Category: Writing Tips

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Want your stories to succeed? Build them on ideas that “stick,” say Chip and Dan Heath (from July, 2020)

I often blog on issues pertaining to stories and storytelling. But when blogging, I  haven’t  actually discussed what constitutes a “good” (or compelling) story.

Thirteen years ago, Chip Heath (a professor of organizational behaviour at Stanford University) and his brother, Dan Heath (a senior fellow in social entrepreneurship at Duke University), combined their research interests and wrote Made to Stick: Why some ideas take hold and others come unstuck (London: Penguin/Arrow, 2007).

 

The book, which has fascinated entrepreneurs, authors from multiple fields, researchers and academics alike, asserts one overarching tenet: Thinking, writing and other endeavours that provide “sticky ideas” (i.e. ideas that succeed by becoming popular and influential in contemporary culture) all exhibit the following six principles (“SUCCES”):

  1. They are simple.
  2. They are unexpected.
  3. They are concrete.
  4. They are credible.
  5. They are emotional.
  6. They have the structure of a story.     The Heaths say that the extent to which ideas are interesting (“Are ideas born interesting or made interesting?”) conforms to the ol’ nature vs. nurture debate. Say the Heaths: “This is a nurture book.”So we can all nurture our ideas so that they’ll become successful in the world.Right.

    But it’s not that easy, is it, or we’d all already be doing it (and often).

    The Heaths qualify that “there is no ‘formula’ for a sticky idea. . . . But sticky ideas do draw from [this] common set of traits [SUCCES], which makes them more likely to succeed.”

    (1) To aim for simplicity is not to “say it short,” but to craft our ideas to be “both simple and profound.” This amounts to crafting “a one-sentence statement so profound that an individual could spend a lifetime learning to follow it.” Think “proverb,” not “sound bite.” Consider Pareto’s Law, that (I paraphrase here) “80% of consequences come from 20% of the causes” (an unequal relationship between inputs and outputs).

    (2) To aim for unexpectedness, we have to get our prospects’ (or readers’) attention, keep their interest and raise curiosity for the time it takes to get our ideas across.

    An unexpected idea must “violate people’s expectations.” It has to be counterintuitive (e.g. the idea that a bag of movie theatre popcorn is “as unhealthy as a whole day’s worth of fatty foods” [16]). We can engage people’s curiosity over longer periods of time by “systematically opening gaps in their knowledge—and then filling those gaps.”

    (3) To aim for concreteness, we have to make our ideas clear by explaining them in terms of human action that involves sensory information. For instance, the urban legend that people were inserting razors in apples to poison children on Hallowe’en is compelling because it is concrete and “our brains are wired to remember concrete data.” Concrete language is needed if our idea is going to “mean the same thing to everyone in our audience.”

    (4) To aim for credibility, our “sticky ideas” have to carry their own authority. The Heaths cite presidential candidate Ronald Reagan as asking voters a simple question (to win the presidential debate against Jimmy Carter) that allowed voters to test the idea for themselves and find it  credible: “Before you vote, ask yourself if you are better off today than you were four years ago.”

    (5) To make an idea sticky, we have to make our audience feel something and to feel it “for people, not for abstractions.” It can be hard to find “the right emotion to harness.” The Heaths say it wouldn’t work to persuade teenagers to stop smoking by trying to trigger fears for the consequences. But if you “tap into their resentment of the duplicity of Big Tobacco,” you could cause that tide to turn (18).

    (6) To persuade people to act on our ideas, we have to tell stories about them. The Heaths say that firefighters exchange stories after every fire they fight, because doing so creates “a more complete mental catalog of critical situations” they may face, so that they will know how to respond.Researchers have found that mentally rehearsing such situations (in many fields of endeavour) helps us to perform better. And hearing stories “acts as a kind of mental flight simulator, preparing us to respond more quickly and effectively” (18).

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    Contrary to the average person’s expectations, we don’t need any particular education or expertise to use these six principles. The Heaths remark that many of these principles “have a common-sense ring to them” (18).

