Brilliant Ink intern Cyrus here, and it seems almost comical that my second post is also going to be my last, as the time for me to return to school is fast approaching. My stay with Brilliant Ink was a fantastic place to learn, and they definitely know the communications industry. One of the things I had to learn in this industry was writing for businesses as opposed to writing for fun or for me.

Writing for a business obviously entails some stylistic changes from the writing I would normally do for, say, a short story. No swearing, no colloquialisms (typically), and a more or less established tone ranging from serious to ...]]> Hi all,

Brilliant Ink intern Cyrus here, and it seems almost comical that my second post is also going to be my last, as the time for me to return to school is fast approaching. My stay with Brilliant Ink was a fantastic place to learn, and they definitely know the communications industry. One of the things I had to learn in this industry was writing for businesses as opposed to writing for fun or for me.

Writing for a business obviously entails some stylistic changes from the writing I would normally do for, say, a short story. No swearing, no colloquialisms (typically), and a more or less established tone ranging from serious to semi-casual depending on the company. And then there are variations within the category; you would look like an uptight suit if you used the same tone as a formal business document in a blog or a newsletter going out to customers.

Some businesses also go for different tones. For example, a younger tech company might want something more conversational and friendly to market themselves to a customer, while a pharmaceutical company may want to adopt a more formal attitude. It wasn’t like I could flip on “business mode” and be set, it was more like fine-tuning a radio knob to get what the client wanted.

Of course, if you’ve been involved with this industry for a while now you probably have an intuitive grasp of what a given company needs, but for a newcomer like me with a strong writing background, the challenge of knowing what a client wants and being able to hit it on the head is gratifying, and dare I even say fun? Brilliant Ink had no small part in teaching me how to do this either.

I’ve got one final test of my abilities: This Thursday I’m heading over to 826 Valencia, a nonprofit that teaches literacy skills to kids, to participate in a fundraising Write-a-thon. For every page I write, Brilliant Ink will donate $10 to 826 Valencia. It’s a fitting final exam, I think, for the end of my Brilliant internship. Care to sponsor me as well? Send us an email at info@brilliantink.net.

This insightful quote comes from a recent PC World article about whether the web is dumbing us down. We’ve all heard the argument that in this world of webisodes and Tweet-sized content, our online attention span is short at best.  But this article asserts – correctly, in my opinion – that while people do skim online content very quickly, they actually spend more time reading content than offline readers once they’ve found something that interests them.

The article goes on to challenge anyone writing online content to ensure everything they’re producing ...]]>

“There is no such thing as an attention span. People have infinite attention if you are entertaining them.” — Jerry Seinfeld

This insightful quote comes from a recent PC World article about whether the web is dumbing us down. We’ve all heard the argument that in this world of webisodes and Tweet-sized content, our online attention span is short at best.  But this article asserts – correctly, in my opinion – that while people do skim online content very quickly, they actually spend more time reading content than offline readers once they’ve found something that interests them.

The article goes on to challenge anyone writing online content to ensure everything they’re producing is interesting, compelling and laid out in a way that is visually interesting. Here at Brilliant Ink, a lot of the content we develop is written for an online audience, so we find ourselves facing this challenge on an almost daily basis. While we certainly try to keep all of our content (online or offline) concise and to-the-point, this is especially important when writing web content. We also focus on using a human tone when drafting online content. We’ve found that one of the best ways to draw in a reader is to speak to them in a conversational, relatable tone – whether discussing an exciting new product launch or a basic compliance issue.

How do you keep your online readers coming back for more? Need some suggestions for holding readers’ interest? Please share your comments and questions below!

Isn’t it exciting when something you’ve poured lots of time and effort into is finally finished and heads out the door for the whole world to see? And it’s even more exciting when that something is changing the world for the better.

That’s why we are so pleased to congratulate the staff at Metta Fund on the launch of their brand new website – not to mention the publication of their first annual report.

