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“Real Entrepreneurs Don’t Go It Alone” – a keynote address written in April for a Dayton-area client – drew upon a local historical event to anchor the opening and closing remarks. One entrepreneur attending the event rushed up afterward, greeted the speaker and said, “You made me feel like an astronaut!” Here are two excerpts […]

Try making it personal. Start with a story. This is how I engaged my audience last week with a speech about speech giving — tips on how to “woo, win and wow!! your next audience”: I’ll never forget the advice I got decades ago from one of my crusty old journalism professors during my first newspaper […]

“First Things First: Together We Can Make an Impact on Education,” a client speech written last year, won a national Award of Excellence in the APEX 2012 Awards for Publication Excellence competition in category 101: Speech & Script Writing. Here are the opening and closing remarks. EXCERPT (SPEECH OPENING) Let me tell you a true […]

Think about the last story you wrote. Did you get a bunch of high-fives? Did you hear things like, “Wow – thanks! That was such a great story!” Or did you hear absolutely nothing? If so, that can be telling. Perhaps the problem lies in how you interview your sources. 1. Do you settle for […]

I’m often asked, “What are the most common errors you see people make when they write?” Here are the top three I’ve run across repeatedly this week. Goof 1: Writing “it’s” when you really mean “its” (or vice versa) Remember: The word “it’s” is a contraction for “it is.” And the word “its” is the […]

Getting ready to interview a hesitant or harried source for your company’s or client’s next big story? Job 1 is creating the right environment so your source feels comfortable sharing information. Here are 13 ways to create a good rapport with your story sources – right upfront. 1. Tell a source you simply want to […]

What were they thinking? Change a quote by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., one of the most revered activists, writers and orators of the 20th century? The deed is done, but many are calling for it to be undone. Here’s what chiselers of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington inscribed on the north […]

Want to write more speeches for existing clients? Want to get new speechwriting clients? Serendipity is only part of it, according to Sandra Yin, a writer based in Maryland and a colleague of mine. Sandra recently interviewed me and four other speechwriters from across the United States and in the United Kingdom about how to break into […]

My colleague and I left a bit exuberant after a three-hour meeting with a client Friday. We’d wanted to map out an initial strategy for this year’s direct-mail campaign – and we left with that in hand and much more. It was one of those meetings where idea after idea came flowing, and each person’s […]

Check out Ask the Editor FAQ at AP Stylebook Online. It’s fast and easy to browse through the sampling of frequently asked questions, with examples of AP style used in answers. The online Associated Press Stylebook is the A-Z guide to usage, spelling and punctuation for writers and editors. Ask the Editor FAQ gives you the straight […]