Two ways to make your writing more distinctive
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Transcript of Two ways to make your writing more distinctive
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How to How to How to How to make make make make youryouryouryour
writingwritingwritingwriting
distinctivedistinctivedistinctivedistinctivedistinctivedistinctivedistinctivedistinctive
Ken Carroll
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DistinctivenessDistinctivenessDistinctivenessDistinctiveness is essential
across all aspects all aspects all aspects all aspects of your
personal brandbrandbrandbrand: From your
design and image, to your to your to your to your ideas,
and the way youand the way youand the way youand the way you approach your content...
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...and and and and to to to to
your writingyour writingyour writingyour writing
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Your writing style writing style writing style writing style and qualityqualityqualityquality
are key elements of your
personal (or corporate) brand.
They reveal your charactercharactercharactercharacter, They reveal your charactercharactercharactercharacter,
who you truly are.
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Yet most of the writing writing writing writing
we see around us lackslackslackslacks
distinctiveness.
The ideasideasideasideas, the The ideasideasideasideas, the
perspectivesperspectivesperspectivesperspectives, the
wordingwordingwordingwording, the conceptionconceptionconceptionconception
of the writing often
lack differentiatorslack differentiatorslack differentiatorslack differentiators.
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ResultResultResultResult:
The writers sound like
everyone everyone else.else.else.else.
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There are two causes:
Reliance on cReliance on cReliance on cReliance on conventionntionntionntion
Reliance on clichlichlichliché
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CCCConvennvennvennventionsCCCConvennvennvennventions
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Convention is everywhereverywhereverywhereverywhere. We
swim in swim in swim in swim in it. Most of it goes
unnoticed, but not without
effect: The dismaldismaldismaldismal, me-too effect: The dismaldismaldismaldismal, me-too
samenesssamenesssamenesssameness that we see in so
much of what gwhat gwhat gwhat gets written.
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Anything you do on your websitewebsitewebsitewebsite, in
your reportsreportsreportsreports, on your pdfspdfspdfspdfs, eeee----
booksbooksbooksbooks, and so on, can fall into the
convention trap – visual convention trap – visual
convention, conventions of the genre, and so on.
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Too many blog posts Too many blog posts Too many blog posts Too many blog posts (and the
blogs themselves)blogs themselves)blogs themselves)blogs themselves) look, feel,
and sound generic. generic. generic. generic.
They work They work They work They work from the same same same same
conventionsconventionsconventionsconventions.
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The same is true for reports, pdfs, e-books – for every kind of information information information information productproductproductproduct: Few verbal, visual, Few verbal, visual, Few verbal, visual, Few verbal, visual, productproductproductproduct: Few verbal, visual, Few verbal, visual, Few verbal, visual, Few verbal, visual, or formatting formatting formatting formatting differentdifferentdifferentdifferentiators are the norm.
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Foooor examplmplmplmple:
When you use graphicsgraphicsgraphicsgraphics, piiiics, or
quotationsquotationsquotationsquotations that add nothing
to the content...That’s That’s That’s That’s to the content...That’s That’s That’s That’s
conventionconventionconventionconvention.
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When you use a photophotophotophoto of a
handshakehandshakehandshakehandshake or a globe in your
report - and especially when you
use a handshake superimposed handshake superimposed handshake superimposed handshake superimposed use a handshake superimposed handshake superimposed handshake superimposed handshake superimposed
over a globeover a globeover a globeover a globe...conventientientiention.
Please, noPlease, noPlease, noPlease, no.
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When you trade other people’s other people’s other people’s other people’s
ideideideideas, write only posts with posts with posts with posts with
lists, or apologize for not lists, or apologize for not lists, or apologize for not lists, or apologize for not
having blogged recentlyhaving blogged recentlyhaving blogged recentlyhaving blogged recently...having blogged recentlyhaving blogged recentlyhaving blogged recentlyhaving blogged recently...
NNNNeedless, nauseauseauseauseating
conventionentionentionention...
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In other words, when you
mindlesslymindlesslymindlesslymindlessly accept the standardsand the clichéd norms clichéd norms clichéd norms clichéd norms of writing
in our time, then you’re in the
land of conventionconventionconventionconvention.land of conventionconventionconventionconvention.
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And it may be time to evacuate.
Because with convention, the
genericgenericgenericgeneric looklooklooklook/feelfeelfeelfeel/ soundsoundsoundsound will
be the result - regardless of be the result - regardless of
how good the ideasideasideasideas, the
informationinformationinformationinformation, the insightsinsightsinsightsinsights.