Metta Fund is a private foundation on a mission to improve the health of people in the County and City of San Francisco. With the launch of these two important communication vehicles, they are accomplishing their goal of ...]]>

Isn’t it exciting when something you’ve poured lots of time and effort into is finally finished and heads out the door for the whole world to see? And it’s even more exciting when that something is changing the world for the better.

That’s why we are so pleased to congratulate the staff at Metta Fund on the launch of their brand new website – not to mention the publication of their first annual report.

Metta Fund is a private foundation on a mission to improve the health of people in the County and City of San Francisco. With the launch of these two important communication vehicles, they are accomplishing their goal of telling the public about their presence and purpose, and are also able to highlight some of the important work their grantees have accomplished.

Brilliant Ink is thrilled to have been fortunate enough to help Metta Fund  develop their online and annual report content. Please take a moment to check out some of the amazing things that they are making happen at www.MettaFund.org.

-Mark Twain

Hi to everyone, I’m Brilliant Ink’s newest employee Cyrus Amiry. I study communications at NYU, so I’m obviously excited to be here at Brilliant Ink actually doing some legwork. Coming from a writing background, this quote spoke volumes to me.

I find this expression to be especially true when writing or communicating creatively. We’ve all read  sentences where you know what the author is trying to say, but his word choice is simply off, sometimes horrendously so. For example, here’s a cringe-worthy word choice I recently saw in a sentence: “The ...]]> The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.

-Mark Twain

Hi to everyone, I’m Brilliant Ink’s newest employee Cyrus Amiry. I study communications at NYU, so I’m obviously excited to be here at Brilliant Ink actually doing some legwork. Coming from a writing background, this quote spoke volumes to me.

I find this expression to be especially true when writing or communicating creatively. We’ve all read  sentences where you know what the author is trying to say, but his word choice is simply off, sometimes horrendously so. For example, here’s a cringe-worthy word choice I recently saw in a sentence: “The match conflagrated with luminous intensity.”

Holy Batman, that’s painful to read. When a writer attempts to use overly grandiose vocabulary to enhance his writing, his audience can perceive him as being melodramatic and juvenile. In the example above, we know what the author is trying to communicate, but a simpler sentence will do the job without making it sound like it came from a high school creative writing piece.  Doesn’t “the match burned brightly” make more sense? I’d say so. The simpler version also sounds better.  Knowing big words is nice, but there’s a high probability that  a simpler one can get the job done just as well without raising eyebrows.

Unfortunately, the difference between an inviting sentence and a garbled or pointlessly bombastic sentence may not be so easy to spot, even for a competent writer. A sentence could seem perfectly fine to your own eyes, but when someone else takes a look and offers a different word the sentence is miraculously ten times more evocative. For example, there is a world of subtle, yet meaningful difference between “he looked at him with a side glance” and “he looked at him askance.” Some words simply convey more than others, which is great food for thought for all creative writers – whether you’re writing a novel or a corporate email.

I’ve been looking for a little last minute inspiration, and I recently rediscovered a list of funny sayings spotted on signs at marathons (courtesy of the SF Marathon training program weekly emails). They reminded me of two valuable lessons that are always useful for communicators:

1) When you’re trying to get someone’s attention, a little humor can go a long way.
2) Creative writing can be found in the most unexpected places, even on spectator signs.

Check out some of my favorite motivational signs:

• “Your feet hurt ...]]> I’ve got running on the brain right now, and for good reason.  I’ll be running the San Francisco marathon this weekend. The nerves are definitely kicking in!

I’ve been looking for a little last minute inspiration, and I recently rediscovered a list of funny sayings spotted on signs at marathons (courtesy of the SF Marathon training program weekly emails). They reminded me of two valuable lessons that are always useful for communicators:

1) When you’re trying to get someone’s attention, a little humor can go a long way.
2) Creative writing can be found in the most unexpected places, even on spectator signs.

