Simple Rules for Using Colons and Semicolons

Does the use of semicolons and colons confuse you? You’re in good company. Many people either confuse the two or don’t know how to use them correctly. Semicolons are used between two independent clauses (a group of words that can stand alone and make sense as a complete sentence), while colons follow a complete sentence to set off an example or a list. Of course, we’re talking English grammar here, and there are always additional rules and usages that add some minor challenges for writers. Let’s look at the basics of semicolons and colons.

Semicolons

The most common use of the semicolon is to separate two independent clauses that are not joined by a comma and coordinating conjunction (and, but, for, nor, or, so, or yet).

Comma + conjunction – I had a small dinner party last night, and I served beef tenderloin, wild mushroom bread pudding, and pomegranate/blueberry salad.
Semicolon – Our guest of honor was celebrating his seventieth birthday; the good china and the special menu reminded him of how important he is to us.

Use the semicolon when your sentences are closely linked in importance, but use it sparingly.

The second most common use of the semicolon is in a series of words/phrases that already use commas within each unit in the series.

Example – 2018 has been a busy travel year; I have taken trips to Paris, France; Buenos Aires, Argentina; and Reykjavik, Iceland.

Another time that you use a semicolon is when a transition word or conjunctive adverb (such as however, therefore, consequently, moreover, nevertheless, subsequently) separates two independent clauses.

Example – I share an office at home with my husband; however, we are rarely in the space together.

These transition words are sometimes used in other parts of a sentence, so in that case, you just put commas around them. Use the semicolon only if they separate two complete sentences.

Colons

The colon is not used often and means “that is to say” or “here’s what I mean” (Grammarbook). Use a colon “to introduce an explanation; right before a summary of your point; [and] before a list, or when you mean ‘as an example’” (Owlcation). In these situations, an independent clause precedes the colon.

Example – My bucket list is short: take a train ride through Canada to the West coast and visit several countries in South America.

Notice the full sentence before the colon. It is a common error to use only a partial sentence before a colon, especially after such words as “such as,” “including,” or “for example.”

Incorrect – My printer uses a bevy of ink cartridges, including: cyan, magenta, yellow, gray, and black.
Correct – My printer uses a bevy of ink cartridges, including cyan, magenta, yellow, gray, and black.

Two other common errors are to insert a colon between a verb and its direct object/complement and between a preposition and its object.

Incorrect – The three different colors for Goldendoodles are: white, gold, and black.
Correct – The three different colors for Goldendoodles are white, gold, and black.
Incorrect – Looking out the window, I see beautiful tree colors that consist of: green, orange, red, and brown.
Correct – Looking out the window, I see beautiful tree colors that consist of green, orange, red, and brown.

To correct these errors, simply remove the colon.

You will see colons used in a number of other cases that aren’t related to independent clauses.

After the salutation of a business letter – Dear Mr. Hanson:
Between the hour and minutes – 7:15 a.m.
To separate a Bible chapter and verse – Deuteronomy 3:10
To separate a title and subtitle – A Writer’s Handbook: Style and Grammar
With ratios and proportions – The proportion of cats to dogs is 2:1.
After the headings of a memo – TO:, FROM:, SUBJECT:
In a bibliography between the location and publisher – New York, NY: Adams Press

Neither the semicolon or colon should be overused. Some sources state that in a two to five-page paper two semicolons are the maximum. That is certainly not a hard and fast rule, but for both punctuation marks, use less rather than more. A style manual is a good reference for the use of any punctuation mark; the most important thing is to develop consistency in your usage.

Plaid Swan is a women-owned marketing communications firm operating out of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The firm represents clients across the United States in public relations, media planning, social and digital media, graphic design and strategic planning. Visit us online at PlaidSwan.com or on our social media channels as @PlaidSwan. Lines are meant to be crossed.

August 20, 2018

Letter Writing, A Dying Art: Part Two

What a lot we lost when we stopped writing letters. You can’t reread a phone call. (Liz Carpenter: writer, feminist, reporter, media advisor, speechwriter, political humorist, and public relations expert)

If you are not in business, occasionally you need to write a more formal letter, which acts as a record of your effort to correspond with a company or someone in business. If you are in business, the need for formal letters is a frequent occurrence. If you are familiar with the format of a business letter, work to make the content concise yet still informative, and learn the optional additions to such correspondence, then your letter will do its job and, hopefully, bring positive results.