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Mof the peoeoeoeople who trade in trade in trade in trade in
convention are unawareunawareunawareunaware of
it... For most of us, flat flat flat flat it... For most of us, flat flat flat flat
and conventional and conventional and conventional and conventional is our
defaultdefaultdefaultdefault.
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Unless you do something
about it, your work will
give off the impression
of samenesssamenesssamenesssameness, of being of samenesssamenesssamenesssameness, of being
conventionalconventionalconventionalconventional.
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And conventionAnd conventionAnd conventionAnd convention makes it
almost impossibleimpossibleimpossibleimpossible to to to to
deliver deliver deliver deliver the content in an deliver deliver deliver deliver the content in an
interestinginterestinginterestinginteresting or engaginngaginngaginngaging
way.
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ItItItIt guarantees that your
workworkworkwork will not stand out and
will not be as widely readwidely readwidely readwidely readwill not be as widely readwidely readwidely readwidely readas it should be.
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CCCClichlichlichlichéééé
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The verbalverbalverbalverbal equivalent
of the conventionntionntionntion, is is is is
the the the the clichichichiché. the the the the clichichichiché.
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“Never use a metaphormetaphormetaphormetaphor, similesimilesimilesimile, or
other figure of speech figure of speech figure of speech figure of speech which
you are used to seeing used to seeing used to seeing used to seeing in
print.”print.”
George OrwellOrwellOrwellOrwell
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When you’re epicepicepicepic, and awesomeawesomeawesomeawesome,
and thinking outside the boxthinking outside the boxthinking outside the boxthinking outside the box,
or opening the kimonoopening the kimonoopening the kimonoopening the kimono, when your
eyes glaze over eyes glaze over eyes glaze over eyes glaze over or when you, at at at at
the end of the daythe end of the daythe end of the daythe end of the day, go the extra go the extra go the extra go the extra the end of the daythe end of the daythe end of the daythe end of the day, go the extra go the extra go the extra go the extra
mile, mile, mile, mile, or you’re a rockstarrockstarrockstarrockstar writer
in the making ...
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Then you're indulindulindulindulging in
needlesdlesdlesdless and damaamaamaamaging
cliché...
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Avoiding Avoiding Avoiding Avoiding the
conventions conventions conventions conventions and the
clichésclichésclichésclichésclichésclichésclichésclichés
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I admitadmitadmitadmit that it’s tempting to doto doto doto do
what everyone else is doing.
It’s easy to use clichéeasy to use clichéeasy to use clichéeasy to use cliché.
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And clichés savesavesavesave youyouyouyou having
to think.... think.... think.... think....
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ButButButBut
they’re they’re they’re they’re
alsoalsoalsoalso
deadlydeadlydeadlydeadly.
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... Because thethethethey can
submerge you submerge you submerge you submerge you in a seaseaseasea of
sasasasameness and mediocrity. sasasasameness and mediocrity.
So... So... So... So...
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Instead,Instead,Instead,Instead,
learn learn learn learn
from from from from
the the the the
artists...artists...artists...artists...
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ArtistsArtistsArtistsArtists develop a
distrustdistrustdistrustdistrust of the
commonplacecommonplacecommonplacecommonplace, an commonplacecommonplacecommonplacecommonplace, an
instinctive reflex instinctive reflex instinctive reflex instinctive reflex
against what has
been done beforebeen done beforebeen done beforebeen done before
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SeeingSeeingSeeingSeeing andandandand rejectingrejectingrejectingrejecting
convention is halfhalfhalfhalf of the
battle of creativitycreativitycreativitycreativitybattle of creativitycreativitycreativitycreativity
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Example Kurt Schwitters
His ‘sound poemsound poemsound poemsound poem’ His ‘sound poemsound poemsound poemsound poem’
“UrsonateUrsonateUrsonateUrsonate”
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‘Brand Schwitters’
is distinctive, surprising,
unexpected.unexpected.
He did poetry like like like like
nononono----one elseone elseone elseone else
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So look critically look critically look critically look critically at your
brand – your website, your
reports, anywhere you write.
Look at the designdesigndesigndesign, the ideasthe ideasthe ideasthe ideas, Look at the designdesigndesigndesign, the ideasthe ideasthe ideasthe ideas,
the formats the formats the formats the formats and the wordingwordingwordingwording.
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Look for Look for Look for Look for the stock ideasstock ideasstock ideasstock ideas,
thethethethe stock phrases,stock phrases,stock phrases,stock phrases,
the stock photosstock photosstock photosstock photos,
thethethethe clichés of the clichés of the clichés of the clichés of the thethethethe clichés of the clichés of the clichés of the clichés of the
genre genre genre genre that everyone everyone everyone everyone
else is doing.
