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Catalyst News and Views from AnnA
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Welcome to the latest news, tips and tools from the creativity and
personal development worlds. I hope you find things here to inspire,
amuse and stimulate you into exploring your inner and outer worlds.
To your continuing growth and creativity - AnnA Rushton
In this issue
- Writing for Business
- Meditation at Sea
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Writing for Business
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Not all writing is fiction, and it is my belief that some of the
most difficult creative writing lies in making non-fiction
attractive and readable. As so many people now run their own
business, whether large or small, it is vital to understand the role
that PR plays in any business success. That means we need to write
to promote our business but often don’t know where to start. I
recently was sent a book for review that makes that whole process
easy.
Antonia Chitty knows all about PR as she is the founder of ACPR, a
consultancy which specialises in helping business owners promote
their own company. Ideal for entrepreneurs and those just starting
their own business it is an ideal guide on how to write press
releases, articles and web material in a straightforward fashion
with real life examples to spur you on. It’s not lots of theory, but
practical exercises to get you writing and show you how to develop
your own press pack and get media coverage as well.
A Guide to Promoting Your Business is packed with examples and
resources and if you invest just 15 minutes a day in carrying out
the specified tasks it will focus you towards writing and business
success. The book costs £15.00 and is available direct from her
website at www.acpr.co.uk or from www.amazon.co.uk If you prefer the
human touch, then pop to your local bookshop and order it by the
ISBN number which is 978-0955534508.
To find out more about AnnA's work contact:
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email: AnnA@creativecatalyst.co.uk
web: http://www. annarushton.co.uk
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Catalyst News and Views from AnnA
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Welcome to the latest news, tips and tools from the creativity and
personal development worlds. When the weather is so glorious, and I
hope it still is like that wherever you are, then it's harder to
focus on anything much so in this issue I want to offer you some
quick exercises that won't keep you out of the sun too long. Of
course if you want to sit in the shade with a long cool drink and
your notepad to take your time over it, I certainly won't complain.
To your continuing growth and creativity - AnnA
IN THIS ISSUE
Effective communication - Part One
Creative Inspiration
Short Story without an End?
Online with AnnA
Creative Coffee Break Exercises
EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION - Part One
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George Bernard Shaw once said, "The problem with communication ...
is the illusion that it has been accomplished." For me the
definition of communication is not what I am saying, but what people
hear and understand from what I am saying. When I am talking to an
audience, or writing an article, or book then my aim is to pass on
information, tips and tools that I have learned that can make life
easier. Whether it's news on health, developments in personal
potential or ways to approach creativity what I intend to do is
provide a spark that will catalyse people into action.
How effectively I do that depends on several things. First, am I
using the appropriate language for the audience I speaking to? This
is often the first hurdle that people fall at and it is because we
tend to use the 'voice' we are most comfortable with. Two examples
of where this can cause problems, either in speaking or writing, are
first academics who are used to lecturing - that is imparting facts
to help students gain knowledge and ultimately pass their exams. I
have worked with a number of academics who have been writing a book
on their subject and it is clear that they are still writing in
their 'lecturing voice', which is neither intimate or friendly or
leads the non-academic audience to feel included. The second example
is one we are perhaps more familiar with and that is anyone in a
technical field who uses the jargon and language of their expertise
when speaking to a general audience. Computers are a good example of
that, and I have lost count of the number of technical manuals I
have read that simply do not make sense. Either because they have
been literally and badly translated from the original language or
because they have written by someone to who geekspeak is their first
and primary language and they genuinely have no idea that it is not
understood by the majority of their audience.
The solution? I tell all my creativity clients that in order to
communicate easily and naturally the best way to do that is not to
'write' or 'lecture' but communicate in exactly the same way you
would with a friend or colleague. That is simply, clearly and with
interest and passion for your subject. Try it, and you will find
that it works. Oh, and how do you know you have communicated
successfully? Your audience will tell you so, either in words or
gestures and they will show from their response just exactly what
they have understood. In my latest book on overcoming
procrastination I have a couple of great quotes from readers. My
intention was to help people move out of procrastination and into
action so my criteria for success are whether they heard that and
acted on it. This quote from a reader tells me I was successful.
"Drat you! That book is beginning to change my life. I have just
cleared out the coat cupboard, reduced seven baskets of clutter down
to three. This can't go on!" So thank you Freda from Chichester, I
do think you and I communicated!
I will look at the only seven words we need to truly understand each
other in part two of effective communication in the next issue.