In Part One we looked at the basic format of a letter, but there are several other points to be made for the format. A formal letter should always be typewritten, but since most people are familiar with using computers, that is almost a moot point. Side margins should be one inch, which is often the default setting on a computer. There are occasions where two-inch margins are used if the letter is unusually short. Also, most information sources suggest using Times New Roman (size 12) or Arial as the preferred fonts. You should not use cute or cursive fonts; they are more difficult to read. Single space each of the paragraphs with a blank space between paragraphs. Finally, print off a copy of your finished letter for your records.

I consider it a good rule for letter-writing to leave unmentioned what the recipient already knows, and instead tell him something new. (Sigmund Freud: neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis)

The content of your letter requires special care. First, writing a letter is made easier if you have an outline prepared. Then think carefully about your purpose and what is necessary to explain that purpose. Consider your audience; tailor your letter specifically to the person(s) that may be reading your correspondence. Next, keep your writing concise, but that doesn’t mean being overly and undiplomatically blunt. Stay professional; always remain polite and avoid veiled threats or slander. The personal pronouns “I” or “you” are acceptable. Use “I” for personal opinions but be careful of using “we” because it commits you and your company to your statements in the letter. Finally, use passive verbs sparingly; it is better to ascribe an action to a particular person or group.

Other additions to a formal letter give the reader important information.

Reference line – the next line after the date, written “Re: (account number, earlier correspondence, etc.)”
Subject line – one extra space after salutation, a brief statement about the nature of the letter content, written “Subject: Insurance ”
Email address and phone – immediately follows typed sender’s name and title.
Initials – one extra space after email and phone; writer’s initials in capital letters and typists’ initials in lower case (e.g., DPR/drr); not used if the writer and typist are the same person.
Enclosure – two lines after sender’s typed name (and email/phone) or initials (sometimes abbreviated to Enc.); written as one of the following:
- Enclosure
- Enclosures: 3
- Enclosures (3)
- Enclosures
- 2 Enclosures
CC or cc (formerly known as “carbon copy,” but now known more as “courtesy copy”) – placed two lines after sender’s typed name or enclosure notice; lists who else will be receiving this letter; may list several people.
S. (postscript) – not used much anymore because the letter can so easily be edited to include the information in the body of the letter.

Example:

1530 West Lake Road
Saginaw, Michigan 48601

July 20, 2018
Re: Account Number 3609241

Dr. Emmett Stork
Saginaw Medical Clinic
300 Saginaw Road
Saginaw, Michigan 48601

Dear Dr. Stork:

Subject: Insurance inquiry

(Introduction and purpose of the letter)

(Specific information explaining the purpose)

(Restatement of purpose)

Sincerely,

Ms. Kimberly Jones, Manager
Jones Services, Inc.
563-907-3401

KAJ/drr

Enclosures: 2

CC: Abraham Moore

Diane Repass is a retired tenured assistant professor
from The University of Dubuque and now a beloved
writer for Plaid Swan Inc. She received her M.A. from
The University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

August 6, 2018

Letter Writing, A Dying Art: Part One

In high school, I took some business classes that proved beneficial in many ways, particularly when it came to landing summer jobs. I took bookkeeping, shorthand, and typing, and the latter included learning formats for correspondence such as letters or memos. Today, keyboarding classes start around fourth grade and are limited to just learning the QWERTY keyboard. Emails have supplanted paper correspondence in many instances, and I wonder if there is any class that still teaches how to write a formal letter. We still need the skills for many situations such as providing a cover letter to a proposal or application (whether it’s online or paper), asking for permission or information, resigning from a job, or presenting a complaint. Some professionals write formal business letters on a regular basis, such as lawyers and bankers, among many others. It is worthwhile to review the format of a formal letter to ensure that your skills are current.

Three formats for a business letter are block, modified block, and semi-block. Block style justifies all content items to the left side of the page; modified block leaves everything except the date and the closing at the left margin, and the date and closing begin at the center point of the page; and semi-block is like modified block except the beginning of each paragraph in the body is indented. For simplicity’s sake, this blog will discuss the most common, a block format. The parts of the letter are the sender’s address, the date, the inside address, the salutation, the body, and the closing.

