Writers: Want To Learn To Fly? Ask A Fish
I was delighted when Jenn Whinnem agreed to write a post for me. A spirited, smart business writer I admire from our interaction on Twitter and various blogs, I’ve come to trust her to deliver well written common sense and honest opinion. Jenn also opened the door for me to engage with the big wide world of public relations writers and professionals. Today she provides uncommon advice for writers of all stripes who need a third-party opinion.
All writers edit, too–at least our own writing. We train ourselves to see this thing we gave birth to as if it were someone else’s, but that’s not always an easy task. So we ask others to review, copyedit, edit, and/or proof our work. New eyes are better eyes. But if self-editing requires you to be somebody else, perhaps you need to get out of the writer mentality all together. Maybe, in order to fly, you have to ask a fish.
When I need to, I usually ask my group of “trusted advisors” to review and even (if they’re feeling generous) edit my piece. They’re also writers, and they do make my writing better: they tighten sentences, select better verbs, cut if necessary, or tell me where to expand. This time, though, I tried something different. I asked a fish how to fly.
I wrote a blog post that I wasn’t entirely sure was meaningful or effective. I needed a reaction to it, but I felt like my friends would take it at face value even if I asked them not to. I needed to know whether someone entirely outside the writing world would read my post and react to it at all. So instead, I sent it to another friend, Pete.
Pete is not a writer. Pete is such a non-writer that sometimes I have to send his emails back to him with a bewildered “what?” in response. He’s a really smart guy (he does something with hedge funds that I will never understand), and he dashes off brief one-line messages to me that often leave out a word or a critical piece of punctuation that renders the idea sort of meaningless. This is just how far outside my normal review group he is.
I sent it to him with the message, “Would you read this and tell me 1) if you get it and 2) if you care?”
The feedback I got was surprisingly insightful. Yes, my hedge fund-managing friend did actually care about the health topic I had written about. He summed it up for me (showing me he understood it) and suggested I cut the entire first paragraph, which I did. And the piece was much better for his advice.
So don’t only ask writers for advice on writing. Ask fish. Heck, ask a bear. You’ll reach new heights for sure.
Photo credit: Vaguely Artistic, courtesy of Flickr, CC 2.0.
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I ain't got no fish. Unplugged. Raw. Waiting for that LOL. You can't tell, can ya?
Soulati | PR I don't always ask - just when I'm unsure of something.
Lady you always get me to "lol"
Soulati | PR Seconded! I don't NEED no fish, lol! Let me stop; I don't have one, but at some point, I'd like to experiment, too.
ShakirahDawud Soulati | PR I've found it so interesting that my partners in crime (so to speak) don't need a fish! Or other birds (let's extend that metaphor). Is it weird that I do?
jennwhinnem Soulati | PR Personally I was just joshin'. I do need one, just too lazy and yes, sometimes too sure of myself to catch and use one. Those are my excuses, anyway...
Been talking writing with a few folks Jenn and realized we can all, even professionals, benefit from a good editor. Is it flattering when someone runs my guest post as is? Sure. But if the critical eye and watchful blog owner helps make my writing BETTER, that's a win for us all. Even the 'designers' or blogger's eye can help; I've had a guest compliment my layout and formatting of a post; just the line breaks, section headers.. all of that improved the flow and readability of the post. Hmm... I've had a friend or two review things, but don't do it that often and I should probably try to trap a fish or catch a bear, see what happens. FWIW.
Trap a fish or catch a bear! 3HatsComm I'm laughing aloud!
jennwhinnem 3HatsComm I know, I'm thinking I'd probably fair better if I tried it the other way around, but where's the fun in that?
3HatsComm "Good editor?" Yes? Did someone just call my name? Lol. Definitely, when I send a post to shonali , it's always gratifying to have her clean things up and apply that format to it that I really do find eminently more readable (although I haven't yet adjusted to implementing it here). IAnd I've edited articles from some of my own guests and they tended to be happy to have that extra pair of eyes. But I never considered sending my work to someone who isn't a writer in name or practice--although, when I think about it, that kind of person is actually a good percentage of the people I'm targeting this blog to!
