates are being left out of stories published online. The thinking behind not including a date, presumably, is that you want to get as much life out of a story as you can before people think it's obsolete--therefore, if people aren't sure when it was published, they can't be sure when it becomes obsolete. And we all know that what you don't know won't hurt you.
 
But in this case, it's hurting the content producer when I don't read what they'd like me to see. The plan to give it more life backfires and gives it less. Again, I could be in the minority here, so do let me know your thoughts.
 
Write timeless classics
The simple way around all of this is, of course, to write something that is absolutely timeless. The poem "Ozymandias" comes to mind.

The temporal truth is that certain stories require a date, and certain stories may not, but to me, as in dating, there's no sense hiding your age. If you're looking to extend the life of a story, use other means, like referencing the story in later stories, repositioning it in another publication, or ideally, by making it really interesting so that people want to read it again and again--not by leaving it floundering in the land of unsureity*, which isn't even a word so far as I know, which makes it even less sure of itself, so now I'm really not reading it.
 
Maybe dropping the date is just a part of web culture. Blogs, for the most part, want to be the first and the fastest, and people want what's new, right now. Online, you navigate quickly through a near infinite variety of content, and as such, maybe it's the very nature of the online world that's led to the dismissal of dates--we have so many options, after all--maybe we just don't care from whence or when it came. It's here, now, and available, so what the hell. There's plenty of blogs in the sea.
 
I'll tell you what though...I still like a good date. Just like I prefer a book where I can get the copyright right up front, before we (the book and I) get too involved. After all, I'm going to be taking that book to bed sooner or later, and I want to know whether or not it's obsolete. With any luck, it'll be timeless.
 
*The land that time forgot was taken as a metaphor, and so I created my own--the land of unsureity--soon to be a major motion picture.

Consider the Lobster: U style guides

In case you missed it, yesterday's spirited debate about the U's style guide (or, rather, the recent suspension and current lack thereof) was about the best thing I've seen come through the esteemed Forum listserv. For others, it was probably boring and totally irrelevant.

We heard such gems and various arguments as

"Why maintain a separate manual if publishers produce industry-standard ones like Chicago or AP?" And,

"I would think that if we all use the same PMS for our maroons and golds, we should certainly be united in whether or not we serial comma and at what point we switch to numbers instead of text." Or,

"To abandon a standard is, to me, tantamount to saying we can spell words any way we want."
---------------
It's a debate that's been had by the finest minds of the millennium, and really, since the beginning of language.

No one captures that debate in totality better than David Foster Wallace, in his 2001 essay for Harper's Magazine, "Democracy, English, and the Wars over Usage." This later appeared in his book of essays, Consider the lobster--hence the title of this post. It's 50+ pages of mind-blowing philosophy on language, and it's totally interesting and readable. The genius who wrote Infinite Jest could probably tell tales of melting butter in a way that would leave your mouth watering and mind numb, but this essay is apropos to the listserv tug-o-war.

Wallace begins, "Did you know that probing the seamy underbelly of U.S. lexicography reveals ideological strife and controversy and intrigue and nastiness and fervor on a nearly hanging-chad scale? For instance, did you know that some modern dictionaries are notoriously liberal and others notoriously conservative, and that certain conservative dictionaries were actually conceived and designed as corrective responses to the "corruption" and "permissiveness" of certain liberal dictionaries?"

Wallace goes on to divide the groups, as is our American way, into two competitive factions: the Prescriptivists vs. the Descriptivists. He defines Descriptivists using the colloquial term, SNOOT (and not derogatorily, for in the end he is more a SNOOT than not), defined by Wallace as "somebody who knows what dysphemism means and doesn't mind letting you know it."

Officially, the definitions are thus:
1. Descriptive grammar: the systematic study and description of a language. Descriptive grammar refers to the structure of a language as it is actually used by speakers and writers.
2. Prescriptive grammar: a set of rules and examples dealing with the syntax and word structures of a language, usually intended as an aid to the learning of that language. Prescriptive grammar refers to the structure of a language as certain people think it should be used.

From About.com: Both kinds of grammar are concerned with rules--but in different ways. Specialists in descriptive grammar (linguists) study the rules or patterns that underlie our use of words, phrases, clauses, and sentences. On the other hand, prescriptive grammarians (such as most editors and teachers) lay out rules about what they believe to be the "correct" or "incorrect" use of language.

Officially, there is no longer any particular writing style that is required use for University communications. These are the only requirements specific to the U. Colleges and units are free to choose a style (AP/Chicago) that is appropriate for their project.

So, where do you fall on the battleground, amidst the blood of words and the screams of lobsters?

I'll think about it tomorrow

As interim editor of a publication this fall, I've been raking in content from contributors I don't know and haven't worked with before. I am amazed, amazed I tell you, with how many of them have not submitted their articles to me until I have sent numerous emails, threatening voice mails, and sicced other authority figures on them. In two cases, the scofflaws needed to write 200 words--that's it--just 200 words each--and they didn't do it until I threatened to send the magazine to press without their words of wisdom. And before you ask, no, not one miscreant was a faculty member.

