It is all very well to write stuff, but another matter to be understood. Properly understood.

I try to make sure that I write in a way which is understood properly by most people. I try to steer clear of ambiguity too. One of my shortcomings, which I am working on, is that I have an inherent tendency to write in a way which can resemble a dissertation. Ouch! Another big word! This is one reason why some of my writing is an unusual mixture of technical and conversational (colloquial) styles – informal and formal – reverent and irreverent. Another reason is my personality, which is multi facetted and at home with the broad spectrum of society from street people to the upper echelons (toffs?).

The bottom line is that I want to help people, and to do that I need to be understood. This means I write in a way which not all would consider to be professional, but the reality is it’s calculated and purposeful. Often, and increasingly, I write in laid back language which resembles a conversation with the reader.

One technique I use when I write is to think about how I would sound if I said it. Sometimes I read things out loud and if it doesn’t sound right I change it. I do put a lot of effort into thinking about how best to communicate a concept (sorry, an idea). At times I use methods which are not strictly grammatically correct because it makes the copy (what I am writing) flow better. And one of my dark secrets is that I have forgotten a lot of the formalized stuff I was supposed to have learnt at skool about grammar – I tend to write more intuitively from a perspective of being well read; therefore knowing instinctively how to put stuff together. Words to me are a creative thing. An art form even. Words have energy, power and life. But here we are also slipping into another topic.

In case you are wondering, I tend to use American spellings these days – partly because I spend so much time using American applications (software/websites) and communicating with Americans, but also because of search engine optimization (SEO). A classic example is the word counselor (American) and counsellor (UK and Australian/NZ) – if people are typing counselor (into a search engine) then they will miss me if I just use counsellor. Because the American market is so large, and an important part of my customer base, I have to optimize what I write accordingly. That said, I also have to attract Australian readers/customers who use the word counsellor. These dual or American spellings can sometimes seem odd to readers, depending on their perspective, however to reach the broadest audience they are necessary. I expect some people think I can’t spell and didn’t do well at skewl.

As you can see from the above, what I write is also written from the perspective of search engines – in a way; writing stuff is quite a complicated business! And funnily enough – writing about the counselor – counsellor issue in this article will help with the search engines! (Though it wasn’t deliberate! – just a side effect).

I have also noticed a difference in the way I write when I type and when I use dictation software , speaking directly into the computer. I have not researched the issue, however suspect that it has to do with the brain working in a different way when typing or speaking. I know writing stuff out by hand can have a different effect on the brain. Thankfully, you will never see my handwriting – I put many Doctors to shame! (I am always shocked when I see poor doctor’s handwriting – one would think that in such important matters as scripts for example that they would make more of an effort to communicate clearly and ensure people get the right medicine).

Dictation software is a huge productivity driver – if you want to save time writing then check it out here.

Bye for now!

Note: I have used Dragon Naturally Speaking Preferred for years. The manufacturer’s site is here. You can buy direct from the manufacturer, or from Amazon by clicking on the link below. (Hint: you will probably get a better price from Amazon).

Writing and being understood. is a post from: Black Shaman Blog

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…..and also asked what I considered to be one of my most poignant and deep articles.

Here I share with you my response:

One of the big keys in life is having a deep awareness of the fact that other people are tuned into WII FM.

This radio station is available worldwide in all languages.

WII FM is short for What’s In It For ME.

Deep down, the vast majority of people really don’t give a shit about anyone else. So, writing for the audience of WII FM is the way to go. It goes with the flows of LIFE (lower flows anyway).

In one sense, we are never writing for ourselves. Or, need never be. Or, should never be. The key is to move others. Influence others. Help others.

When I write, a key tool/method I use is to frame my mind in such a way that it references back to the time when I had a more basic and limited understanding of stuff. Because I have been there, and use it as reference point, it is much easier to write for varied levels of understanding. I just imagine myself back there.

The following article is one of the most important I have written. I wrote it for my Shamanic blog (I am a Shaman):

http://blackshaman.net/2009/02/02/key-life-fix

And by the way, the black has nothing to do with bad.

(Shamanism is actuality built right into everyone’s psyche. Most just don’t know that.)

Note:

My email for a friend formed the basis of this blog post. Here’s a tip: besides considering using some of the emails you write daily as possible bases for blog articles, perhaps think about what you have written over the years. Some good stuff perhaps? That others might find helpful? You might have a huge library which you are unaware of! And the other thing is that when writing email you are perhaps more likely to be candid, more relaxed and natural; all of which can mean better copy!

Who knows; maybe you could write an email a day to a friend, aim it at them and then publish as blog material. Because you are writing to a friend you might overcome blocks and hindrances.

PSSSSTT…

Good, you read all the way to the bottom.

The thing is, when you help other people you are really helping yourself!

So, you can be selfish while being selfless. What a pity more people don’t realize this! How much nicer the world would be, albeit not for the ideal reasons.

Do you have trouble writing for readers? is a post from: Black Shaman Blog

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1. Writing better will help your career or business.
2. Writing and being understood.
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Another problem is that there is much rubbish and downright misleading information out there on the subject of copyright. It is important to get the copyright issue right from the start, which is where a good education on the subject comes in.

I like this resource, which is aimed at students. It is however very useful for everyone.

Teaching Copyright

Posting about good quality links which I think will help people improve the lives of themselves, their families and friends, and their employers or businesses, is a key focus of mine. Recently I have started placing these links on my website links page: http://www.blackshaman.com/Links.html for your ease of future reference. (Some links are placed in this section without an associated blog post).

Copyright and digital rights – a refreshing and useful resource is a post from: Black Shaman Blog

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A big plus with Google Docs is that not only is it searchable, but you can access your documents from any computer. (Do be careful with public computers by the way). Documents can be shared, published as a web page, emailed as an attachment or downloaded in a number of formats, including PDF, Word and OpenOffice. Some documents are useful for webmasters – see the templates section.

Google Docs makes online collaboration easy – no more sending document revisions back and forth, or having to rely on your own servers, IT department or expensive software/web collaboration suites.

Google Docs is a key example of the current trend towards  cloud computing – simply speaking: working on, and storing, data online. Check out Google Docs here.

Check out the Google Docs tour here. And the What’s New page here.

Wikipedia has an article on Google Docs here.

Google Docs has a useful and wide range of templates which you can view here. Includes some Christmas stuff.

Another Google tool I use regularly is Google Notebook, which is very useful for keeping notes on all kinds of stuff, including things I find online.

Finally, did you know that you can use Google Docs in conjunction with Google Apps for business? I use it everyday and even run my email through it (Google Apps) too.

Have you checked out Google Docs? is a post from: Black Shaman Blog

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LyX is a document processor that encourages an approach to writing based on the structure of your documents (WYSIWYM) and not simply their appearance (WYSIWYG).

Key benefits and features:

• Great for mathematical content (uses a fully integrated equation editor).
• Good support for structured documents such as academic articles, theses and books.
• Reference list and index creation are standard.
• Has a broad range of well designed ready made document layouts.
• Can be used to create letters, film scripts, novels, theatre plays.
• Makes writing look good right out of the box.
• No need to spend ages fiddling with formatting, page boundaries or font attributes.
• And finally….it’s free! (Open Source license).

Document processor which helps structure based writing, rather than just appearance based (WYSIWYG). is a post from: Black Shaman Blog

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