Sender’s Address: Include this only if you are not using formal letterhead paper. It doesn’t include your name, just the address, and it starts two inches down from the top of the page.

Date: Some writers put the date directly below the sender’s address, but many sources suggest putting one space between the two. Write it out: Month Day, Year (g., July 20, 2018).

Inside Address: Include the name of the recipient, his/her position (g., President, General Manager), the name of the company and that person’s address. Begin with Dr., Mr., Mrs., Miss, or Ms. (if you don’t know if the woman is married or what she prefers as a title). The inside address should have one space between it and the salutation.

Salutation: If you don’t know the person, use the title and last name (g., Dear Ms. Watson:); otherwise, you can use just a first name (e.g., Dear Sue:). Begin the salutation with “Dear” and end with a colon as in the above examples. It is important to find out who will be reading the letter and use a name rather than “Dear Sir/Madam” or “To Whom It May Concern.” Put one space between the salutation and the body of the letter.

Body of the Letter: Most letters have a minimum of three paragraphs – an opening paragraph that states the purpose for writing, a paragraph that explains the purpose with concrete examples, and a closing paragraph that restates the purpose. Double space between paragraphs, and there should be one blank line between the body and the complimentary closing.

Complimentary Closing: The use of the word “Sincerely,” works for most purposes, but you may want to fine tune that to match the tone of the salutation. For example, if you use a first name in the salutation, you may choose to use “Best regards” or “Kind regards.” Capitalize only the first word of the closing and follow the closing with a comma. There are three blank lines before you type in your title (Dr. or Mrs.), name, and position (if you have one) to allow space for a signature.

The basics of letter writing are simple. There are certainly more details that one could include such as the subject line, a copy notation, or an enclosure line. Also, you can include more sender information such as your email or phone number. The use of these and other format suggestions, as well as tips for writing the body of the letter, will be the subject of Part Two.

Sample Letter:

July 23, 2018

Let’s Get Organized

I am not the most organized person, but when I get the notion to organize some part of my life, I am dedicated to the project and love the final results. For example, I might write –

I have a spice drawer and a spice cupboard. There are tall, slender jars, short round plastic containers, and ancient rectangular tin boxes. How do I consolidate and efficiently arrange these spice sources? First, it’s time to replace the rectangular tin boxes; they are so old that they wouldn’t noticeably season any dish anymore. Then I remove the labels from empty spice bottles I’ve saved, empty the short round plastic containers into the tall glass jars and add new labels. Now all my containers are similarly sized and can be organized more easily in my spice cupboard.

This example is the start to an essay that will be organized in process, or sequential, order. When you are writing an article, paper, or blog, it is essential to apply a plan of organization to the body of your work to help your readers digest and remember what you have said. Most writing is organized with chronological, sequential, spatial, topical, or climactic arrangements.

Common Patterns

The most commonly used and known patterns of organization are also the simplest to apply. These include chronological, sequential, and spatial patterns. The chronological organization arranges details as they happen in time, usually from first to last. If you are writing about an event, you would order things as they occurred. Stories and histories follow a chronological order. Sequential arrangements are very similar because they again list details as they should happen in time, but sequential is applied to a process, a step-by-step order, or a description of how something works. Spatial patterns describe things as they appear in a space: top to bottom, right to left, east to west, etc. If I were to describe my now deceased aunt’s vintage kitchen, I would go from her massive enameled stove and move to the right where she had one of the first electric refrigerators and again to the right and her stand-alone sink unit.

Topical and Climactic order

Two other organizational patterns that might apply to papers, articles, and blogs are topical order and climactic order. The application of topical order fits many situations; many call it a catch-all or classification/division organization. It begins with a generalization or broad topic and then follows with equal examples to support that generalization. Maybe you are writing on the types of California wines; you would organize your work by subcategories. You might first divide your topic into blush wines, then white wines, and finally red wines. Under those subcategories, you would write about specific examples of these wines produced in California.

Climactic organization follows a pattern moving from least to most important. It builds up excitement or curiosity as the paper develops. This pattern applies to several specific types of writing. For example, if a cause and effect relationship seems to fit your writing project, then you might order the list of effects in a least-to-most important arrangement. If you are describing the personality traits of a celebrity, you again might go from least to most important. Compare and contrast essays can be arranged similarly. A variation to climactic order relies on the belief that the most important information should come at the beginning and the end of a writing piece. In other words, if you look at your least-to-most important list of evidence or support, you might begin with the second most important item, follow it with the least important items, and finish with the most important. Similar methods of organization are general to specific (and vice versa), most to least familiar, or simple to complex.