ShakirahDawud Awww. Thank you. :) I've experienced the same thing, particularly when I was writing for BNET - I learned so much from the way my editor would redline my posts.
I do sometimes send posts to people I trust before publishing, but honestly, that is few and far between. However, I'll sometimes ask my husband to look at my posts. He is so removed from the PR/SM world, that I know that if he gets it, everyone will get it.
Shonali Oh, yeah? Curious, what does he do?
Shonali ShakirahDawud At first it's hard to be edited, we all think we are writers, forget there is almost always room for improvement. Some posts I'm ok not having them read, but there are times on all kinds of projects I need fresh eyes.
ShakirahDawud If I told you, I'd have to kill you. ;) Seriously, though - he works for Da Man. He has a bachelor's in Advertising, and is one of the most creative people I know, not to mention the person I trust the most to cut through the BS.
That's GREAT advice, jennwhinnem ! My husband is my fish - he's always asking me the really great questions that help me 'tighten things up'. Ironically, he doesn't read my blog posts, but I think I have his voice in my head enough to know when to cut the fluff. However, I'm going to continue to expand my reach and send things out for review more often.
LOL about your follow up disclaimer about "Pete"!
EricaAllison How great that you married your fish! And that you've internalized some of what he says. I'm working on that myself.
EricaAllison jennwhinnem I love the idea of having your husband as your fish. Interesting picture, Erica, thanks, heh. But it's true that sometimes our relationships can make for that inner "check" as we're speaking or acting. Writing is no different!
But it's all about me; what do i care what others think? And if you don't get it then I'LL JUST WRITE LOUDER.
Great advice; I have even seen where some bloggers will group together (possibly from different genre's) and review and critique each other's stuff.
I write but I don't necessarily consider myself a writer. Just as I was not interested in English in school somebody might critique the heck out my posts if I sent them to be reviewed because I didn't have 'stuff' in the proper place. Having said that, I'm never against trying to improve so it would be something to consider.
Good to see you Ms Jenn; I know we hang out at a lot of the same places. Best of luck to you on your journey.
bdorman264 I this one of those, the drunker you get the SMARTER you are and the LOUDER you'll type things?
Thanks for weighing in, bdorman264 . I worry about the echo chamber effect - asking for people outside the echo chamber seems to help me sometimes.
bdorman264 Well, you know, we might be self-conscious about blog posts, but when it comes to topicality, relevance of the message, and the mechanics of delivery, I think we only really worry about that when it's something we're hoping to have published by a third party for payment or other "perks."
But you know, if it's "just" a blog post, you may have something in writing louder; it'll certainly get you places you wouldn't otherwise!
Always glad to have you over, Bill.
Thanks for such a gracious intro, Shakirah! I feel like we met on Davina's blog...or at least that was when I noticed your name & followed you on Twitter.
"Pete" would like me to share that when he emails me, he's usually in a hurry, and he hates proofreading. So don't judge him too harshly.
Oh, no wonder! I remember you saying hello, and being so consistently cheerful and in touch. I just basically started following the people you were talking to, like Jayme, Erica, Shonali, and Gini and had my introduction to the glamorous PR lifestyle that way, lol. I did start with Davina's blog, but I met everybody else and engaged them live online through you, and I think if I'd been at their blogs only I may not have developed as much of a rapport as I've been able to with live tweeting. So thank you!
I think I kind of see "Pete" as your secret writer's weapon--the one you use when you need something special. Great idea, Jenn.
ShakirahDawud "Glamorous" PR lifestyle? What are *you* smoking, I'd like some of that, LOL.
Shonali If sales is shiny, and marketing is showy, PR is *glittery*, IMO, lol.
ShakirahDawud ... with a lot of glue behind it to hold that glitter together!
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