    But the reality that we are not swimming in brilliantly designed, sticky ideas, is due to what the Heaths call “the Curse of Knowledge” (19), the fact that “once we know something, we find it hard to imagine what it was like not to know it. Our knowledge has ‘cursed’ us.” The problem that results is that we find it hard to share our knowledge with others, because we “can’t readily re-create our listeners’ state of mind” (20). I’d call this a limit of empathy that can occur when we try to share knowledge.

    The only reliable way to beat this “curse of knowledge,” the Heaths say, is (1) not to learn anything—(generally not a good idea); and (2) to take your ideas and transform them, using the six principles of SUCCES.

    So instead of droning on like a CEO about the importance of “maximizing shareholder value,” JFK in 1961 famously shared his idea for an American moon mission, saying his country’s goal (as a culture) was “to put a man on the moon and return him safely by the end of the decade” (21). This statement checks off all the boxes of SUCCES and escaped the “curse of knowledge.”

    The idea, the Heaths observe, “motivated the actions of millions of people for a decade.” JFK was more intuitive as a leader than the average CEO is, operating today. JFK’s story stuck.

    The Heaths say that we needn’t be highly creative to create sticky ideas—such ideas can be systematically produced. A “paint-by-numbers” approach [seeking factors of SUCCES] will achieve more creative results than a “blank canvas” will.

    So we call can create “sticky ideas” that can make a difference in what we do. “Normal people in normal situations can make a profound difference using their sticky idea” (289).

    Use what sticks.

    Made to Stick has many more, illuminating stories and examples that nuance their six principles and give ordinary readers further substance to contemplate. If you work creatively in any industry (and who doesn’t?), take the time to buy this book and mark it up!

    Make it your creative Bible for your next media release, testimonial, blog posting or other copy—or hire me, so that I can do that for you!

    And now it’s your turn: Can you meditate on your latest project or idea, in the context of Chip and Dan Heath’s six “sticky” principles? How can you strengthen your idea to reflect them?

    The implications are profound—this is much more than just a great “summer read.”

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On Creative Writing in the Age of AI in this month’s issue of ‘Tell Your Story Newsletter’

May 2023 Vol 5 Issue 5

Tell Your Story Newsletter (TYSN):
Specializing in Entrepreneurial and Linguistic Communication
Let me help you tell your story!

Welcome Mid-May 2023!

After weeks of unseasonable cold during March and April, the past week or two has brought near record-breaking warmth to Saskatchewan. During April, our temperatures varied within one week from -30 degrees to above 20 degrees Celsius! And as I’ve prepared this issue of “Tell Your Story Newsletter,” daily temperatures have risen to nearly +30 degrees — all signs of
climate change.

And yet the sunshine and warmth feel so welcome, after another interminable prairie winter–and a Covid one, at that.
With May, the grass of neighbourhood yards has started to “green up,” robins are taking flight (and charging our windows) and Saskatchewanians are breaking out flip flops, bermuda shorts, and our ever-important sunscreen.

As the ground finally thaws, gardeners like my friends and colleagues, Ashleigh Mattern; Julie Barnes; Laura Zink and Tom Yates prepare to plant the seedlings they started last winter, or the inviting annuals and perennials already on “show” in our favourite garden centres.

Painfully aware that Covid-19 is not behind us (as hospital wards still show), some of us continue to “mask up” when visiting hospitals, but also in grocery stores and other indoor settings where many congregate. Covid has not “done” with us, although outdoor activities bring us more of a reprieve.

In “Article One,” this month, I visit an influential posting by Jessica Lam Hill Young over LinkedIn, on how creative writers must adapt to Artificial Intelligence (AI) or face obsolescence.

And in “Storytellers’ Corner,” I visit a smart networking pointer from American psychologist and marketing guru, Robert Cialdini.

I wish for you, good readers, time to enjoy the remainder of spring, before summer (too quickly) takes its place.