Check out some of my favorite motivational signs:

• “Your feet hurt because you are kicking so much butt!”
• “Your legs will forgive you…eventually.”
• “Don’t stop — people are watching.”
• “It’s not sweat, it’s your fat cells crying.”
• “If it was easy, I would do it.”
• “Run like you stole something.”
• “This is easier than labor and delivery.”
• “You’re not slow. You’re just enjoying the course.”
• “Don’t worry, toenails are overrated.”
• “Run like someone’s chasing you.”
• “It’ll feel better when it stops hurting.”
• “Mortuary ahead….look alive!”

Well, it seems the folks at AP finally heeded our call. Earlier this week, the AP Stylebook announced it was officially changing the rule – changing “Web site” to “website” – in response to reader feedback. The change went into effect immediately on Stylebook Online and ...]]> Back in December 2008, we lamented the annoying AP Stylebook rule about how to properly write “Web site.” This seems to be a huge point of contention for many in our industry. I’ve heard it come up in conversation countless times, and when teaching a writing course that includes a section on AP Style, several people have told me this is their biggest pet peeve.

Well, it seems the folks at AP finally heeded our call. Earlier this week, the AP Stylebook announced it was officially changing the rule – changing “Web site” to “website” – in response to reader feedback. The change went into effect immediately on Stylebook Online and will appear in the 2010 book that comes out next month.

Apparently, I’m not the only one who thinks this is a big deal. Dozens of people I follow on Twitter mentioned it, and it was one of the most popular topics on Mashable, a major tech industry blog. Poynter Online even did a nice round-up of various reporters’ take on the news.

What do you think?  Are you happy about the change to “website”? What other AP Stylebook rules irk you most?

April is National Poetry Month, and while you may think we’ve had our fill of commemorating special months on the Brilliant Blog, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to share a favorite poem. The quote above is from author/poet/free spirit Jim Harrison, who has been referred to as a “force of nature.” He’s written several novels and may be best known for his novella Legends of the Fall, which was turned into a feature film starring Brad Pitt, but he considers himself a poet first. His writing is spare, powerful and haunting. Below is the poem “Barking” (from ...]]> “I was a dog on a short chain and now there’s no chain.” — Jim Harrison, “Barking”

April is National Poetry Month, and while you may think we’ve had our fill of commemorating special months on the Brilliant Blog, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to share a favorite poem. The quote above is from author/poet/free spirit Jim Harrison, who has been referred to as a “force of nature.” He’s written several novels and may be best known for his novella Legends of the Fall, which was turned into a feature film starring Brad Pitt, but he considers himself a poet first. His writing is spare, powerful and haunting. Below is the poem “Barking” (from the book In Search of Small Gods) in its entirety - one of my favorites.

Barking

by Jim Harrison

In the mood to explore more poetry? Check out the Poetry Foundation. Have a favorite poem you want to share? Tell us about it in the comment section below.

@lizkelly

I also thought about one of my favorite political activists and social figures, Eleanor Roosevelt. I highly recommend her old newspaper column, My Day, published from 1936-1962.

Instead I’d like to dedicate this blog to someone who is ...]]> There are so many women who inspire me that I found myself agonizing about writing this blog entry. Of course because writing is such a big part of what we do at Brilliant Ink, I thought of two of my favorite authors, Jane Austen and Zora Neale Hurston. Both of these women broke new ground and challenged stereotypes of the day, with beautifully crafted novels that draw you in with engaging and inspiring characters.

I also thought about one of my favorite political activists and social figures, Eleanor Roosevelt. I highly recommend her old newspaper column, My Day, published from 1936-1962.

Instead I’d like to dedicate this blog to someone who is even more inspiring to me: my mom.

I recently became a mother myself and this experience revealed to me, to an even greater extent, just how amazing my own mom is. I could go on about all the reasons I admire her, but I’ll focus on a couple of practical things (and one of them won’t be her fabulously yummy lasagna).

