Thoughts
Blog
Here’s my blog on strategy, work, words and communications.
If you enjoy it, get it first by signing up for Matterings, my fortnightly e-newsletter.
More insight, more personal.
Words that work
I watched an old episode of Spicks and Specks recently, which closed with this great Weird Al Yankovic clip.
It’s a parody of Bob Dylan’s Subterranean Homesick Blues and very clever.
Here’s an example from the lyrics.
Strategic planning – why you have to say no
You need to say no. But saying no is hard.
Why is our writing so bad?
Our audience may not be well educated or literate. They may speak English but not read it or only read basic English. They may speak English as a second language. They may not speak English at all and be receiving translated information.
We need to reach them all.
Writing education in schools
In some areas, it found year nine students have the function of a grade three student. They can’t write about complex ideas in a way that readers understand.
We all pay for the results.
Focus in 50
Often you don’t need a lot of time to do something. You just need clear time to achieve it.
Focus in 50 delivers that.
Plain English and clinical trials
Recently I came across a website advocating plain English.
It made me happy, so I read further.
Malaphors
Coined in 1976 by Lawrence Harrison in The Washington Post article ‘Searching for Malaphors’, a malaphor is a mash-up of aphorisms, idioms or cliches.
It’s an error in which two sayings are merged, producing an often ridiculous and embarrassing result.
Banish the bafflegab
A few weeks ago, I wrote about the Plain English Bill going through the New Zealand parliament. The bill passed – it’s now law!
The high cost of bad writing
It takes more time to read and make sense of bad writing. It’s frustrating red-penning lousy work.
It’s a huge cost to business.
Consider this.
Subscribe
I write regularly on strategy, work, words and communications. Subscribe to my newsletter to read it first.
Subscribe
We’ll only use your email address to send you (good quality) emails and you can unsubscribe any time.