May we all be conscious of the blessings that still grace our lives, even in these late pandemic times.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth
Principal
Storytelling Communications
www.elizabethshih.com
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IN THIS ISSUE:
ARTICLE 1: Creative Writing in the Age of AI
STORYTELLERS’ CORNER: Dr. Robert Cialdini on Persuasion
SHOP NEWS
ABOUT US
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Article One: Creative Writing in the age of AI

Much ink has been spilt lately over the rise of AI, notably with ChatGPT and its competitors.

In a posting on May 5th on the social media network I most often teach to newcomers, LinkedIn, SEO specialist, tech marketer, copywriter and strategist Jessica Lam Hill Young wrote persuasively about how AI will genuinely change the landscape for copywriters and content writers (including me).

From her office in Hong Kong, Lam Hill Young contends that 90% of writers will eventually be replaced by AI, especially for relative newcomers to the field, who have “under five years of experience.”

She says that when reviewing recent applications for an opening of a writer for her team, she repeatedly saw “the same red flags,” such as generic cover letters (from templates); blog writing focused more on SEO than on in-depth thinking (relying on repetitive phrasing, obvious statements, impersonal writing); and unclear writing that is also “clunky,” and without “brevity,
conciseness and elegance.”

She calls for a “radical paradigm shift” so that “copywriters and content writers become marketers, not writers.” Here are her seven tips for creatives who want to avoid career obsolescence, as AI deepens and intensifies its influence:

(1) Instead of taking instructions from a client (as writers often do), become “a marketer” who “deeply understands and persuades the target reader to take action.” This matters, because AI cannot “feel and speak to the pain points of your reader with human empathy.”

(2) Develop a niche in topics that AI struggles with, such as developer content, specific B2B audiences (yay!), technical content, tech thought leadership and medical writing, amongst others.

A painful reality, Lam Hill Young says, is that for “wellness or B2C” writers, “it’s game over, soon.”
(3) Search back at original data on your topics, get first-person insights (by interviews or webinars) and “read thought leadership” in the field you’re writing about (“Forbes,” the “Harvard Business Review,” “The Economist” and “The New York Times” are all great places).

(4) Diversify your skills so that you don’t just write content/information-based writing: “Master copywriting, website copy, email copy, social media posts, nonfiction writing, etc.,” because “these are all interrelated.”

(5) Don’t crank out “volume.” Good marketing writers don’t produce 6000+ words/week in which nothing stands out. She recommends that we raise our fees and “spend more time on 2000 words/week that actually matter.”

(6) If you’re making the mistake of charging by word count, stop! It “devalues your work as an output of volume.” Instead, write projects that are not about meeting a target length.

(7) Spend all your free time playing with AI so you can understand its limitations. Actually use ChatGPT: when you feed it your prompt, does it write better than you? While marketers can build “briefs” (i.e. summaries, guides or arguments that present key points to stakeholders), Lam Hill Young writes, genuinely great writers “should OWN that brief. For example, the hiring marketer can give a bit of context, topic, audience, campaign goals, etc. . . .
but NOT tell the writer what to write and the outline, etc. The writer should be the one deciding on angle, messaging, sources, structure, storytelling, etc., after diving deep into the subject matter.”

And, she adds, “the writer should be a savvy enough marketer to tell the hiring manager when there are problems with the content request.” Friction will definitely result.

Writers who are thought leaders will take an email or a question or a prompt from an editor and “run with it,” successfully. Lam Hill Young says she seldom finds that amongst freelancers, and only with in-house creatives.

World white paper giant Gordon Graham (a Canadian with whom I share my website designer) added further that more work will transpire for well-read editors who can polish up drafts written by AI. And “there will be lots of opportunities for writers/editors who can write with AI and then humanize its drafts.”

Creatives need to plan writing “strategically around context, audience and business goals.”

Gone are the days of Googling sources to create content. ChatGPT and its rivals are mastering that, as we speak.