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SeeSeeSeeSee and identifyidentifyidentifyidentify the
conventions and the cliché
of every kievery kievery kievery kind.of every kievery kievery kievery kind.
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ThenThenThenThen kill ill ill ill themmmm.
BBBBeeee mererererciless. BBBBeeee mererererciless.
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But I want to make special note special note special note special note
of dealing with vdealing with vdealing with vdealing with verbal erbal erbal erbal clichés.
The reason for this is importantimportantimportantimportant...
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BecauseBecauseBecauseBecause the solutiolutiolutiolution lies
in goodoodoodood
word choice word choice word choice word choice word choice word choice word choice word choice
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Good word Good word Good word Good word choice isn't just an
alternative alternative alternative alternative to to to to cliché...cliché...cliché...cliché...
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Good word choice word choice word choice word choice is essenssenssenssential
to the vigorvigorvigorvigor, the accuraccuraccuraccuracy, and
the distinctivenctivenctivenctiveness of any any any any
writingwritingwritingwriting. writingwritingwritingwriting.
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Don’tn’tn’tn’t reacacacach for the cliché that
kind of represenresenresenresents youououour
thoughghghght.
Stopopopop. Stopopopop.
Thinhinhinhink.
Choohoohoohoose.
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Replace Replace Replace Replace clichéclichéclichécliché with thoughtful,
accurate, and specific
alternatives that conveyconveyconveyconvey your your your your
true meaningtrue meaningtrue meaningtrue meaning.true meaningtrue meaningtrue meaningtrue meaning.
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AAAAsksksksk yourselfelfelfelf one of the most one of the most one of the most one of the most
poweoweoweowerful questiontiontiontions in writintintinting
productductductductiv y: productductductductivitititity:
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“Whatatatat exactlactlactlactly am I tryinryinryinrying to
sayyyy hereereereere?”sayyyy hereereereere?”
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Good word choice holds truetruetruetrue for all all all all
forms of writingforms of writingforms of writingforms of writing.
RegardlessRegardless of what you write, you
must find ways to sound like yousound like yousound like yousound like you
and no-one else.
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“... Great theater begins with
great talkers great talkers great talkers great talkers and... great
talkers... never sound like never sound like never sound like never sound like
anyone else.anyone else.anyone else.anyone else.”anyone else.anyone else.anyone else.anyone else.”
Edmudmudmudmund WhWhWhWhiteeee
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Every character character character character in a play,
movie, or novel must be
distinctive. He/she should not should not should not should not
sound like anyone elsound like anyone elsound like anyone elsound like anyone else.
The writerwriterwriterwriter has to achieve this
distinctiveness explicitly.
Word choice ord choice ord choice ord choice is one way.
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But cliché is also the biggest biggest biggest biggest
blockblockblockblock to developing your own developing your own developing your own developing your own
voicevoicevoicevoice.
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Because instead oinstead oinstead oinstead of thinking thinking thinking thinking
through through through through what you want you want you want you want totototo
saysaysaysay, you slap a prepreprepre----saysaysaysay, you slap a prepreprepre----
fabricated meaning fabricated meaning fabricated meaning fabricated meaning on.
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That's not your voiceThat's not your voiceThat's not your voiceThat's not your voice.
It’s somsomsomsomeonenenene else’s.It’s somsomsomsomeonenenene else’s.
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So, good writiSo, good writiSo, good writiSo, good writing is rarely a
matter of the first words the first words the first words the first words
that come into your head.that come into your head.
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SSSSo, thinininink. Find fresherfresherfresherfresher ways,
more interestinginterestinginterestinginteresting, and
specificspecificspecificspecific ways to say whatspecificspecificspecificspecific ways to say what
you wanwanwanwant to say.
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Develoeloeloelop the hthe hthe hthe habit of gooooooood
wordrdrdrd chohohohoiceeee
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So herrrre’s the sthe sthe sthe strategy inininin brief:
Shunununun the conventintintintion and the cliciciciché.
Think nk nk nk throrororough your pyour pyour pyour precise
meaning and choose the words
that speak most accuraccuraccuraccurately and
powerfullrfullrfullrfully to yourururur meaneaneaneaning.
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So, tSo, tSo, tSo, thoshoshoshose e e e are te te te two o o o
ways ways ways ways totototo make your make your make your make your
mmmmwriting writing writing writing mmmmoreoreoreore
distidistidistidistinctiveveveve