|
|
| www.1001TopWords.com |
|
|
To Write Successful Business & Academic Communications, Learn the Architecture of a Story
Human beings seem to be born with a gene for telling stories. Stories from our families, our communities, and the media form our worldview and shape our lives. In fact, scientists have discovered that our ability to create stories is intricately connected to our ability to learn. This is because our brains seek to create meaning through relationship, which is what stories do so well. Our storytelling faculty comes into play not only when we speak, but also when we read, which means that our brains are unconsciously seeking a well-told story in every kind of writing-whether it be a business proposal, an academic essay or the Great American Novel. When a story connects with us, it can have a powerful effect on our thoughts and decisions. When it doesn't connect with us, however, it may leave us confused, bored, or even angry. The question is: Why do some stories succeed while others do not? Successful writers understand the architecture of a story The answer lies in the architecture of a story, which at the most basic level requires a beginning, a middle, and an ending. The beginning needs a way to draw readers into the story and make them want to keep reading. The middle needs to tell the basic parts of the story in some kind of logical order so that readers can follow and understand it. And the ending needs to tie up loose ends, being sure to answer any questions that have been raised. Successful stories are always targeted at a particular audience and use language and terminology the audience understands. They also use concrete details and strong, active verbs to add color, emotion and energy. If any of these elements are missing from our written communications, we will confuse our readers at best and completely fail in our purpose at worst. Let's take a book for example When I am browsing in a bookstore and pick up a book, I usually look at the first paragraph. If something about the writing "hooks" me, I read further. If it doesn't, I put the book back on the shelf. If I accidentally pick up a book in Italian--a language I do not know--I put it back immediately because I am not its intended audience. In other words, it literally doesn't "speak" to me! Once I begin to read the book, I expect the author to lead me skillfully through his story, giving me as much detail as I need to understand and visualize his ideas. Sometimes, however, the author's plot jumps around so much that I have a hard time following it. Sometimes the author's characters are so vaguely drawn that I can't keep them straight. The result is that I end up not caring about them at all, and I soon forget the whole thing. Sometimes I get to the end of a book and find that the author has left me hanging, without tying up loose ends and satisfactorily answering my who, what, when, where, why and how questions. As I experience each of these frustrations, there is a good chance that I will misunderstand what the author is trying to say, lose interest in his message altogether, or start becoming irritated with the author himself. This is obviously not the kind of reaction any writer wants to engender. If you are writing business or academic communications, and are not a professional novelist, what can you do to ensure that your "story" succeeds? One possible solution is to write your communication using the Story Spine technique. Use the Story Spine to build your narrative This technique, which is described by Kat Koppett in her book Training to Imagine: Practical Improvisational Theatre Techniques to Enhance Creativity, Teamwork, Leadership, and Learning, is especially good at helping writers build their narrative without getting lost. It consists of the following steps:
In the "Everyday" step, you present some background information and further develop your message. The "But one day" step represents your catalyst. This is where you ask and answer such questions as: "Why is this message/idea important? What is different about it?" The "Because of that" step represents the heart, or main section, of your story. It presents the consequences that result from your catalyst. The "Until finally" step is the climax of your communication, where you present your most important points or results. It is what your whole communication has been building up to. The "And ever since then" step is your conclusion. It is the place you tie up loose ends and leave your reader with a feeling of satisfaction, of completion and understanding. Concrete details make a story compelling Ensuring that your story follows a basic structure isn't quite enough, however. You must also provide vivid, concrete details. According to Koppett: Shakespeare's structure is strong. His "because of that's" flow from one to the other, building in intensity beautifully. But mostly, it is the language Shakespeare uses, the descriptions he employs, the way he develops his characters that makes his work a masterpiece. What makes a story compelling is not just what happens, but how it is related, the specific moments, the images and sensory impressions that are created. So, again, we come back to our brain's need for meaning and connection. To ensure your writing succeeds, keep in mind that you are, in effect, telling a story. Ask yourself, "Has my story met my audience's needs and expectations?" If you can answer "yes" to this question, your results will show it. Clarice Kyd Dankers is a freelance editor and learning coach in Portland, Oregon, who works internationally with business and academic clients. To learn more about her services, or to sign up for her free monthly newsletter, go to: PolishYourWriting.com
|
