Can a Comic Strip Teach You to Be a Better Writer in a Day?
By Tom Chandler on Jun 16, 2007 in Copywriting
Were you expecting a comic strip? This is better.
Scott Adams spells out the lessons he learned in a one-day business writing class. And just so you don’t waste a day learning it, he gives us the short course:
I went from being a bad writer to a good writer after taking a one-day course in “business writing.†I couldn’t believe how simple it was. I’ll tell you the main tricks here so you don’t have to waste a day in class.
Business writing is about clarity and persuasion. The main technique is keeping things simple. Simple writing is persuasive. A good argument in five sentences will sway more people than a brilliant argument in a hundred sentences. Don’t fight it.
I admit it. I kept waiting for the punchline, but the joke was largely on me:
Your first sentence needs to grab the reader. Go back and read my first sentence to this post. I rewrote it a dozen times. It makes you curious. That’s the key.
Write short sentences. Avoid putting multiple thoughts in one sentence. Readers aren’t as smart as you’d think.
Damn. He gets it. I’ll bet he makes $30K a month too. If only I could draw.
Keep writing, Tom Chandler
I read Scott’s post and thought exactly the same as you. Damn.
He’s a smart cookie. He captured the essence of copywriting in one short post. Thankfully it’s not as easy as he makes it sound. Is it?
Roland Head | Jun 16, 2007 | Reply
It’s not that easy. There’s all that “secret” stuff we do (The Secret Swedish Mind Control Stuff).
He couldn’t have learned that in a one-day class.
Tom Chandler | Jun 17, 2007 | Reply
Yeah, but is he also “youthful and handsome?” No, I think not.
Roberta Rosenberg, The Copywriting Maven | Jun 17, 2007 | Reply
No, clearly he’s not. But he’s rich, which certainly levels the playing field.
Tom Chandler | Jun 17, 2007 | Reply
Only for the shallow, Tom :=)
Roberta Rosenberg, The Copywriting Maven | Jun 17, 2007 | Reply
He definitely has the right idea. Too bad he didn’t take a class in how to be a funny cartoonist. Every now and then I read a Dilbert strip and I always come out thinking the same thing: WTF?
Mike Sieber | Jun 18, 2007 | Reply
Mike; I’ve had a lot of contact with the corporate world, so I find his stuff hilarious (most of the time).
Tom Chandler | Jun 18, 2007 | Reply
I suppose you’re right. I’m just not in his niche having never worked in the corporate world. I checked out today’s strip just to see if I’ve been missing something, and sure enough, WTF?
Mike Sieber | Jun 18, 2007 | Reply
It’s a little unnerving to think (and for someone to contend) that one can learn how be a professional writer simply by completing a one-day workshop. Yikes! Don’t we already have enough misconceptions stacked against us?
IrreverentFreelancer | Jun 19, 2007 | Reply
In his defense, he just said he learned to be a better business writer — not necessarily a pro.
Words are at the heart of what we do, but they’re far from all of it.
Tom Chandler | Jun 20, 2007 | Reply