A while back, I wrote a post on my advice to non-writers about writing entitled Write the Way You Talk. It’s advice I’ve passed along to others that has gotten them successfully through English 101, a letter to the editor, presentations and white papers. In some cases, it got them liking and wanting to write.
So when Shakirah Dawud of Deliberate Ink put a call out on HARO looking for writers and non-writers asking how they view each other, writing and the world for an article in The WM Freelance Writers Connection, I just had to respond. She used my response in the article, Understanding Non-Writers.
I think a lot of non-writers are petrified with the rules and mechanics of writing. They’re fears that they’ve had since grade school and high school, so they’ve given up and avoid writing. They think it’s hard. Ironically, many non-writers are articulate speakers and have great “voices.” When I suggest that non-writers write the way they talk, they’re surprised. -Bonnie Caprara
Sure, I got a kick out of seeing my words in someone else’s piece in another publication, but I was also impressed with the other replies Shakirah collected. They’re viewpoints I think both writers and non-writers (especially account executives and clients) need to read, soak in, and keep in mind when they have to work with each other.
The other comments got me thinking more about understanding the writer’s role in the public relations/marketing process. In the past, I never had privy to client meetings or sometimes even access to clients. Sometimes, I was just told to “research the project/client online.”
Big mistake.
The writer plays one of the most important roles in telling the story, conveying the brand and the image, and is the one who has to use words and angles carefully in order to pitch stories to writers, editors and producers. Understanding the client’s business and knowing their key staff and target market is essential in delivering the messages.
Writing and being a writer is not as easy or simple as you think. Work with us. Keep us in the loop. Please. We’ll all be so much farther ahead.
Bonnie Caprara
Bonnie Caprara is the director of Public Relations at Urbane Media. Her career has traversed between print journalism and media relations in the agency world and for private clients. She's also a semi-serious foodie with a penchant for Cheetos.
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