Which pattern should I use?

Looking at your outline should make it easier to consider which logical pattern of organization best fits your project. When you write, organization is key to making sure that your reader follows your train of thought, remains engaged, and can remember details when the ending arrives.

July 3, 2018

Ghostwriters: The masterminds behind the success of others

Ghostwriting has a renowned and lengthy history. Some of the most famous politicians, artists and authors have employed ghostwriters to engage their audiences, all while attaining fortune and success.

What is ghostwriting?

While it sounds like a secret and spooky act, ghostwriting is just a word to describe the act of one person writing in the name of another person. For instance, if an assistant writes a memo for their boss, and their boss sends it with their signature, that is considered ghostwriting (in its most basic form).

It takes some serious skill to be able to write in the tone and format of another, which is why ghostwriters are able to remain anonymous and, also, highly regarded by those who employ them.

Who hires them?

Ghostwriting has proven to be an effective practice and continues to be beneficial for both the influencer and the writer behind their triumphs. This mutual affiliation creates an opportunity for the celebrity to communicate and to grow their following, while the ghostwriter gains a substantial amount of funds in return. Since many are unfamiliar with how widespread this practice is, here are some examples of the most influential people who use ghostwriters.

Beyoncé

In the music industry, ghostwriting has been a long-running tradition. According to Billboard, Beyoncé, along with an array of other musicians, has hired several A-list songwriters to compose her famous tracks. Artists such as Frank Ocean, Sia, Ne-Yo and Justin Timberlake, have all penned hits for this multi-platinum artist.

Harry Houdini

Harry Houdini, the famous escape artist and illusionist, worked with H.P. Lovecraft, a ghostwriter exploring the supernatural and science fiction. Houdini requested him to produce several pieces of ghostwritten content, including “Imprisoned with the Pharaohs” and “The Cancer of Superstition,” which has been auctioned off for over $25,000, according to The Guardian.

Barack Obama

Most prominent politicians have a ghostwriter to help craft their ideal speech and to persuade the public on the latest issues. According to U.S. News, Former President Barack Obama was no different. Obama’s first notable partnership was with Jonathan Favreau, whom Obama described as a “mind reader.” Just as Obama has, many other modern politicians owe their success to a ghostwriter.

Why does it work?

When these politicians, artists, and authors want to create an enticing speech, produce inspiring songs and write riveting books, a ghostwriter will step on board to produce high-quality, professional writing. Putting words to paper is not always the simplest task, but many of these influential personalities must be able to communicate with their audiences to stay “in.”

Having a ghostwriter allows the star to tap into their thoughts and the messages they want to convey without worrying about sounding inept or unprofessional. They continue to hold their dignity high and bring light to a common purpose. This is how they keep their audience engrossed and continuously coming back for more.

How can it help your business?

Similarly, your business may want to start up a new website, become present on social media or need news releases for upcoming events. Having a professional writer on hand is often the best solution to produce the dazzling copy you are searching for, whether it’s through articles and press releases or social media posts and blogs.

Plaid Swan can make that happen. We work with you to ensure your message speaks to your audience. Show your personality through your website. Communicate on your social media platforms. Shed light on upcoming events. Whatever you have, bring it to our experienced team for quickly produced content that will constantly excite your audience.

To learn more about our services, send us a message today.

Amanda Wymore is the Social Media Coordinator
at Plaid Swan, working out of the Cedar Rapids
office. For inquiries about our services, including
social media, contact us today!

April 16, 2018

Phrases That Have Outlived Their Original Meanings

Every language has its special phrases that no longer make sense if you look at the exact meanings of the words. Together such words and phrases have unique meanings which often find their roots in history. “Extend the olive branch” means to make peace with someone. The origin of this phrase is biblical, probably from the time of Noah where a dove delivered an olive branch to Noah to signal that God was no longer angry with His people, so the flood waters receded. “To know the ropes” means that someone is experienced at something, and it comes from the days of tall sailing ships where it was essential that the sailors knew how to handle a ship’s ropes and sails. Language is in a constant state of flux, but some expressions have staying power even when their references have disappeared from common use. Here are ten of my favorites that use references that have disappeared in my lifetime.

