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Be A better writer- visit William Lampe's Writers Workshop.
Get tips on business communications, Public Relations,
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Journalism techniques, an English Workshop and much more.
AD COPY WRITING: Advertising copy is designed to catch the eye and hold the reader's attention long enough for its message to register. The main purpose behind ad copy is to cause an effect, whether it is meant to sell a product, person, service or an idea. Consider ad copy writing as a series of well thought and crafted words, strung together to resonate the human mind. The effect may be subliminal or bold, humorous, or ludicrous. It matters not as long as the message is effective and causes the reader to act upon the suggestion. more
ANNUAL REPORTS: At the end of the year, board members of corporations who have gone public must publish their corporate report to let their investors know the financial state of the company and the direction the company is heading in. The annual report is all about what the company did in the past, where the company is now, and where it is going. The board members have a fiduciary responsibility to their investors to keep them apprised of what to expect from their investment and to assure them that the board is acting responsibly on their behalf. more
BYLINED ARTICLES: Such articles are written as a public relations device to attract attention to people places or things. Mostly, they feature corporate executives or business owners who might benefit from public recognition and acceptance. Such articles should have a public interest or service theme instead of an advertising objective. Often, these articles are written by a ghost writer who can look at the subject objectively. These articles are distributed to the news media and trade magazines as feature articles and are run free of charge by editors needing articles of interest to fill their pages. more
BRAINSTORMING: Is an activity in which writers engage before beginning a writing project. They list every topic they can think of concerning the subject of their project. Later, they decide which to use or discard, and of those retained, the hierarchical order in which they will be presented. Naturally as the project advances or matures, information may be included or deleted. more
BROCHURE WRITING: These devices are popular for informing and educating the public as to a company, its product, its service or intention. Brochures may be simple, black & white, folded handouts or fancy four-color glossy examples with carefully chosen graphics, meant to impress the recipient with the quality and stature of the company. The copy, of course, is what the writer is most concerned with. However, some writers will act as project managers, and subcontract a graphic designer and printer to complete the project.
BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS WRITING: Is a broad spectrum title that encompasses most any segment of business activity that requires writing whether on paper or electronic media such as the Internet, including those mentioned on this page. Even some forms of Technical Writing fall under this category, as such describes a product or service and is therefore a business communication. Human services training manuals also fall under this category.
EDITING: Is the act of improving written copy by correcting spelling, grammar and composition, deleting some portions and rewriting others to improve the clarity and readability of the document. Written matter, theoretically, needs to convey the reader from point "a" to point "b" or from a beginning to an understandable conclusion. If the document fails in its purpose, it needs to be edited until it does.
ENGLISH WORKSHOP: I've included some basic tips on English grammar and punctuation in hopes those who read this section will benefit from reinforcing their language utilization skills. We do tend to forget over the years, don't we! Communication is a major part of that which sets us apart from the animals and other posthumous members of our distant ancestry who failed in this task. There is a big difference between "Let's eat Ggrandma." And, "Let's eat, Grandma!" more
FORMATTING: Setting the style of a project is known as formatting the piece. The writer chooses the "look and feel" of a piece and applies the appropriate format which consists of margins, indents and type fonts. This can also extend to heading styles and graphic content. Formatting is the physical design of the project.
GHOST WRITING: This is a venture where a writer agrees to write the story, biography or history of another person for payment. The piece may be dictated to the writer, received on tape or transcribed from a rough draft. In any case it is the task of the writer to evolve such material into a readable manuscript. However, seldom is the ghost writer mentioned in the credits, so remuneration is the only reward in this kind of work.
GRANT WRITING: This aspect of writing is where an individual or company applies to a grantor for funds to accomplish a project that falls within the parameters of the funder. Often, this is a detailed project that requires considerable research into the requirements of both the grantor and the intentions of the applicant. The object is to match them. Good grant writers, of course, are literally worth their weight in gold. more
HEADINGS: These are used in certain reports to delineate sections and subsections. They run from larger to smaller with different indents. A section heading is large while informational headings become smaller as they decrease in importance. Different formats are used, so it is best to check a style sheet for your particular project.
