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How does “writing holiday in Italy” sound?
I need your help.
I don’t know what it is about writing promotional material for things that I’m working on or services I offer. The normal flow of words dries up to a trickle. My mind turns to sludge. I feel like I’m wading through treacle.
Thank heavens I’m running the upcoming writing workshop with freelance writer and former journalist Emma Bird, because she’s been able to turn her hand to a lot of the copy and kept me right on things we could, should and are doing to get the word out about Absorbing Writing.
Even so, the effort to draft adverts and listings, to send out the odd Facebook message, to e-mail friends, colleagues, clients, people I used to work with - well it’s felt like just that. Effort. Hard work.
I’ve been trying to fathom what makes it so hard for me. It’s something to do with a fear of bugging people, of being too pushy, of breaking rapport. (Of course I know you can take this too far in the opposite direction.) It’s something to do with the difference in tone from writing a blog post, which is now my natural and preferred style of writing. And something to do with my former work.
It was an e-mail conversation with Emma that gave me that ‘aha’ moment. As a former journalist she’s used to being on the receiving end of (a lot of) pr material and press releases. She’s used to the format and style, knows what’s expected and works. Whereas my experience of sending out press releases was writing them to explain a new government initiative from my days in the civil service.
We had to pore over them to make sure that every word was right. A press officer would suggest something that would be make it a bit more media friendly and we’d agonise over whether it could be justified, if we could back it up, if there was a risk it could be misinterpreted. Caution was our watchword. (Those who think governments only spin might find this hard to believe I know.)
And most times us mere officials (not the politicians) half hoped the press release would be ignored - ‘cos press coverage often meant a lot more hassle, more explanations, defensive work to deal with the counter-reaction.
And I suddenly realised that those negative associations have carried over with me - even to promoting something as value-adding as a writing workshop and holiday in Italy.
The ways I’ve got round my barriers this week have been to:
- write for just one reader (works for most writing blocks)
- make the writing as conversational as possible
- focus on the positive benefits of what we’re promoting
- soften the ‘here’s what we’re doing’ message with a ‘can you help spread the word’ request
- make it clear how people can do just that
Which brings me back to the headline question (in case you were wondering), because this is one of the ways you can help.
Emma and I can’t quite decide if “writing workshop” or “writing holiday” sounds better. “Writing workshop” is what we’re going to be doing, but “writing holiday” sounds more relaxing, more appealing. Then again if I’m in sleety Edinburgh in January and read about a “writing workshop in sun-drenched Sardinia” I’ve got a pretty good idea that I’m going to get a nice holiday out of it too…
What do you think?
There are three other things you could do to help:
- Pass the information on to anyone you think might be interested
- Share any brilliant ideas you have about ways to spread the word on this kind of holiday-workshop
- Let me know how you’ve dealt with your gremlins about writing your own pr - I’m sure there’s a way through this for me, and I’d love to learn how
Absorbing Writing is a four-day writing workshop, taking place in Alghero (Sardinia, Italy) in October 2008.
Click here for more information. Confident Writing readers would be most welcome to join us.
Joanna Young, The Confident Writing Coach
Because our words count
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Mmmm . . . writing holiday . . . nice . . .
I have a hard time writing the promotional stuff because it’s something that I hate reading. My inner skeptic always kicks in and I read these promotional, sales-pitch-type things with one mental eyebrow cocked with sarcasm. Which makes WRITING it pretty tricky!
In other words, I’m no help whatsoever for the PR stuff. (grin)
It’s just like when I write fiction–when I read, I sort of kind of mostly skim past the descriptions of places. So, when it comes time for me to write descriptive passages, my mind comes to a screeching halt. Dialogue, the story, stuff like that isn’t an excessive problem (usually), but the “The house was a big, white monster with shutters angling crazily across the windows like angry eyebrows” kind of thing is always tough for me.
–Deb I feel better to know I’m in such good company
I don’t write fiction myself but as I reader I skim past loads (and loads). I’m wondering why you need to write it if readers don’t like reading it? (I guess could apply same question to pr, hmmm…)
Although I liked your angry eyebrows sentence
Joanna
How about Writing Holiday Workshop? Has a certain ring to it.
