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Issue No. 6 July 2015

In this issue of asterisk*: plain language, our productivity tools, summertime binge-watching and more._________________________________________________________________________

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KEEPING IT SIMPLE Most people would agree good writing delivers messages in a clear, readable way. But when your contentis technically or conceptually complex, how do you strike the right balance between simplicity andaccuracy? In our experience, there are a few helpful guidelines to keep in mind:

1. Think before you write.Knowing exactly the points you need to make to convince readers of your argument helps you writeeconomically and directly, with less clutter and jargon. Whether you prepare a detailed outline or scribbledown a bullet-point skeleton, knowing where you want to go will keep your story focused. 2. Clarity doesn't mean "dumbing down".The point of plain language is to bring out your meaning, not strip away substance. Whoever your readersare, put ideas in context and spell out implications so they understand what you want them to think andwhy. It's about explaining your argument, not compromising your subject matter. A great example isStephen Hawkings' book, A Brief History of Time, which presented hugely complex concepts in 224succinct pages and resonated both with casual readers and physicists alike. 3. Focus every paragraph on one key point.Putting each idea on its own tells readers what you want them to take away and gives you the space toexplain it as fully as it needs. 4. Write with energy.Using active voice -- subject-verb-object construction -- is one of the best ways to keep your writing plainand clear. Remember the old example from school: "She threw the ball" not "The ball was thrown". If you have a plain language writing tip -- or a monstrous example of "un-plain" writing -- we'd love to hear.Tweet @ascribeinc: #plainlanguage.

punc'd*

The em dash: punctuation with attitude In punctuation, form often follows function. Commas slow down a read and look like passed-out snailsdoing it. Question marks inspire suspicion with their crooked twists. And the em dash resembles acigarette smuggled into a junior high dance -- an attention-grabbing rule-breaker.

The em dash is the longest member of the dash family. Its cousins include the en dash -- the mathlete ofpunctuation used primarily to indicate closed ranges of values ("office hours are from 9-5") -- and thehyphen, which joins words together and tags on prefixes and suffixes.

The em dash is named for its impressive size, which in any given font is the width of a capital M, asimposing as Conan the Barbarian drinking at a one-percenter biker bar. In a sentence with multipleclauses, it can be used to streamline breaks and emphasize pauses without resorting to a clutter ofcommas.

Some organizations' style guides strictly forbid the em dash, possibly because its wild and irreverentnature makes it seem a little dangerous and hard to handle. But the fact is that a well used em dash canbring a lot of liveliness to your copy.

Emphasis and excitement -- that's the em dash attitude.*

*NOTE: In this case, we've had to use "--" to represent the em dash because the program we build

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asterisk* on can't process the real thing. Rebel nature confirmed.

content matters*

Setting the bar on sustainability

Alcatel-Lucent is a recognized leader in sustainability within thetelecommunications industry. Every year, the company compiles a nearly200-page report on its sustainability performance, gathering inputs fromcontributors across its global operations. In 2015, Ascribe was once againproud to support Alcatel-Lucent by writing, editing and proofreading thedraft report -- which saw the company target a new Global Reporting Indexreporting standard: G4. You can read the 2014 Alcatel-Lucent SustainabilityReport at https://www.alcatel-lucent.com/sustainability.

shout-out*

Ascribe makes the list again

Congratulations to Ascribe President Dale Morris, who was named tothe PROFIT / Chatelaine W100 list of Canada's Top FemaleEntrepreneurs for a second time this spring. The W100 ranks Canadianwomen entrepreneurs based on the size, growth rate and profitability oftheir businesses. Many thanks to our inspiring clients for giving us theprivilege of telling their stories. See the full W100 list here.

pop*

BEACH BLANKETBINGE-WATCHING Taking a brick-sized paperback tothe beach used to be a staple ofsummer vacation. These days it'slikelier to be a tablet for streamingthe latest series. Binge watching has becomestandard practice with the rise ofservices like Netflix, Shomi andCrave. (How many viewers watchedall 13 third season episodes ofOrange is the New Black the sameweekend they dropped?) From a storytelling point of view, launching a full season of a show at once leaves zero margin for error.

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OUR FAVOURITE PRODUCTIVITY TOOLS Summer sunshine brings extra incentive to get work out of the way as efficiently as possible. We askedour team which productivity-enhancing apps they rely on to do more, faster:

Andrew's pick: Evernote. "It's a cloud-based to-do list that lets you add items and reminders onyour computer and access them later on your phone or other device. You can share your lists withother subscribers so your entire team can update and use them on the go."

Steve's pick: Jumpcut. "If you're copying multiple passages from a single document or shifting a lotof text around, having a drop-down list of up to 100 previous things you've cut or copied can be areal timesaver."

Jayme's pick: Focus Booster. "Under the Pomodoro method, you work in 25-minute 'sprints',focusing solely on the task at hand, followed by a five-minute break. Focus Booster is just one ofthe many Pomodoro timers you can install on your phone or computer."

Dale's pick: Daylite. "As the 'nerve centre' of Ascribe's operations, Daylite does more than justprovide our team with shared calendars and project details -- it's what allows us to track ourdeliverables each day with reliability and efficiency."

Not every productivity tool needs to be high-techAll of us agree there's a lot to be said for the good ol' Post-it Note. When key priorities need to be top ofmind, slapping a few Post-its around the edge of your laptop can be tremendously useful.

Got your own favourite productivity tool? Share it with us on Twitter @ascribeinc #productivity.

There's no opportunity for tweaks based on viewer feedback, which means series writers need a perfectlyfirm grip on their "story arc". That's not so different from marketing communications. With strategic stories being told over severalmonths across multiple platforms and formats, marcom managers need to plot the interdependencies oftheir organizations' messaging arcs with care, building a big-picture narrative that will keep customer andpartner audiences engaged. What shows or streaming services will you be binging on this summer? Let us know. Tweet @ascribeinc:#beachblanketbingewatching.

practice point*

storytelling*

Moments in storytelling The idea of "plain language" has been around for thousands of years. Here are a couple of crucial points in themovement's history, as well as an example of what not to do. Circa 63 BCERoman philosopher and optician Cicero declares, "When you wish to instruct, be brief," possibly markingthe birth of the "plain language" movement. 1939James Joyce publishes Finnegans Wake, a stream-of-consciousness novel written in his own private

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language. 1979The Plain English Campaign was founded in London with the aim of combatting"gobbledegook, jargon and legalese."

Questions? Suggestions? Send us an email. To find out more about us, visit www.ascribeinc.ca

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