HOROR WRITERS WORKSHOP: Ah! Here is where we have a little fun as we learn the trade secrets of good fiction writers. Yes, included within this section are some of my most horrible stories of madness and mayhem, and a guided tour of how they got that way. "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy." Not always. I think you'll agree that my Jack isn't too dull at all. more
HOW TO WRITE: Believe it or not, writing is a process. If we learn the process, we should become decent writers- right? Well, there is a bit more to it than that, but this section should be of value in getting you started! "Don't you love it when a plan comes together? more
JOURNALISM: "All the news that fit to print!" In journalism, we look for the big story behind the scenes, asking who, what, when, where, why and how. Well, everyone knows that, but the really good journalistic writers address the questions of, "Who cares?" and "So what!" more
MAGAZINE ARTICLE WRITING: Where news stories reach for a general audience or readership and try to embellish current news topics, tweaking them for all they're worth, magazine articles usually target a particular segment of that audience with a specific interest like computers, cooking or golf. They address specific subjects that are often not news at all. By the time magazines are printed, most news is cold, so their intention is go behind the scenes for items of interest to the broadest segment of their readers. Often human interest, informational or how'd they do that stories are popular. more
MANUAL WRITING: Information makes the world turn 'round! Did you ever stop to think that almost everything you buy from a toaster to a computer comes with its very own manual? Sure, there is one right in the glove compartment of your car, and someone had to write them. That is why manual writing is a bread and butter job for knowledgeable writers who learn quickly and can relate to and make users understand the features and benefits of their purchase as quickly as possible. Then, there are the human services manuals that teach people how to do and how to act. A writer who can write linear, concise and understandable manuals will always be in demand. The trick is putting yourself in the position of the first time user. more
NEWSLETTERS: Thousands of for profit and non-profit corporations, businesses, churches and other organizations need newsletters to keep their clients or members informed and interactive. Maintaining interest is paramount. A newsletter is just the tool to do that. Think of one as a micro newspaper, focused upon one group or entity and those who have a common interest in same. Creating one can be an interesting experience that will help prepare you for a career in journalism or simply make you a nice living.
NONSEXIST LANGUAGE: Language is constantly changing to meet the needs of the people who speak it. Today, the old rules are outmoded as the sexes are looked upon as equal in the eyes of the law, so the old masculine form of writing is no longer acceptable. Therefore, the easiest way to bend English into an inoffensive form of communication is to write in the third person.
OUTLINING: Writing a coherent project in a linear fashion requires outlining which is a process of "putting all of your ducks in a row." This step in the writing process follows brainstorming where you collect ideas and facts to write about. Outlining is where you position all those tidbits after you collect them. Compare it to making a grocery list with the most important items at the top and information of decreasing importance below. more
POWER WORDS: It's all in how you present yourself. Mostly, simple, concise sentences that avoid technojargon and wordiness are the answer to good business writing, still a few good power words will raise the tone of your writing and slim down your word count. Remember, business people are busy people on a schedule, so the quicker they can read and comprehend your work, the more popular you will be with your clients.
PRESS RELEASES: These, like Bylined Articles are announcements with a newsy quality, hopefully with a public interest hook that spotlights a person place or thing. Usually they focus on an executive, a company, an entertainer, or a famous person who is doing something of interest that would have an effect on society. Naturally, the object and where and how to find such is mentioned. The properly written article will run free of charge as editors need to fill up their pages on slow news days. In my newspaper days, we used to call them fillers or pluggers because they plugged a hole in a page.
PROOF READING: This is, perhaps, one of the most important jobs of a writer, as there is always minor errors that sneak by. Somehow, the human eye glosses over and refuses to see these errors, especially when the writer is tired or distracted. Therefore if time permits, it is well to check the piece the next day after your mind has reset and can critically and objectively check the project. Should time be short, trade off proofreading chores with another competent writer.
PROPOSAL WRITING: Good proposal writers are literally worth their weight in gold. Proposals, like grants, lay a ground work, state a problem, a fix, a timeline, a benefit and ask for something from an authority or grantor to make it all happen. Also, a good proposal should prove that the project is doable, cost effective and show why the applicant is the best entity for the job. A proposal that benefits many is more often looked upon favorably than one that benefits only a single party- especially if the grantor is a government funding entity. more
REPORT WRITING: This is the process of relating the history to date of an event, a campaign, a project or an experiment in a clear, concise manner. A report is a highly structured document that makes use of formal outlining, headings and carefully thought out and segmented hierarchical data that follows a linear plan to take readers from ignorance to understanding in the least possible time. Often, a style sheet should be consulted, before attempting to write one.
SPEECH WRITING: This is a chore where a writer is chosen to put words in someone else's mouth. The process will involve interviewing, getting to know the speaker, learning their mannerisms, delivery and understanding what they want to say to their audience. Research will be a necessary part of the process, so the writer will understand the topic and not subject the speaker to ridicule for mistakes, misinformation or outright stupidity.
TECHNICAL WRITING: This is another broad title covering a plethora of writing projects from business communications and human services, to detailed report writing. Projects may address mechanical implementation, electronic circuitry design, software user information, network installation, how to start your lawnmower or scientific report writing. Add to that pamphlets and manuals that teach people how to do various tasks required in their daily work to name a few possibilities. Use your imagination, but write clear, concise information that progresses in a linear fashion from starting the motor to shutting it down. more
WIZARDS WORKSHOP: This workshop is for teaching you to think and to open up your mind to a greater perception of what is going on around you. That is just the thing for a savvy writer! Study it a lesson a day, and think about what you are reading, then apply it to your daily life. Give it 30 days, and then evaluate where you were and where you currently are. Later, let me know what you think! more
WORDSMITHING: the art of wordsmithing may or may not be gained by experience. However, it is simply the art of using the best possible words that flow together in harmony to properly state a thought or idea in the most understandable manner. Jargon will be avoided, and simple words used that convey the intended information without confusing the reader. We've all read poorly written manuals, brimming with vague terminology where the writer used too many initials (acronyms) for nebulous names, assuming that the reader would know their meaning. Never do that unless you clearly state the full name first so the reader will know what you are referring to.
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