Currently, Lam Hill Young writes, ChatGPT doesn’t work to develop client content on highly specialized topics, but writers whom she recommends, Jacob McMillen and Julia McCoy, are exploring those limits. McMillen responded that AI can create remarkable writing for long-form
if it is tackled one section at a time. (But AI’s capacity grows rapidly and will soon do more!)

So researching with paid subscriptions, listening to podcasts (Eric Anderson’s, Christina Cherneskey and Lenore Swystun’s are faves of mine), listening to webinars and interviewing real people are the best ways to write original, interesting and useful content.

Later last week (May 11th), Lam Hill Young (linchpin that she is) added five resources for those of us striving to learn about AI, while living “real lives”:

(1) The Neuron – AI News –is a weekly AI newsletter collecting the latest and most popular in AI developments by expert curator and journalist Pete Huang. You can find them in one handy email “before they pop up in your feed.”
(2) Prompts Daily –A “Prompts Engineer” is now a career! Get all the latest prompts in a daily newsletter and creative ideas to get the most out of AI tools, using those prompts.
(3) AI Chat Slack channel by Ruben Hassid. This channel has a brilliant tagline: ” ‘Master AI before it Masters You’ .” This can be a great community chat for AI-related matter.
(4) The Superhuman newsletter by Awais Khan. This is new to Lam Hill Young, but she finds reason to keep reading. What do you think?
(5) There’s An AI For That is a huge directory listing 4,120 AIs for 1,158 tasks and more, updated daily. Whatever you need, AI will be on it, if it hasn’t already mastered and archived the field. https://join.theneurondaily.com/

And now it’s your turn: what are you using AI to do, in your work or business? And with what results?
Please write in; I’d be delighted to hear from you!
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STORYTELLERS’ CORNER . . . .

STORYTELLERS’ CORNER: Words, stories, riddles and articles on marketing, writing and language learning
This month: Dr. Robert Cialdini on Persuasion

The great psychologist and marketer, Dr. Robert Cialdini (best known for his book, Influence), recently posted on LinkedIn a method for applying persuasion to networking.

When someone is introducing you to another person, group or larger audience, Cialdini suggests these pointers:
(1) As a receptionist for a company, a woman (let’s call her Lucy) might introduce clients to colleagues by saying, “Do you have a question about commercial real estate? I’ll put you through to Peter.”

(2) Lucy’s supervisor asked her to change her introduction to: “I’ll put you through to Peter . . . he has 20 years of experience and is the go-to expert in this region.”

(3) By making this change, the securing of appointments increased by 20%. And signed contracts went up by 15%.

All the receptionist did was bring Peter’s genuine authority to awareness.
Because Peter did have that experience and he was in fact the expert in this field. So this leaves us with an idea for how to bring authority to the surface in your organization: Cialdini says we should always answer these three questions:

(i) Who should introduce me? If possible have someone else introduce you and your credentials, so you won’t be seen as a braggart.

(ii) When should I be introduced? Try to be introduced right before you speak, whether in a meeting or at a presentation.

(iii) What credentials should I give my introducer to use? Your expertise, experience, titles, awards, achievements can be mentioned . . . as long as they’re relevant to your message.
Don’t be (too) modest. Leveraging strong, relevant credentials will help your audience to choose you for their project(s).

Do you have an, idea, problem or pointer involving any aspect of language, communications or marketing? Please share it with me; I’d be delighted to use it in an upcoming issue.

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SHOP NEWS: 

At risk of boring my readers by repetition, I need to express particular gratitude again this month to the staff of (Revera) The Franklin assisted living building, for taking care and sensitivity in welcoming my elderly mother back to her home, after she endured a very trying time in hospital.

Particularly wonderful were Mason and Charmaine in advising me on the gastroenteritis that infiltrated so many seniors’ facilities last winter, which made several residents, including my family member, very ill.

Mason quietly and masterfully disinfected the suite involved and Charmaine advised on protocol for hospitalization in a very stressful time: Thank you, to you both!