Carbon copy: We still use this phrase to mean that something is a duplicate of something else, as in,
“He is a carbon copy of his father.” Many young people don’t know what carbon paper is. I had a job once where I had to prepare address labels from a long mailing list, so I would put carbon paper in between my perforated address label forms and type up to four copies at a time (yes, the typewriter was electric). Today this phrase is still referenced in email forms on your computer. If you want to send a copy of your email to someone, you click on “CC,” which means carbon copy.

Roll the window down: Today we lower the car window, but we still say, “roll the window down.” I’m sure some young people have only known electric car windows, but it used to be that there was a handle that the rider would rotate manually to lower the window. I did read that some car manufacturers still build cars with manual windows, but it has been a while since I’ve operated one.

I’m going to tape it: This means that you are going to record something digitally. However, we don’t actually “tape” anything anymore, not since we had analog VCRs (video cassette recorders) or audio cassette recorders and magnetic tape. I admit that even though we use a Tivo (digital video recorder), I still use this phrase—but then we still own a VCR . . .

Rewind: This word is connected to the old VCR tapes and cassette tapes; today it means to go back in time and do something over again. For example, someone might say, “I wish I could rewind and do that day over again.” To return to an earlier moment on a tape, you pressed a rewind button.

Sounds like a broken record: When someone says something repeatedly, we say that he/she sounds like a broken record. There are still collectors of vinyl records, and record players have made a resurgence, but some people will not remember that when a record had a deep scratch on it, the needle would settle into a groove and play the same phrase of music over and over.

Hang up the phone: Many use this phrase to indicate that you should end the connection on your phone call. Now, we push a button to end the call, but early phones were boxes on the wall with a cord to the handset. Thus you hung the handset on the wall box. Of course, now we use cell phones or cordless phones, so there is nothing to hang up.

Dial that number: To make a phone call on old desk phones, you had to spin a dial to enter the number. This phrase is still used though now we tap the numbers on a keypad on cordless phones or the screen of a cell phone.

That’s a Kodak moment: A Kodak moment is the right time to take a perfect picture. With the arrival of digital cameras and now quality pictures from the camera on your cell phone, Kodak cameras and film have become obsolete. The Kodak company is still in business, has retooled itself, and now offers this description of its services:

Kodak is a technology company focused on imaging. We provide—directly and through partnerships—innovative hardware, software, consumables, and services.

Been through the wringer: When someone has gone through a distressing and difficult time, they have been through the wringer. The first washing machines didn’t have a spin cycle to wring out the excess water. Instead, there was a manual step in the washing process: putting the clothes through a wringer which squeezed the water out. You definitely didn’t want your hand to go through the wringer.

Don’t touch that dial: This means, “Don’t change the channel.” TV tuners used to be dials; there were two dials—one for VHF for the lower channels and one for UHF for higher channels, which our TV never received. To change the channel, you had to get up and go to the TV dial—no remote controls.

January 29, 2018

Tune Your Tone

“Good job.” These two words can be said in so many ways that completely change their meaning. Imagine someone saying them with enthusiasm so that they are a sincere compliment. Or, they could be sarcastic or accusatory so that the spoken meaning is inescapably altered. Body language, inflection, eye contact affect how the purpose is perceived. In written work, the reader doesn’t have all these clues to determine intended meaning, so the writer has to create a tone through word choice, level of formality, and syntax to clarify the meaning.

Tone in writing is the writer’s attitude toward a subject and the audience. Just like voice inflection changes the meaning of the spoken word, tone affects how the written message will be received. Many words describe the tone of written work: friendly, critical, appreciative, defiant. To create the appropriate tone, the writer should ask him/herself a few fundamental questions:

What is my purpose in writing this?
Who is going to read this? Am I writing to my employer or a fellow employee? Is my audience a general one or a professional group?
What is it that I want my reader to learn from this?
Based on these questions, what tone should I be using? Am I matching the tone to the capabilities of my audience? Am I matching the tone to a specific type of publication (letter, college essay, professional journal, blog)?