I may be a bit more on edge about this than normal, in part because I am working in unfamiliar surroundings with contributors I don't know, but also because I just read a fascinating article on procrastination by James Surowiecki at the New Yorker. Please read it now--don't put it off!

National Day on Writing, Oct. 20!

With all the gridlock in Congress these days, it's hard to believe politicians can agree on anything at all. Apparently, though, they've found common ground in agreeing that writing is a good and necessary activity. In September, Congress unanimously-approved a U S. Senate resolution establishing Oct. 20 as "National Day on Writing."

In case you didn't know it, the U of M has a Center for Writing, which supports the work of all U students, faculty, and staff engaged in the practice, teaching, and study of writing. And on Oct. 20, the Center is hosting a variety of writing events, including some quirky ones, like "Stalled Writing," an event that will take place in the Nicholson Hall bathrooms, where you can be "inspired by the porcelain muse," and perhaps move beyond "for a good time" to "Once upon a time."

If the bathroom isn't your style, they'll have "InTentsive Writing," which will take place in...you guessed it--a tent. Those looking to get outside any physical boundaries might have luck with "Artful Writing: Writing With, Through and About Art with the Weisman Art Museum," which will practice building perception skills and respond to works of art verbally and through a variety of writing activities. For more course offerings and more information, see the Center for Writing, National Day on Writing.

Accessibility.umn.edu

In case you hadn't heard, a new online accessibility resource has been created by the U's Computer Accommodations Program--a partnership of Disability Services and the Office of Information Technology.

The site has been designed with the goal of sustaining and improving access and services to students, faculty, staff, and visitors--including those with disabilities. It's all about making the U-wide-web available to the widest possible audience -- including users of old, adaptive, alternate, or emerging technologies.

The site content includes the following seven categories, each represented by an icon used to identify category membership:

Documents -- includes information on accessibility barriers, best practices, and how to create accessible Microsoft Word, PDF, and Microsoft Excel documents.

Presentation -- includes information on accessibility barriers, best practices, and how to create accessible PowerPoint, Adobe Presenter, Apple Keynote and S5 online presentations.

Multimedia -- includes information on captioning, accessibility barriers, best practices, and how to create accessible Flash, QuickTime, Camtasia and Podcast media.

Learning Technologies at the U -- includes information on accessibility barriers and best practices for Moodle, Google Apps, MyU Portal, UMConnect Meeting, Clickers, UThink, and Wimba Voice Tools.

Web Content -- includes information on making Web pages and applications accessible. Includes a self-assessment tool.

Laws, Policies and Guidelines -- includes information on university policies, federal and state laws, and World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) guidelines regarding accessibility.

Adaptive Technologies -- includes information on a variety of technologies available for making information accessible to individuals with disabilities.

Twins Baseball and corporate speak in academia..or, "Word optometry"

Ron Gardenhire, manager of the Minnesota Twins, is not a professor of baseball, but last night after the Twins game he had a teaching moment, at least for one reporter. "He learned him good," you might say.

Gardenhire is an angry man, and has been ejected from a higher-percentage of games (per games coached) than any other baseball manager. When a player asked him something to the effect of how do you see the Twins "moving forward" into the playoffs, Gardenhire replied (paraphrasing, as I can't find the actual press conference footage, "Moving forward? What the hell does that mean, moving forward? Do you want to move forward into the next room and ask me the same question? Because if you do, I'll give you the same answer." He is an angry man.

But "moving forward" is a weasel word, there's no doubt. It says and asks nothing specific, and as far as providing an actual vision for anything, it is a word in dire need of an optometrist.

We're guilty of weasel words at the U, too. I have a friend who used to play a game called "Bu** Sh** Bingo," which is probably explanation enough.

So how do we avoid language like this? How do we talk and communicate like normal people? It might help to first look at causes, and then maybe we can find the corrective lenses.

Self-consciousness is surely a cause, perhaps especially in academia. Trying to sound flashy and smart in a sea of PhD's is a natural inclination, but if it's not a natural you, people will see through it, and whatever you're trying to convey will be lost. Word obesity is often the phrase used to describe the outcomes, like when I tell people that I work in "Universitas Relatus." If you say what you mean, you're much more likely to mean what you say, and those who hear you are more likely to see what you say and believe.

Check out some examples from this great blog, and feel free to add your own or comment at will.

• If you want ice in your drink, do you think about it as "adding value"?

• Do you "request the status of the deliverable" when you're wondering if lunch is ready?

• We don't help set something up, we "coordinate to facilitate it".

Here's some more on talking normal from our British friends.

Lastly, can anyone suggest a faculty member who might be willing to give a tutorial on the subject, perhaps even sharing insights about communications at the U?

Poll: Web site or website?

I've been slow getting this poll up, so by now I'm sure you've all heard about the AP Stylebook's decision to change Web site to website.

Do you think they made the right decision? Please vote in the poll below!

*"Televisionshow" comment hat tip to @nprmonkeysee.