While the experience I witnessed at Royal University Hospital demonstrated the breakdown of hospital care that fills the daily news, I also owe tremendous gratitude to parish nurse Laura Van Loon, who advised me on how to emerge from a terrible lack of care to safer rehabilitation at home.
Once again, thank you, Laura!
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Entrepreneur of the Month: Stephen Cavan
. . .
Based in Saskatoon and soon to be Calabria, Italy, Stephen Cavan has been a highly motivated entrepreneur in several fields, over the years:

While teaching Greek and Roman Classics at U of S, he began a hobby of brewing beer at home.

But the lack of available supplies motivated him to start his own business, opening Paddock Wood Brewing in 1995.

Steve’s purpose was to sell the best ingredients for making beer. Selling ingredients eventually transformed into selling the finished product. By 2012, his hobby had yielded over $1M in sales in Canada and employed a staff of 15.

The market for craft beer grew very slowly and most local bars hesitated to offer it. So in 2012, Steve opened a bar–The Woods Alehouse–to showcase the world of craft beer. But managing a bar/restaurant with roughly 30 employees became what he terms a “hot potato.”

He was happy to sell that business after four years.
Most recently, since 2019, Steve has retired from brewing and become certified to teach English as a Second Language (ESL). Through his wonderful wife, Kathleen (formerly of the English Department and St. Andrew’s College, U of S), I began to discuss with Steve my own interest in ESL.

Steve has been teaching privately on the “italki” platform, since 2020 and has mentored me to do the same, while we both teach some in-person classes on business and academic topics.

Steve’s current plan is to teach English from retirement in Italy, combining in-person and online classes to a growing number of intellectually curious and admiring students.

Thank you, Steve, for your commitment to the ESL industry. And I hope we will collaborate in the future, as well!
There are always new businesses, non-profits and entrepreneurial programs to promote. Please write me to share your success stories!
I’m excited for what’s ahead in our entrepreneurial community.
But for now, this is a wrap for mid-May!

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ABOUT US:

Between 2011 and December 2018, Elizabeth Shih Communications chronicled the stories of B2B marketing and communications on the Prairies and across the country.

Effective January 1, 2019, I rebranded as “Storytelling Communications.” I now help newcomers to Canada land better jobs and economic immigrants to secure contracts by improving their English skills; I help SMEs close more sales by communicating more effectively; and I help major companies tell their legacy stories.

Interested in learning more? Please contact me through my CASL-compliant
website (www.elizabethshih.com). After I receive your message, I’ll be pleased to discuss projects with you!

STAY IN TOUCH:

Follow us on Twitter
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Contact us

 

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Overwhelmed by Spring Cleaning? What to do, in this month’s issue of “Tell Your Story Newsletter”

April 2023 Vol 5 Issue 4

Tell Your Story Newsletter (TYSN):
Specializing in Entrepreneurial and Linguistic Communication
Let me teach you to tell your story!

Welcome Mid-April, 2023!

After what felt like an interminable winter, we felt on April 8th an ushering in of more seasonable temperatures and sunshine. Nights of minus 20 degrees (Celsius) have finally yielded to minus single- or even plus-digit temperatures. And Saskatchewanians have breathed a collective sigh of relief (and we hope that this week will bring rain, not snow)!

Although it is brief or even non-existent some years (when winter morphs into summer), spring offers small miracles–the return of birdsong, a rapid melt of residual snow, the thawing of the ground for those who farm or garden, and the budding of trees and bushes . . . . Special thanks to those dedicated neighbours who have cleared storm drains this year, so that enormous puddles don’t impede walking, cycling and driving. (Beware those sinkholes!)

And speaking of spring, in “Article One” this month, I’ll discuss the common issue that many Saskatchewanians face this time of year–of “overwhelm” with “spring cleaning”–the need to declutter our living and work spaces.

And in “Storytellers’ Corner” this month, I feature some truly “wretched writing” from expert editors, Ross and Kathryn Petras. Some of it will make you laugh!

