Archive for the ‘random’ Category

random [yet noteworthy] thoughts

Thursday, September 28th, 2006 |

  • Why is there never ‘weather’ in scifi movies? I want to see a day when the characters have to ponder ‘a 50% chance of acid rain’ or ‘mostly blazing hot’.

  • Someone needs to invent a new shopping cart that a) I don’t have to worry about heavy going on top of soft/light, b) I don’t have to empty, then refill, to check out, and c) returns itself to the cart return by itself. It’s really not much to ask for, is it?
  • Writing Goal #1: Get them to read it.

    Wednesday, August 16th, 2006 |

    These seven steps can make your work more compelling whether you’re writing an ad, a brochure, a speech or a feature article:

    1. Write like you talk when you’re at your most articulate.
    2. Don’t overwrite. Assume that your audience is bright enough to understand your points without long explanations.
    3. Make every word pull its weight. Don’t throw in words just because they sound impressive.
    4. Make your writing disappear. Your audience should get the idea without noticing the words.
    5. Include a mix of long and short sentences.
    6. Start in the middle. Open with an anecdote or description that grabs the reader.
    7. Pay attention to the sound and flow of your writing.

    Source: Peter Bowerman, copywriter and author; http://www.wellfedwriter.com

    About 'The Book'

    EDIWTB is about stuff I discover, and stuff I've forgotten about. It can also be about music, knitting, web development, social networking and my other obsessions du jour. More

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