voice lessonsa crash course in writing for Skyhook

oh, the places you’ll go…

weaknesses + strengths = potential

content and the dream

-It is easy to look like an expert and sound like an idiot.

-Bad content will make you sound like an idiot.

-A picture is worth a thousand words.

content and the dream

-It is easy to look like an expert and sound like an idiot.

-Bad content will make you sound like an idiot.

-Make your words count.

-A word is worth a thousand pictures.

content with a purpose

-content for content’s sake

-The hard questions: “What’s the point?” and “Who cares?”

-Listen before you write

-Purpose is THE important thing - ATFP

the 5 c’s of killer content

creative

concise credible

compelling charismatic

creative

-problem: getting their attention

-headline, welcome statement

-take your time

-practice

-recognize constraints and work within them (Pandora)

-problem: getting them to read

-ATFP

-use active voice- “Dallin answered the phone” instead of “The phone

was answered by Dallin.”

-review and cut

-http://senduit.com/

concise

-problem: getting them to understand

-depends heavily on who you’re writing for

-eliminate or explain jargon

-don’t write about it unless you know about it

-use quotes

credible (bonus: clear)

-problem: getting them to take action

-back to purpose

-lists

http://37signals.com/

compelling

-problem: getting them to like you

-kind of ties in to the others

-humor

-avoid clichés

-write like you talk (dictate; read aloud)

charismatic

The poster art for "A Thousand Words" shows Eddie Murphy with duct tape over his mouth, which as a promotional idea ranks right up there with Fred Astaire in leg irons. The idea is that every time he says a word a leaf falls off the magical bodhi tree in his back yard, and when the last leaf falls, he dies.

Let's stop right there. Why did the bodhi tree magically spring out of the earth fully grown? I don't know. How is it determined that the tree began with 1,000 leaves? I dunno. It looks healthy to begin with, and the average bodhi tree has about 100,000 leaves. How do I know that? I don't, but it seems likely.

-Roger Ebert’s review of “A Thousand Words”

charismatic writing

-Errors in spelling and punctuation can and will negate everything you say.

spelling, punctuation, and purpose

spelling, punctuation, and purpose

spelling, punctuation, and purpose

http://styleguide.yahoo.com/

the 5 c’s of killer content

creative

concise credible

compelling charismatic

creative

concise credible

compelling charismatic

skyhook’s voice