And even if spring is a fleeting (barely existent) season in Saskatchewan, may it be a time, good reader, to renew your health by being outdoors, to achieve the culmination of professional accomplishments, and to relax, as summer approaches, with family and friends–all blessings that still grace our lives, even in these late pandemic days.

Sincerely,
Elizabeth Shih
Principal
Storytelling Communications
www.elizabethshih.com
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IN THIS ISSUE:

ARTICLE ONE: Overwhelmed by spring cleaning? What to do in this month’s issue
STORYTELLERS’ CORNER:
Purple prose to make you laugh from Wretched Writing by Ross and Kathryn Petras
SHOP NEWS
ABOUT US
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Article One:  Overwhelmed by Spring Cleaning? What to do, in this month’s issue of “Tell Your Story Newsletter”

Entrepreneurs might wonder about the relevance of an article on “spring cleaning” to their lives. But recent articles have abounded on how to improve our workspaces (for work-from-home or hybrid offices) and how to shed the severity of last winter by purging and decluttering!

Spring cleaning, when it involves decluttering, can be essential to this newsletter’s theme of “entrepreneurial wellness.” Whether you dig-in up to your elbows with seasonal cleaning tasks (such as cleaning windows, rugs and boot racks), or whether you delegate such work to others, every entrepreneur needs to know how to pitch and purge. So if your home office (or your entire home) lack order and calm, read on!

In an online article last week, CBC journalist Jenifer Norwell addressed why so many of us find “spring cleaning” a grinding chore. Given that economic challenges in these late pandemic and war-torn years have exacerbated both
rental and buyer housing markets, many people—and entrepreneurs, especially—find we must downsize to live and work in smaller spaces.

Consider the “tiny homes” movement and how living as a minimalist has become desirable for a growing number of people, worldwide.

Either purging and pitching excess belongings in your living or work space, or doing a simple seasonal cleaning, many, many people find “spring cleaning” to be overwhelming. But the work won’t “go away” if we avoid it.

In the CBC article, one interviewee commented: “I am finding things I didn’t even realize I had!” Things you’ve lived without for a year, or maybe even a decade (or more), can and should go “out the door.” You don’t really need that old toaster oven or those back issues from eight+ years ago,
of “Time Magazine” or the Times Literary Supplement.

Canadians across all disciplines have reported that reducing unneeded belongings is the best way to make clearer and better-organized spaces that help us both to be productive (at work) and to relax (in leisure time).

When maintaining a space “takes longer and longer to do, that’s a good sign that it’s time to reevaluate,” says Canadian space organizer, Celeste Imus.
The global tidying-up phenomen Marie Kondo has won followers around the world with her approach to decluttering, in which she shows us how to “pare down [our] possessions,” and only keep what “sparks joy.”

Kondo frames the cleaning/decluttering process as positive, not agonizing, and her approach has benefited those who love minimalism. Some have even become professional organizers—making careers out of training and working with Kondo’s methods.

Economist and writer Tim Harford told Norwell that such reorganizing of your space can work well in a kitchen or bedroom, but not in “dynamic situations”–such as workplaces where there is a constant (high) intake of email, digital or hard copy paperwork, or books. Harford says: “When there’s this constant flow of stuff in and out of a working space, Kondo’s method of asking, ‘Do I
really need this? Does it spark joy?’ does not apply.”

So what can we do to make “decluttering” more manageable? Organizer Celeste Imus provides six tips to succeed in the process:
(1) “Start small”: Begin with a small area, like a closet or dresser drawer, instead of feeling overwhelmed by an entire house, apartment or room. Work by one item at a time, so you don’t over-pitch, she says.

(2) “Take breaks”: Don’t work to declutter, purge and pitch for more than two hours at a time, because after that, our brains stop engaging and we can feel “frantic,” pitching out things we should keep, like passports and birth certificates.

(3) “Declutter with a buddy”: Working with someone you trust will make the process more enjoyable and give you a chance to share stories about your things, after which it becomes easier to get rid of some of them.