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Ghostwriting - Making Money by Being Invisible My bookcase take up one whole wall in the family room, from floor to ceiling. It shows my eclectic reading tastes... fiction, non-fiction, Harry Potter next to murder mysteries and metaphysical literature. Also there are books I've written for the business sector - on negotiation, writing letters, communication skills, real estate sales and a lot more. The business books, however, have other people's names on them. I'm merely the ghostwriter. Money Trails for Writers I'm willing to bet that quite a number of you once had to debate (or discuss) the saying: "The pen is mightier than the sword." If you were arguing 'for', you would have been able to come up with many examples of how words triumphed over muscles. Web Writing: Create Writing Flow With Four Uncommon Connectors Connectors -- conjunctions, punctuation, and transitional phrases -- allow readers to process information promptly by creating balance and relationships between sentence parts. The connectors are performing the same work as verbs, objects, modifiers and multiple subjects. A Writers Tools If you are like most writers, you're constantly searching for tips on technique that will help you to increase your chances of publication. You eagerly pounce on articles that tell you how to plot better, write better and sell better. In addition, you occasionally buy books on writing, or do a writing course, or attend a seminar. Dreading the Writing Assignment? Outlines to the Rescue Writing technical articles is a challenge. There you sit, surrounded by reams of research, notes and interviews. Where do you start? The Writing Life In the 7th grade I wanted to be an architect but it turns out math is involved. Who knew? My 8th grade English teacher talked me into working on the school newspaper and I was hooked. It seemed like easy lifting compared to architecture. Whats Missing in your Nearly Finished Book? Bookcoaching clients come to me at different stages of writing their books. The ones who start from ground zero with a coach and learn what goes into each chapter to make it more readable and sell better. The ones who have been writing a long time, a year or so even. They often leave the project because they ran out of gas--got stuck what to do next. They may think they can manifest their book dream now and make millions. Before You Write Your Book, Organize Its Parts - Part 2 If you are a serious writer who wants to publish and sell books and informational products, you need to be able to find all of its parts in a minute or less. Filing only the important parts of your book will yield fast-writing your book. With the tips below, you will find any book-related paper within two minutes! Writing Without Style Style manuals are all well and good, and in fact, highly desirable for newspapers. The average reading level of newspaper readers is the sixth grade. Over the years it became imperative that newspaper writing be simple, consistent, and use basic punctuation, even when that violated some elementary rules. The end result has been that borderline idiots may now understand today's papers. How to Finish Your Self-Published Book Fast Started a book and then got bogged down? Like many of my bookcoaching clients do you say, "I have so many other demands, I just can't get to the book." Celebrating Writing and Life Every morning I excitedly get out of bed. Just a few minutes of goals and visions for the day swirl in my head. No lingering for me, no alarm, no wishful notes too. Just me in my night gown with no hat. How to Avoid the 11 Biggest Mistakes of First Time Authors "If you want to change your life," Harry Beckwith wrote in The Invisible Touch, "write a book." But writing a book can also be tremendously frustrating and unrewarding. Top Seven Ways to Write your Print or eBook Fast Want to write your book? But, need a blueprint on why it will help your profits and brand your business? Need to know each step so you can delegate it to an assistant or do it yourself in just an hour a day for less than a month? Write a Letter, Make a Difference Today I took the dog for a walk and realized that there is a letter that I must write. Near our house, we walk up a once paved road that is now mostly rock and mud. It runs behind several houses then up a hill and ends at some very high priced home sites that are, as yet, unbuilt. In the winter this is a beautiful trail lined with small waterfalls and lush green trees, in summer it is a trail overrun by wildflowers that the neighborhood children enjoy picking. This trail, used regularly by its neighbors, is in danger of disappearing. The developer of the homesites is petitioning the city to repave the trail and make it once again an automobile thoroughfare. This trail is a vital part of our neighborhood, and losing it to another street (that would benefit only the future homeowners of 5 homesites) would distress those who use it regularly to walk the dog, teach their children about nature, or to escape the concrete jungle for a moment of peace. Overcome Writers Block with Snake Dancing Writer's block! Even columnist Dave Berry has it. He admits that at least 30 times a day when writing his humor column, he gets up from his computer to sip his Pepsi to divert his attention when he can't think of what to write. Recently, he reached for the cola and instead found a coiled snake. He tried barbecue tongs to carry it away, but when it landed in his pool, he kept the dance going trying to catch the thing. How NOT to Get a Freelance Writing Job In the business of freelance writing, it's not enough to be good at writing. You also have to be good at finding work ? and selling yourself when you do. Persuading a new client to let you write for them, rather than one of the hundreds of other writers out there, can be an art in itself. Here's how not to do it? Ten Ways to Get Cheap (and Free) Magazine Samples 1 - Join a reading or writing group. Ask members to bring in theiralready-read magazines and have an exchange. Do the same with interestgroups you belong to or know about - playgroups (parenting, home, cooking, family mags), business networking groups (entrepreneurs, home business, finances magazines), church (religious, devotional periodicals). How To Become a Freelance Grant Writer What is a freelance grant writer? These individuals have a lot of power in their hands. When they work for companies, they are essentially trying to help gain free money for that company to help the company expand, do research, or to stay in business. These individuals will use a detailed knowledge of the environment to create the best piece of work they can. Freelance grant writers hold a lot of people's jobs within their hands. Zany Ideas That Increase Writing Productivity And Quality Welcome to the zany ideas of a productive writer. My students keep reminding me of my unusual tools and how helpful they have been for them. I also thank my students for their concept testing and refinement. Now, I feel much more confidant about sending them out into the world. Realize Your Book Dream In 2005! If you haven't realized the success you wanted last year, here's a way to reap the harvest with 86% improvement!
|
| © Athifea Distribution LLC - 2013 |
