How to Relax Your Writing


Q. My writing sounds stiff and stilted. Help!

A. Memories of high school and college papers are probably getting in the way. We're often brought up to believe writing is a Big Deal. We can't, of course, write the way we speak. That would be too easy!

Some corporate departments perpetuate this myth. Many years ago, one group that hired a couple of writing consultants -- over zealous English majors with little business experience who enjoyed showing off their expertise. Experienced managers were thoroughly intimidated. They had bought into the myth, "Writing is for experts."

To relax, try these tips:

(a) Read your work aloud, preferably into a tape recorder. Do you find yourself stumbling over certain phrases? Do you have one collection of words and phrases for speaking and another for writing? As you listen to yourself, you'll become sensitized to your own voice.

(b) Show what you've written to a thirteen-year-old. If they can't understand what you're saying, start over! I often use this exercise when people try to describe their jobs, especially in a resume, to people who don't know their industry.

(c) Get in shape. If you haven't played basketball for a few years -- or ever -- you won't expect to compete on the court. Write every day, even if you begin with your own private journal. Don't edit. Go back after a few weeks to review what you write.

(d) Practice writing fast. Slow writing isn't necessarily better -- and may actually be worse.

(e) Add metaphors and stories to every article you write for your ezine or website. Here's a fun exercise: What did you do yesterday? Did you have an interesting encounter or conversation? Find a way to bring one episode from yesterday into today's article.

Just one caution. I once encouraged a client to "loosen up." She added some words that would make Tony Soprano blush, let alone her corporate clients!

I recommend being conservative, in speech and well as words, during any business relationship. I enjoy the Sopranos but I must admit I grit my teeth when I hear even the most moderate cuss words during a teleclass, talk or meeting. I know I'm not alone.

About The Author

Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D., is an author, speaker and career/business consultant, helping midlife professionals take their First step to a Second Career. http://www.cathygoodwin.com.

"Ten secrets of mastering a major life change" mailto:subscribe@cathygoodwin.com

Contact: cathy@cathygoodwin.com 505-534-4294

MORE RESOURCES:
RELATED ARTICLES
Gaining Writing Experience
GAINING WRITING EXPERIENCE Some Catch-22, huh? In the writing business, you can't get published until you have some experience. If you can't get published until you have experience, how do you get experience? How do you get publishing clips to show all those publishers who want to see "previously published clips"? It's almost as if Lily Tomlin's telephone operator character came up with this: "Is this the party to whom I'm speaking? Are you the unpublished writer who has published clips I can look at? (Snort, snort!)" What's an unpublished writer to do? Get published, of course! I'm not being flippant; I'm serious.
Formats for Writing Life Narratives
Q and A.Best choice when subject is very verbal or there are two or more people being interviewed or taped at the same time.
Hero's Journey - The Herald
Beyond three and four act story structure, lies the Hero's Journey.The Hero's Journey is the most usable story structure consisting of at least 106 stages and the template for successful contemporary stories, from Star Wars to Al Pacino Scarface to The Incredibles to War of the Worlds to The Dirty Dozen to Midnight Cowboy.
Learn to Talk on Paper: The Art of Effective Business Writing
Rudolf Flesch, a specialist in writing skills, ran classes for over thirty years for civil servants, lawyers, bankers and the like, on writing business correspondence. Two tips he stressed over and over again in his classes.
Idea-Mining for Writers, 102
As many authors are fond of stating, "Ideas are all around!" when asked to be more specific. Well, in a way, that's true.
Why I Write
I started writing as a way of keeping safe memories of a particularly adventurous 3 years of my life when I became totally addicted to the world of online chat rooms and met a number of 'gentlemen' for real that I met in fantasyland online.However after I allowed an educated friend to read my short stories, I was motivated to attempt a manuscript, and whilst it was extremely daunting to open my life up for judgement, I considered the good I could do by way of educating people on the dangers of this kind of activity far outweighed my personal discomfort.
Cheap Therapy
I call it cheap therapy. That gushing, near-religious, poured-from-the-body stress release that comes after writing my heart out for hours each day, delivers more balm to my soul than years of psychoanalysis.
Is Someone Plagiarizing Your Work?
About two weeks ago I received an article submissionthat immediately attracted my attention. The title wasidentical to the title of an article I wrote and whichwas published in 'WebProNews' in May 1999.
Get An Attitude About Your Writing
(This excerpt is taken from my new writing workshop Writing To Sell In the Internet Age.)Writer John Clausen, in his excellent book about freelance writing: Too Lazy To Work, Too Nervous To Steal, recommends that you get an attitude about your work.
Whats in a Name? Giving Birth to your Characters
So you've got your plot outlined, a title lined up and the research is done. You're ready to start writing your novel.
Four Easy Ways to Get a Book Written (Especially If You Dont Like to Write)
Becoming an author is probably a lot easier than you think. It's time to get that book out of your head and onto the printed page.
Voice in Narrative and Dialogue - A Contrast of Writing Styles
One of the nice things about being an author is that we can break any rule we want. (I just did.
The Write Habit: How to Strengthen Your Writing Muscle
Writing is a muscle that needs exercise to stay in shape.I realized how true that saying is when I took what I called "a well-earned break" after I finished my first novel.
7 Book Publicity Tips for Authors and Small Publishers
The biggest mistake authors make when trying to get free publicity is pitching either themselves or their books.Don't pitch authors! Pitch issues.
5 Ways to Break the Story Spell
You sink back into your favourite chair with a new book in your hand. With a barely perceptible sigh of anticipation, you turn to the first page.
What Is The Single Worst Writing Mistake?
The following answer sounds simplistic?but think about it. The single worst writing mistake is "not starting.
Autobiography: Installment No.3
ESSAY 3Writing an autobiography involves a matching up of a specific plot-structure with a set of historical events. The autobiographer wishes to endow these events with a particular meaning.
Does Your Theme Contain Character, Conflict, Resolution?
Creative Writing Tips -For a theme to work and the story, which will revolve around the theme, it has to contain three things?CharacterConflictResolutionWhat's the reason for this?If your theme doesn't contain these three essential elements, then you won't be writing a proper short story. It might turn out to be an essay instead.
Gut Check: Quitting Your Full-time Job for Your Freelance Career
It's 6:00 p.m.
Could Your Book Idea Be the Next Best Seller?
Everyone has a unique story to tell. From explaining business processes to revealing our personal history, we all have a natural desire to share our experiences with the world.