(4) “Choose comfort”: Bringing items up to table height and working in a well-lit room at a comfortable temperature can reduce the feeling that decluttering is drudgery. Be aware that decluttering is hard on the body, as well as the mind.

(5) “Customize your process”: Know that some organizational approaches might work well for some homes but not always for yours.

(6) “Cut yourself some slack”: Allow yourself to keep some things because they could be useful later, or just because they have sentimental value. Imus says: “Sometimes it just makes you feel comfortable to have the things you love around you.”

And yet, organizers also warn, that what may start as clutter can become for some a hoarding disorder. Jenifer Norwell asks: “ When is clutter just clutter and when is it a hoarding disorder at work?” Psychiatrists say that extremely severe cases of clutter are associated with clinical “hoarding
disorder,” a medical condition that requires ongoing treatment. Hoarding is a form of obsessive/compulsive disorder, in which an individual finds they cannot discard old possessions, even those that have no value.

Purging your home of excess stuff needn’t mean discarding its stories, altogether. Do consider keeping a few items or pieces that have particularly sentimental value.Consider what life would be like without the public who share stories on “The Antiques Roadshow” on both sides of the Atlantic!

In the end, “for some people. . . if they can clear their abode a little bit, it helps to clear their minds,” says B.C.-based counsellor, Murray Anderson. He concludes: “It’s a matter of having sense and order and being able to make space for other things in your lives.”

And now it’s your turn: do you feel overwhelmed by the disorder of your living and/or working space? Do the above tips help to reduce the overwhelm?
Please write in: I’d be delighted to hear from you!
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STORYTELLER’s CORNER . . . .

STORYTELLERS’ CORNER: Words, stories, riddles and jokes on Writing and Editing . . .

This month: “Wretched writing”: Ross and Kathryn Petras on ” ‘crimes against the English language’ “

In a 2012 volume aptly called, Wretched Writing: A Compendium of Crimes against the English Language, sibling editors, Ross and Kathryn Peters, define bad writing as “a felonious assault on the English language.”

 

 

They continue: “It is the lowest of the low. It plumbs the depths of literature and spelunks in the caves of nonfiction. In other words, it stinks. . . . [It] comes in numerous and quite varied forms and modes . . . . exhibiting a blatant ignorance of the constraints of grammar and . . . exuberantly and
brazenly excessive prose. . . . [It] can be marked by overusage of literary tropes or underusage of good taste.”

Such writing, they add, is regrettably “timeless,” implicating writers of the past, present and future. Here are some fun(ny) examples to tickle your funny bone this month. If you’ve ever regretted writing poorly, consider that it couldn’t be worse than the following examples:

(1) A blatant case of “purple prose” (i.e. overwritten, under- or un-edited, self-indulgent and excessive writing) comes From Samuel Alexander White’s book, Called Northwest (1943). Every noun in his writing has one or more adjectives, exhausting our imagination:  “Her slim arms, agile as darting javelins, alternately waved and reined, fluttering the open collared, gray, pearl-buttoned waist that she wore with her chamois-colored riding costume and striking tan boots and copper-hued chaps encasing her mobile thighs with whipping jacket
tails.”

(2) Some writers write anatomical impossibilities in descriptive prose:
(a) “She stood at the foot of the stairs, narrowing her eyes and breathing through her hips” (from a short story in The Saturday Evening Post, no date given).

b)“People who leaned over backwards, McCullough thought grimly, frequently fell flat on their face . . .” (James White, All Judgment Fled, 1948).

(3) Some governments and corporations write bureaucratese that says “absolutely nothing about something”: “No unmet needs exist and . . . current unmet needs that are being met will continue to be met” (Transportation Commission on Unmet Transit Needs, Mariposa County,
California).