I’m with you on PR; I don’t enjoy feeling like I’m bugging people. The best way to avoid that, I guess, is to always have something meaningful to say. And in your case, Joanna, I’m sure that will be the case!
Brad, I like the mixture too, which is maybe why I was finding it hard to choose.
Interesting that a number of us share the fear of ‘bugging’ people. It’s one of the reasons I like blogging, it’s based on a choice to read my stuff, if I witter on too much people can easily go elsewhere. I suppose the same is true of other promotional stuff - it just feels a bit more like ‘look at me’ which is the bit I’m not comfortable with…
Joanna
Well Joanna you had me at “holiday!” I am starving for a vacation so may have been especially attuned to holiday but writing holiday has my vote. As far as PR I am not good at self-promotion and it’s something I have been actively working to overcome. A great solution - hire someone to do it for you. I will help spread the word about the writing holiday workshop and hopefully I can be there to exercise my inner muse while soaking in the sun.
Karen
Karen, thanks for the vote for holiday. Emma will be happy.
I’m interested in your comment - I did actually have ‘words for hire’ running through my head over the last couple of days, partly thinking of you but also thinking that I could do this a heck of a lot easier if I was writing it for someone else. When I have a really fat budget I’ll be sure and come to you!
Thanks for spreading the word for us.
It would be fabulous if you could come… if not this time, maybe another - I’m hoping this will be the first of many…
Joanna
Joanna
Writing holiday gets my vote:-) It’s currently t-shirt weather so after doing the shopping today, I wandered back home barefoot along the beach. I might live here but that doesn’t stop me from feeling like I’m on holiday.
I enjoyed this post but had to laugh because you’re a genius when it comes to getting the word out naturally. And that comes back to authentic writing and writing as who you are - which you do perfectly.
But one thing I do have to say: goverment media releases are the most boring thing ever. No wonder you hated writing them. I hated reading them.
Emma
Emma, I still find it hard to believe that it’s as warm as you say it is. We’re deep in the heart of winter here and each day it’s just a question of pulling on as many layers as possible to keep warm.
Thanks for your comments about my natural style, it’s what I enjoy most too, let’s hope that the world keeps moving in this direction and I can make my fortune teaching others how to adjust their PR-speak to authentic writing!
Joanna
PS Looks like writing holiday is winning the vote
I love it! Sounds like a working & learning vacation as we say in the states. To me, I love the rommantic sound of writing holiday…but I have to honest that I would be likely to register and pay for a writing workshop. I think it’s because writing holiday sounds like friends going off together to live somewhere for a while and get inspired to write. Workshop makes it clearer to me that I would have a leader and teacher and the focus would be on learning and getting feedback with a little holiday on the side. If I were looking for a learning experience, I think I’d more like click through on the workshop. If I were looking for a vacation, I’d click through on Holiday.
I hope this helps! I will figure out a way to promote this on my blog, though it doesn’t really fit with my blog topic of organizing…does it? hmm…there’s gotta be a way… : )
Hmm Ariane, maybe we’d better describe it as writing vacation too…
I think we’re probably going to end up using both - maybe it’s because I’m more puritanical but I quite like the idea of the workshop “with a bit of holiday on the side”!
Will get back to you properly with thoughts on relationship between organising, clutter and writing because I think there are some really interesting connections there that it would be fun to explore.
For just now what I’d say is that words = stuff. We need to be able to organise and categorise our words so that meaning, power, impact can flow through them - and connect with our readers. Doing that will make our writing more absorbing, for the reader - and happy day - also for ourselves.
How did I do?
Joanna
That’s an interesting angle…I thought of another one too…if your workshop contains tips for writers to organize their work…I could use that!
Ariane - it’s a good angle, but I’m afraid it would be for a different workshop! Maybe one we can run together some day
Joanna
How writing helps to shift our focus
One of the things I notice about writing every day is that helps to shift my focus. When the ‘big picture’ threatens to overwhelm we can use our words to shift back down to the here and now, paying attention