Once a writer has determined the tone, the real work begins. The writer should be concerned with word choice. An important consideration should be denotations (dictionary definitions) and connotations (feelings associated with the word). Think about the meanings of the words “thin” and “skinny.” They are similar in meaning, but being thin is a goal of many people, which has a positive connotation, while being skinny has a slightly more negative, undesirable connotation.

Two other choices for words include choosing specific over general words and concrete over abstract words. For example, the word “illness” is a general term, but “stage-four cancer” carries more meaning and heightens sympathy and concern. “Freedom” is an abstract term, but there are so many kinds of freedom, and choosing a more concrete expression, like, “freedom of religion,” can shape the tone. Choosing to use jargon (language that is used by a specific group) can also affect tone depending on the audience. To choose legal jargon or technical jargon for an audience not familiar with the meanings alters the tone completely.

The level of formality is another contributing factor. Formality works on a continuum from informal to formal. Informal language is more personal than formal. It uses slang, contractions, and first or second person (I or you). It is more subjective (deals with opinions and feelings), and it more approximates spoken language. Formal language is more scholarly and professional, and it is more objective. Many readers find it difficult to read, and so writers often choose a medium level of formality to make it palatable to more readers. Longer words and words with Greek and Latin roots are more typical of formal language. For example, these words mean the same thing, but one is more formal than the other:

Formal Informal

Terminate End

Locate Find

Initiate Begin

Establish Set up

Commence Start

Syntax, the way words are organized into sentences, is the third way that tone is conveyed. Active voice (I ate the chicken) vs. passive voice (the chicken was eaten [by me – optional]) rearranges the subject and object in a sentence depending on which is the more important actor or focus of the sentence. While most writing guides discourage the use of the passive voice, it can be more authoritative (the building will be closed at 8:00 p.m. sharp) or more tactful. Another way of using syntax to add to tone is to consider emphasis and subordination. When a writer wants to emphasize a point, he or she will use shorter, more concise sentences. In contrast, to subordinate a point, place it in a compound sentence.

Consider these examples:

Emphasis: Smoking will no longer be permitted in the building. The committee on employee health and safety reached this decision after considering evidence from researchers and physicians on the dangers of second-hand smoke.

Subordination: The committee on employee health and safety has finished considering evidence, and they have reached the decision that smoking will no longer be permitted in the building. (Purdue OWL: Tone in Business Writing)

Finally, a writer can incorporate these suggestions for perfecting the desired tone of a piece.

Use a more neutral tone for negative topics. Take time to become calmer if you’re too angry, and have someone else critique your writing for a tone that is too negative or subjective.
Be sure to give your readers a purpose for reading your work. This creates an incentive to make your reader want to continue reading.
Don’t mix tones and read your work aloud or have someone read it to you to listen for consistency.
Edit, edit, edit.

September 25, 2017

Benefits of Getting Your Company Published

No matter the shape or size of your company, getting in front of clients and customers is vital to your business’ success. It’s what makes your business, a business. The marketing and advertising opportunities are endless, but one often overlooked way to get your name out into the world is to get published.

Now, you might be thinking, what do you mean by “published?” This doesn’t mean you need to write a novel, but having someone on your team manage or guest write on a credible blog, create a company newsletter for consumers, or write an article or column for a newspaper or magazine will put your company under spotlights where traditional media doesn’t normally reach.

Free publicity

Yes, you heard it right: free! Getting published in newspapers puts your byline and business’ expertise in front of their readership. In the print world, readership extends beyond circulation, or people who pay for the publication. Think of how many public places have newspapers or magazines sitting out for people to read, such as the library, coffee shops, hair salons… and the list goes on. Beyond paid subscribers, many more people will read the article.

When it comes to online publications, blogs, columns or other forms of digital work, the reach has even greater potential. With a click of a button, an article can be shared on social media or forwarded in an email, where others can then share or forward, and so on. Include your email address or Twitter handle to drive traffic – or should we say, future customers – to your website or inbox.

Establishes credibility

With Google as a verb in this digital age, people are turning to the internet to answer any of life’s questions, from something as simple as how to hard boil eggs to researching college essays. When you share information pertaining to the line of work you do every day, you become an expert to them in that moment.

For example, a chiropractor may write a column in the local newspaper about ways to avoid immediate and long-term health issues from working extended hours at a desk. When a reader sees that the article is written by a health professional and printed in an edited publication, the reader likely to then view the writer as a credible source and follow the advice.

