Home
>
Writing
>
How to Relax Your Writing

How to Relax Your Writing

Q. My writing sounds stiff and stilted. Help!

A. Memories of high school and college papers are probably getting in the way. We're often brought up to believe writing is a Big Deal. We can't, of course, write the way we speak. That would be too easy!

Some corporate departments perpetuate this myth. Many years ago, one group that hired a couple of writing consultants -- over zealous English majors with little business experience who enjoyed showing off their expertise. Experienced managers were thoroughly intimidated. They had bought into the myth, "Writing is for experts."

To relax, try these tips:

(a) Read your work aloud, preferably into a tape recorder. Do you find yourself stumbling over certain phrases? Do you have one collection of words and phrases for speaking and another for writing? As you listen to yourself, you'll become sensitized to your own voice.

(b) Show what you've written to a thirteen-year-old. If they can't understand what you're saying, start over! I often use this exercise when people try to describe their jobs, especially in a resume, to people who don't know their industry.

(c) Get in shape. If you haven't played basketball for a few years -- or ever -- you won't expect to compete on the court. Write every day, even if you begin with your own private journal. Don't edit. Go back after a few weeks to review what you write.

(d) Practice writing fast. Slow writing isn't necessarily better -- and may actually be worse.

(e) Add metaphors and stories to every article you write for your ezine or website. Here's a fun exercise: What did you do yesterday? Did you have an interesting encounter or conversation? Find a way to bring one episode from yesterday into today's article.

Just one caution. I once encouraged a client to "loosen up." She added some words that would make Tony Soprano blush, let alone her corporate clients!

I recommend being conservative, in speech and well as words, during any business relationship. I enjoy the Sopranos but I must admit I grit my teeth when I hear even the most moderate cuss words during a teleclass, talk or meeting. I know I'm not alone.

About The Author

Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D., is an author, speaker and career/business consultant, helping midlife professionals take their First step to a Second Career. http://www.cathygoodwin.com.

"Ten secrets of mastering a major life change" http://www.cathygoodwin.com

Contact: http://www.cathygoodwin.com 505-534-4294

luxury cleaning services Glencoe ...

In The News:

A dedicated VPN IP address may reduce frustrating CAPTCHAs and bank login security checks by giving websites a consistent connection to recognize.

Apple Wallet in iOS 27 lets you create digital passes from physical cards using a photo or screenshot, but not every card in your wallet qualifies.

Anthropic's Claude AI submitted a fabricated eyewitness tip about an unsolved murder to a Philadelphia police website during automated testing.

P7 DarkSword iPhone spyware can steal saved passwords, photos, Apple Notes and cryptocurrency wallet data by checking for commands every 15 seconds.

Cybersecurity experts told Fox News Digital that a cyberattack on French supermarket freezers should warn the U.S. about critical infrastructure gaps.

The Oracle Health breach exposed medical records, Social Security numbers and diagnoses of nearly 20 million patients across multiple states.

The new Tesla Roadster drove upside down and launched into the air at SpaceX's Texas facility, but a 2028 production target remains unconfirmed.

Apple's iOS 27 lets you add keywords to iPhone photos, while Samsung Gallery tags and Google Photos search offer similar organization tools.

A fake Claude AI download scam uses Google ads, and Bing redirects to trick Mac users into pasting a hidden malicious command in their Terminal.

Ahold Delhaize's cybersecurity incident knocked online ordering and digital coupons offline at Stop & Shop, Food Lion, Hannaford and Giant Food stores.

The Fox News AI Newsletter covers the latest artificial intelligence technology advancements, including the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Amazon's About You feature includes personality details from your shopping history, and some shoppers are finding hilariously awkward results.

Identity theft recovery starts with securing bank accounts, freezing credit and enabling two-factor authentication within the first 24 hours.

Apple's $299 HomeView smart display uses facial recognition to personalize screens for up to six household members and show live security camera feeds.

Domonique DuBose spotted red flags when a man on Hinge with 85,000 followers and a blue checkmark claimed to be a San Francisco 49ers player.

Your phone's location data can expose visits to doctors, pharmacies and places of worship. The FTC took action against data brokers selling this data.

Hackers targeted Danfoss refrigerator controls across French supermarkets, forcing chains like Carrefour and Monoprix to discard massive food stocks.

iOS 27 finally lets iPhone Shared Albums store photos and videos at full resolution in iCloud, but new items count toward the owner's storage.

A fake Facebook Marketplace text scam uses your real name as the seller to trick you into replying, and Malwarebytes warns even one response helps.

The Pentagon data breach exposed 2.76 million Social Security numbers and military records, raising long-term identity theft concerns for veterans.

Kodiak AI plans to haul IKEA freight on Texas highways with no one in the cab, raising urgent cybersecurity and safety questions for drivers.

Apple Intelligence in iOS 27 adds Extend and Reframe tools to Photos, letting iPhones generate new background areas beyond your original borders.

Microsoft's X account was hijacked to promote a crypto pump-and-dump scheme, exposing its more than 13 million followers to a scam campaign.

Scammers can combine your name, phone number and address with data breach details to attempt SIM swaps, phishing and even identity theft schemes.

ChatGPT Work, Meta Muse and Gemini Spark can monitor flight prices, sort your email inbox and track important deadlines, but savvy users start small.