CREATIVE INSPIRATION
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Elwyn Brooks White (1899-1985) was the author of the classic
children's story 'Charlotte's Web' and as we have been talking about
communication I thought it might inspire you to let yourself escape.
"All writing is communication; creative writing is communication
through revelation-- it is the Self-escaping into the open." ~
E.B.White
SHORT STORY WITHOUT AN END?
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One question that often comes up from my creativity clients is that
they get stuck on finishing their story. They set off with great
enthusiasm and then somehow it tails off and they are not happy with
the ending they have given it. Presuming you have read your free
'Creative Blocks and Barriers' report that you were sent when
joining Catalyst News, and none of the methods of getting in your
own way seem appropriate, then it might be time to look at your
characters.
A short story is actually, in my opinion, harder to write than a
novel because you really have to stay focused and keep the writing
tight. Within those few pages you have to have a clear plot, a
beginning, middle and strong ending with characters who are engaging
and interesting. This perversely can be one of the problems, your
characters are so interesting you get carried away with their
development, give them lots of dialogue and lose sight of the fact
that they have to be setting up their own story ending. If you spend
so much time in the middle of your story, or on setting up the
situation at the beginning, then the end can get lost. Of course you
as the writer have decided on the ending in advance, haven't you? If
the answer to this is no, then that could be one of your problems.
You can't successfully set out for a specific destination if you
don't know in advance where it is. If you have decided that your
ending is for the main characters to emigrate and leave their
families behind then you must have those characters setting that up
during the middle of your story. If you spring it as the solution at
the end it can seem unfinished, or even a little weak. You must get
right inside your characters heads so you know what they are
thinking, then your writing can 'show' the plot development and not
'tell' it in overmuch explanation and detail. That way your ending
will be as strong as you can make it .
ONLINE WITH ANNA
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I am a great believer in writing as regularly as you can, and
sometimes life gets in the way. Once discipline I have adopted is to
write a blog, or online diary, at least three times a week. It's
easier to find that five minutes for an inject of self expression
than it can be to clear the decks for more in-depth writing and I do
recommend it. If you want to catch up with my creative meanderings
then visit the site at http://catalystonline.wordpress.com/ and those
of you who subscribe to my Healthy Newsletter will recognise the
post about statins. I felt this was a subject that needed the widest
possible audience because of the health implications of their
widespread use, but if you look at the previous posts you will learn
more possibly than you ever wanted to know about my love of cats and
chocolate.
If you want to set up your own blog, then the two most popular, easy
and free providers are www.bloghi.com and www.blogger.com
CREATIVE COFFEE BREAK EXERCISES
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How did you get on with the exercises in the last newsletter? Still
trying to remove the plasticine or playdoh from under your
fingernails or have you turned that opening phrase of "Sitting by
the fire, he heard the outside door open and as he looked up ..."
into a novel or a play yet? If you haven't had time, then perhaps it
would be an idea to keep a separate exercise book or folder and
print off the exercises each time on a separate page so you have
them to play with whenever you feel like being creative, or have a
little spare time.
This time I would like to suggest a creative exercise in two parts.
First look through your music collection and find something you are
very fond of and that evokes strong memories and feelings for you.
Play it while you sit upright in a chair, very relaxed, or even
lying down, if it is a short track and you have a repeat mode then
set it for that as you want to be listening for at least five
minutes. As you hear the music, let it come right into your body,
sink into it and let your mind create a movie of the
feelings/memories and experiences that come up. Or, just let
yourself imagine something new, a scene that would fit that music.
After five minutes, without any distractions go straight to your
notepad or computer and write down your impressions. Straight off
with no editing or hesitating. Whatever you have written, put it
aside and go back to it no less than 24 hours later and see what you
think of it. What insights does it give you, what ideas does it
raise as to how you might use that material?
The second part of the exercise involves you going to a record
store, or some libraries have this facility, where you can listen to
music before buying it. The exercise is to go straight to a style of
music you normally don't listen to, so if never buy jazz, opera, or
classical music for example then that's where you would head. Pick a
couple of things out and listen to a couple of tracks. You may love
it or hate it, what I want you to do is just observe how the music
makes you feel,, what don't you like and what the difference is
between that and your favourite music. It's all about observation on
a deeper level, so just be aware, make notes and use that
information as part of your creative process.
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Enjoy your creativity and let it flow!
To find out more about AnnA's work contact:
email: AnnA@creativecatalyst.co.uk
web: http://www.annarushton.co.uk