Keeps your company top of mind

Once you are established as a credible source to your future customers by appearing in publications they read, the next time your services are needed, your name will already be at the top of their mind.

Let’s go back to our chiropractor’s story. After a reader finds value in the information found in the article, they are more likely to think back to the author the next time they find themselves in need of a chiropractor.

Last words of advice…

Finally, as with any form of marketing, the more people exposed to your business, the better chance you have to attract business. Pitch your article to as many sources as you can, but make sure your material fits their audience to improve the odds of publication.

So, what are you waiting for? Get writing!

Plaid Swan Inc. is a female owned and operated marketing communications firm with multiple offices located in the Midwest. Looking to make your company’s blog stand out? Don’t have a blog, but want one? What’s a BLOG? Contact us today to see how we can bring your brand to a new stellar level!

Plaid Swan: (563) 556-1633

Email: betsy@plaidswan.com

-Emily Bettridge │ Multimedia Specialist & Content Developer

September 4, 2017

Have You Got Style?

In high school and college, even as an English major, when I wrote, I was blissfully ignorant of such things as style manuals like APA, MLA, Chicago Style, or AP. We had English textbooks that gave us the rules of grammar, and teachers handed out sheets that illustrated how to write a bibliography or footnote. There was some variance in the rules from school to school and from teacher to teacher, but instructors allowed for a little inconsistency. I know I’m dating myself by confessing this, but I am wondering if there aren’t a few out there who have had similar experiences. When I got to graduate school, the honeymoon was over, and the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA) became my bible. I was so grateful that at the start of my program I was required to take a short course in the use of this style manual. I thought it might help to look at what a style manual is, what style manual should a writer choose, and what the major differences are between some of the more commonly used manuals.

www.tumblr.com

What are style manuals?

Wikipedia, which has its own style manual, gives a general definition of these reference guides:

A style guide (or manual of style) is a set of standards for the writing and design of documents, either for general use or for a specific publication, organization, or field. . . . A style guide establishes and enforces style to improve communication.

The topics covered are broad and include understanding mechanics (punctuation, spelling, capitalization, etc.), crediting sources, and creating a reference list or works cited page. There will be information on developing a format, as well as avoiding plagiarism and bias. Besides students, researchers and journalists should follow a guide written for their disciplines or required by their employers. Emphasis should be made that these are style guides, not grammar rules; there will be differences from manual to manual. The goal is consistency within a document, from document to document, and from writer to writer within an organization.

How does one choose which manual to use?

There are a plethora of style guides, and Wikipedia lists many of them. They are often based on the area of study/expertise of that writer, or they are connected to a particular profession or a single business. In higher education, a professor may announce which manual to use, like APA (for behavioral or social sciences), MLA (Modern Language Association, for the arts and humanities), or Chicago Manual of Style (for academic publishing). Employers might adhere to the guidelines in AP style (Associated Press Stylebook, for use in journalism) or Apple Publications Style Guide (for the computer industry).

Some businesses have their own in-house manuals, which may be combinations of several other reference books. Jean Ives at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt says that “They have their own style guides (for science, math, marketing, assessments, etc.), and they’re based largely on Chicago Manual of Style.” A writer must first ask his/her employer or professor which one is recommended. If there is none, then the writer must choose according to discipline or familiarity to assure consistency.

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What are some of the differences found in style manuals?

The biggest differences seem to come in the format of citations and references. For example, in using APA, only the references that have been cited are at the end of a piece of writing, listed on a “References” page, while MLA calls it a “Works Cited” page. MLA lists authors’ names as the last name, then the first name. APA uses the last name, then the first name’s initial. These may seem picky, but each contributes to that consistency mentioned earlier. Quotes that are 40 words or more are indented five spaces in APA, while MLA indents quotations that are four lines or longer 10 spaces. There has long been a debate about the use of the serial comma (the comma used before a word like “and” in a series of items, e.g., Tom, Dick, and Harry). Chicago Style recommends using that last comma, but AP suggests its use only for clarity such as in this classic example: I’d like to thank my parents, Ayn Rand and God. The lack of a serial comma makes it sound like Ayn Rand is my mother, and God is my father.

