Is Effective Business Writing Dead--or Just on Life Support? New Webinar Series Resuscitates Business Writing

“Business writing today is on a downward spiral,” says Lynda McDaniel, award-winning author, journalist, and writing coach in the San Francisco Bay Area. “E-mail, texts, and tweets have teamed up to tear down business writing skills.”
 
McDaniel, who is the founder and director of the Association for Creative Business Writing, has launched an on-demand Grab ‘N’ Go Webinar series to help everyone from entry level to C-level develop the powerful writing skills they need to excel on the job.
 
Topics include:
1. Brainstorm for More Business: Tap into ideas just waiting to be discovered + 16 attention-grabbing, traffic-building business writing tips.
2. How to Write a Bang-Up Bio: Look sharp and sound smart!
3. Write Attention-Grabbing, Traffic-Building Articles/Blogs: Build brand, share expertise, and get found online.
4. How to Write Persuasive and Profitable Proposals: Complete RFPs with ease and pocket more profits.
5. Success Stories! Stories engage readers and tap into their emotions (where they buy and buy in).
6. Good Writing is Really Good Editing: Bad writers just stopped too soon.
7. Write Right to Sell More: The right words at the right time deliver the goods.
 
To create these webinars, McDaniel drew on her background as a journalist. “Business writing is more fun to write and more interesting to read when you borrow unconventional writing tips from journalists,” she adds. “We have to write fast and engage readers every day, and we’ve come up with creative ways to make that happen.”
 
According to McDaniel, most people fear or dread writing because it takes them so long to come up with a finished product. She shares seven of her favorite tricks of the trade to double writing speed and triple effectiveness:
 
1. Dash off drafts. Don’t worry about the quality of the first draft. Ninety-nine percent of writers produce awful first drafts. Write it fast and make it better later.
2. Write in the dark. Turn off computer monitors to stop nitpicking first drafts. Separate the writing and editing process, which speeds up the writing and spurs on the creativity.
3. Mark the spot with xxx. Can’t think of the right word? Type xxx and keep writing. Don’t waste time pondering—the right word will come to mind during the editing process.
4. Brainstorm for buried treasure. The human brain is busy coming up with solutions and ideas. The key is to tap into them, and brainstorming can do that. It’s the perfect antidote to fear and dread.
5. Borrow from Hemingway. At the end of a writing session, finish working mid-paragraph to avoid starting from scratch during the next writing session.
6. Get out of Dodge. Take breaks. Switch from laptop to paper and pen. Write in a café. The brain gets lazy when it gets in a rut (like sitting at a desk all day) but starts firing like a pinball machine when it gets out of Dodge.
7. Imitate to Innovate. Deconstruct favorite articles and blogs, books and proposals. Study how the piece starts, finishes, and everything in between. Writers and artists have practiced this for centuries. Learn technique and mimic greatness until it feels natural.
 
McDaniel urges everyone to breathe new life into their business writing. “These techniques are so easy you can start writing faster, stronger, better by this afternoon,” she says. “And the Grab ‘N’ Go Webinar series includes dozens more tools and techniques to ensure your success.”
 
Contact :
Lynda McDaniel
Association for Creative Business Writing
Walnut Creek, CA
925-465-1831