Writing is a great tool for speakers, helping them work out messages whether they intend to deliver from a script or not.
Yet, many presenters aren't eager to dive into writing. They see it as a skill in which they're lacking or hard work they'd rather not have to do.
It's possible to use AI for a bit of help or speak your thoughts and have them transcribed.
But we're still fans of the old-fashioned struggle to improve our ability to put words on the page. We see that it's valuable for helping speakers find their unique point of view and working out what they really think and want to say.
Writing doesn't have to be perfect (what is?) in order to be effective for others and useful to you. If you're looking for a book or website to help in your process, here are a few we've liked to use:
Help! for Writers: 210 Solutions to the Problems Every Writer Faces
by Roy Peter Clark
Why we like it:
Clark provides short units and exercises organized around types of problems, giving you the option to dive in wherever you think you can use a little extra work.
Woe is I: A Grammarphobe's Guide to Better English in Plain English
by Patricia T. O'Conner
Why we like it:
You can read cover to cover and enjoy (yes, really!) or you can search out the answers you need. O'Conner is not a stuffy guardian of the rules. Instead, she uses fun examples and helps you understand both how and why a rule works.
Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life
by Anne Lamott
Why we like it:
You don't have to be an aspiring novelist to appreciate Lamott's guidance. She'll help you get started, see your way through, and realize everyone who writes is facing similar struggles: It's not just you!
Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die
by Chip Heath and Dan Heath
Why we like it:
The Heath brothers explore the qualities that make a message break through the noise and why we can remember some things we read, yet struggle to remember others. Helpful for both writers and speakers when you're getting a message together that you want others to grab onto.
A website with free games, lessons, tips, and videos to help writers brush up on the mechanics, with a section dedicated just to business writing.
