How to How to How to How to make make make make youryouryouryour

writingwritingwritingwriting

distinctivedistinctivedistinctivedistinctivedistinctivedistinctivedistinctivedistinctive

Ken Carroll

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...

...and and and and to to to to

your writingyour writingyour writingyour writing

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.

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.

ResultResultResultResult:

The writers sound like

everyone everyone else.else.else.else.

There are two causes:

Reliance on cReliance on cReliance on cReliance on conventionntionntionntion

Reliance on clichlichlichliché

CCCConvennvennvennventionsCCCConvennvennvennventions

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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...

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.

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.

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.

Unless you do something

about it, your work will

give off the impression

of samenesssamenesssamenesssameness, of being of samenesssamenesssamenesssameness, of being

conventionalconventionalconventionalconventional.

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.

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.

CCCClichlichlichlichéééé

The verbalverbalverbalverbal equivalent

of the conventionntionntionntion, is is is is

the the the the clichichichiché. the the the the clichichichiché.

“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

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 ...

Then you're indulindulindulindulging in

needlesdlesdlesdless and damaamaamaamaging

cliché...

Avoiding Avoiding Avoiding Avoiding the

conventions conventions conventions conventions and the

clichésclichésclichésclichésclichésclichésclichésclichés

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.

And clichés savesavesavesave youyouyouyou having

to think.... think.... think.... think....

ButButButBut

they’re they’re they’re they’re

alsoalsoalsoalso

deadlydeadlydeadlydeadly.

... 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...

Instead,Instead,Instead,Instead,

learn learn learn learn

from from from from

the the the the

artists...artists...artists...artists...

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

SeeingSeeingSeeingSeeing andandandand rejectingrejectingrejectingrejecting

convention is halfhalfhalfhalf of the

battle of creativitycreativitycreativitycreativitybattle of creativitycreativitycreativitycreativity

Example Kurt Schwitters

His ‘sound poemsound poemsound poemsound poem’ His ‘sound poemsound poemsound poemsound poem’

“UrsonateUrsonateUrsonateUrsonate”

‘Brand Schwitters’

is distinctive, surprising,

unexpected.unexpected.

He did poetry like like like like

nononono----one elseone elseone elseone else

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.

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.

SeeSeeSeeSee and identifyidentifyidentifyidentify the

conventions and the cliché

of every kievery kievery kievery kind.of every kievery kievery kievery kind.

ThenThenThenThen kill ill ill ill themmmm.

BBBBeeee mererererciless. BBBBeeee mererererciless.

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...

BecauseBecauseBecauseBecause the solutiolutiolutiolution lies

in goodoodoodood

word choice word choice word choice word choice word choice word choice word choice word choice

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...

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.

Don’tn’tn’tn’t reacacacach for the cliché that

kind of represenresenresenresents youououour

thoughghghght.

Stopopopop. Stopopopop.

Thinhinhinhink.

Choohoohoohoose.

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.

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:

“Whatatatat exactlactlactlactly am I tryinryinryinrying to

sayyyy hereereereere?”sayyyy hereereereere?”

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.

“... 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

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.

But cliché is also the biggest biggest biggest biggest

blockblockblockblock to developing your own developing your own developing your own developing your own

voicevoicevoicevoice.

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.

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.

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.

SSSSo, thinininink. Find fresherfresherfresherfresher ways,

more interestinginterestinginterestinginteresting, and

specificspecificspecificspecific ways to say whatspecificspecificspecificspecific ways to say what

you wanwanwanwant to say.

Develoeloeloelop the hthe hthe hthe habit of gooooooood

wordrdrdrd chohohohoiceeee

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.

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