The first time someone uses a style manual is difficult. The writer spends much time searching for the suggested guideline. Some writers develop two or three-page “cheat sheets,” which list some of the more confusing or less memorable suggestions for quicker reference. My friend at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt gives this advice to writers, “I am a strong proponent of using some style guide, and I’m not partial to a particular one.” Whenever an author is writing for a new evaluator, he/she should ask the question: which style manual do you use?

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July 10, 2017

Coping with Writer’s Block

Recently, I wrote an article which took more time than it should have based on the topic and the length of the final creation. Usually when I write, I do some research/reading, put together an outline, and finally sit down and write. This time I did some research and tried to put together an outline with some detail, but it just wasn’t coming. So, I did some more research and then some more. I came up with an unsatisfactory plan but decided to try to write on some of the internal details and hope that the beginning, ending, and most important details would follow. It just didn’t work. I was stuck. The last number of months I have been doing a great deal of writing, but this was the first time that I had experienced writer’s block to this degree. At the time, I did not read about writer’s block and what it was or what I could do, but after finally finishing the project (with some good advice from a trusted friend), I decided to read about the causes and cures for this problem to be more proactive should it ever happen again.

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Merriam-Webster defines writer’s block as “a psychological inhibition preventing a writer from proceeding with a piece.” The term “writer’s block” was first used in about 1949 by a psychiatrist named Edmund Bergler. He said that it wasn’t a matter of being out of inspiration or “lack of external motivation.” Rather, the writer is psychologically blocked and requires therapy (Maria Konnikova). Other psychologists’ research in the 1970s and 80s came up with similar conclusions, saying that writers were just unhappy, but suggested a series of exercises rather than therapy.

TJ Philpott lists “5 Common Causes of Writer’s Block: fatigue, anxiety, distractions, pressure, and self-doubt.” He suggests that identifying the cause can lead to unblocking the creative flow. David Taylor has also written about some of the causes, listing fear as a common cause. That can mean fear of not writing something significant or credible (my problem), not being able to match previous successes in writing, or not having had former editors (teachers or bosses) highlight the strengths in your work.

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It may be that you cannot identify the cause, so you may need to move on to trying one or more of the many suggestions writers have made about dealing with the problem.

Just write. Getting ideas down on paper is a major step in starting the actual writing process. So, start writing anything; it can be a list of points that are roaming around in your head or random thoughts about a topic. Anne Lamott, author of the writing manual Bird by Bird, says, “I encourage my students at times like these to get one page of anything written, three hundred words of memories or dreams or stream of consciousness on how much they hate writing—just for the hell of it, just to keep their fingers from becoming too arthritic, just because they have made a commitment to try to write three hundred words every day.”

Begin your writing at some place other than the beginning. Many writers leave the introduction to the end of their writing process. They choose a point in the article/essay that seems less daunting and more comfortable to begin writing.

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Change the target audience or the perspective. John Steinbeck advised a young writer who was struggling with writer’s block to “pretend that you’re writing not to your editor or to an audience or to a readership, but to someone close, like your sister, or your mother, or someone that you like.” Or the audience could be an imaginary friend who loves your work. Write a letter to this person or start a written conversation (Henneke Duistermaat). On the other hand, you could pretend to be someone else writing the piece and write from the perspective of someone with a different investment in the topic.

Talk about your writing project with someone else. This piece of advice comes from many writers, except one who felt it was possible to over-talk the piece. On this last article I wrote, talking is what changed the game for me. A friend, a freelance writer/editor/former PR specialist, and I spoke about what it was I wanted to do and about a stronger framework that I could build on. With that I began filling in the slots and finally came up with a piece that still needed editing, but was a solid beginning.

Change the conditions or situation of your writing task. Write with pencil/paper rather than the computer, or temporarily do something different like take a walk. Change your work environment; use a different chair or work from a different place in your house or office.

If all these fail, spend a little time reading what others have written about writer’s block on the internet. You’ll find many more ideas – some a little out there, like ranting and cursing out loud to let out the inner frustration. There is not one cause for this problem, and there is not one cure. One of the differences between a professional writer and a beginner or amateur writer is that the pros will work very hard not to let themselves be paralyzed. They keep moving on and writing.

Common Patterns

Topical and Climactic order

Which pattern should I use?

What is ghostwriting?

Who hires them?

Beyoncé

Harry Houdini

Barack Obama

Why does it work?

How can it help your business?

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