Kill ‘em with kindness. This is something my mom said to me at least 500,000 times, and it is probably the best piece of advice I’ve ever received. When I was a kid, my mom said that the best way to deal with someone who was being difficult was to use this approach. If someone is nasty to you, be doubly sweet to him or her. Not only is it extremely effective in helping you get your point across, but it is a great way to needle your opponent! The secondary message from my mom was that if someone was being unkind, it was probably because something else was going on in his or her life to make them act this way. It’s a simple message of understanding and forgiveness.

Work hard. My mom was a model example of working hard. She worked at a variety of jobs to support our family, and I rarely remember her complaining about it. Then she would come home, make dinner, clean the house, and most importantly make time to be a great mom to me and my brother. I have a new appreciation for working moms now that I am one myself – it’s stressful and wonderful all at the same. All of the things she did to balance the necessities of earning a paycheck while still making  her kids feel like they were the most important thing in the world inspires me to keep going every day.

Read everything. This is something I also saw my mom model from the day I was born. She reads everything. And I mean everything. Several months ago, she sent an email to me about the Hadron Collider, well before it was all over the news. I won’t explain what it is (you can follow the link if you want), but let’s just say it’s something you wouldn’t expect a retired mom in rural Indiana to know a lot about. And she instilled a love of reading in me from an early age. Every week, we went to the library and loaded up on new books. Every night, she would read to my brother and me. The point here is that there is so much out there to learn about, if you take the time to just read. It’s safe to say that the reason I am a writer and communicator is because my mom taught me to love words.

Here’s to all of the women who inspire us – and a special shout out to my favorite lady, Sandy Horn. You rock, Mom.

@janni10

Me and my awesome mom.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved writing. And that passion was certainly inspired in no small part by Anne Frank. I read the Diary of Anne Frank when I was 13 years old – around the same age of its eponymous author.  Of course, I was moved by the story of a young girl and her family as they hid from the Nazis and were eventually captured. But more than that, I was inspired by the words of a young girl who used writing as ...]]> Here on the Brilliant Blog, we are commemorating Women’s History Month by sharing our thoughts on some of the women who inspire us.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved writing. And that passion was certainly inspired in no small part by Anne Frank. I read the Diary of Anne Frank when I was 13 years old – around the same age of its eponymous author.  Of course, I was moved by the story of a young girl and her family as they hid from the Nazis and were eventually captured. But more than that, I was inspired by the words of a young girl who used writing as a way to escape and express her often confusing feelings. I couldn’t relate to the persecution and fear Anne experienced, but I could certainly relate to her feelings of both love and frustration toward her family, the excitement of young romance, and her passion for writing. After reading it, I even went out and bought my own diary, and gave it a name, as Anne did.

In her diary, Anne expressed her desire to be a writer – “to be useful or bring enjoyment to all people, even those I’ve never met…to go on living even after my death!”  Tragically, she was never able to fulfill her dream of becoming a journalist or novelist, but there’s no question her writing has brought enjoyment and inspiration to millions.

My favorite excerpt from the Diary of Anne Frank – especially poignant for those of us who share Anne’s love of writing:

“I finally realized that I must do my schoolwork to keep from being ignorant, to get on in life, to become a journalist, because that’s what I want! I know I can write …, but it remains to be seen whether I really have talent …

And if I don’t have the talent to write books or newspaper articles, I can always write for myself. But I want to achieve more than that. I can’t imagine living like Mother, Mrs. van Daan and all the women who go about their work and are then forgotten. I need to have something besides a husband and children to devote myself to! … I want to be useful or bring enjoyment to all people, even those I’ve never met. I want to go on living even after my death! And that’s why I’m so grateful to God for having given me this gift, which I can use to develop myself and to express all that’s inside me! When I write I can shake off all my cares. My sorrow disappears, my spirits are revived! But, and that’s a big question, will I ever be able to write something great, will I ever become a journalist or a writer?”