(4) Faulty translations abound, to the detriment of the English language:
(a) “Here you shall be well fed up and agreeably drunk. In the close village you can buy jolly memorials for when you pass away” (In a brochure for an Italian hotel in the Dolomites area).
And (b) “You are properly exhausted after journey or business work. Worthily divert yourself from boredom and create new sense of perception that makes you completely relaxed and happy, please call on LONGMAN HOTEL where our multifunctional recreations will surely feast your tastes. YOU ARE ADDED WITH FUN. Welcome to Piano lounge, where you could enjoy abundant beverages besides cocktails in an elegant atmosphere while being introxicated With pianists famourse musics from home and aboard. YOU ARE AN EXTRAORDINARY VOCALIST AT KAROKE” (In a brochure from
the Longman Hotel, Shanghai, China).

Do you have a story, riddle or joke on any aspect of writing or communications? Please share it with me; I’d be delighted to use it in an upcoming issue.
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SHOP NEWS:

Thank you to the administrative and operating staff at The Franklin Retirement Residence (Revera), for working hard to support seniors of all ages and abilities, in their later years. The quality of life, including diet, transportation, social activities, openness to home-care support and
other programming are excellent, and have created a positive home for a senior in my family.

 

 

Special thanks to Vinod (Executive Director), Steve, Mason, Charmaine, Dea, Danae, Sharla, Amrit, Bonnie and others whose names I may temporarily have forgotten (with apologies).

Currently, when our senior health care system is woefully neglected and neglectful, assisted living facilities like The Franklin are providing options even for advanced elderly with disabilities in our communities, for which I am deeply grateful.

To tour the various sizes of suites and discuss many options for residents, please contact Daniel Knudsen, at Daniel.Knudsen@reveraliving.com or call (306) 241-1092.

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And even more overdue thanks goes to the mature care professionals of “Home Instead, Inc.” in Saskatoon, including Starr, Amanda, Lavern, Lil, and administrators Rita, Helen and Marina.

Enabling the elderly to “age in place” in homes that are familiar to them is a tremendous service to our community. Thank you to you all.

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Another essential supporter has been my faith group’s parish nurse, the amazing Laura Van Loon. Although mandated to work only a handful of hours each week, Laura deftly arranges everything from infant baptisms (at one end of life) to bedside vigils for those in palliative care (at the other).
She continues to be my guiding light as I shepherd an elderly relative through the complex and very broken bureaucracy of our senior “care” system.

Thank you, Laura!

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Special thanks to Lisa Focardi, organizer of Saskatoon Open Door Society’s conversation circles for newcomers, for welcoming me back as a circle leader, on a schedule that will accommodate my commitments. Helping newcomers with language training brings me (and so many ESL teachers)
much joy.

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Entrepreneur of the month: Meet Silvana Cracogna, ESL teacher and administrator, Global Infobrokers! This month’s entrepreneur is my fellow ESL teacher, Silvana Cracogna, coordinator and facilitator of language programs at Global Infobrokers (home of the Praxis group of schools).

Silvana has been the primary assistant of Praxis -Global CEO Monica Kreuger for over 10 years, but prior to that taught ESL to various students, including children in a Korean elementary school.

Born in Argentina, Silvana moved to Saskatoon with her parents when she was eight years old.  She earned a BA in Spanish at the University of Saskatchewan and an MA (focused on Latin American literature), at the University of Ottawa.

While at university, Silvana was a teaching assistant, taught ESL to a Pfizer employee from Colombia, and to two RCMP employees. She was later certified in a 150 hour TESOL/TEFL course through Global Leadership College,
while she was also working for Praxis.

While Silvana prefers teaching adults, she has also worked with teenagers and children, including some with varying abilities.

Silvana looks forward to taking new ESL students, although she currently works full-time for the Praxis School of Entrepreneurship. She comments on why she loves teaching ESL: “I love languages and helping people acquire the
ability to work within a new language. . . “There is nothing more fulfilling than seeing the lights go on, as students navigate the world with new-found skills.”

Thank you Silvana for your commitment to the ESL industry. And I hope we can collaborate in the field soon!
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Four years after undertaking nine months of programming through startSMART at the Praxis School of Entrepreneurship (PSE), I continue to find fruitful relationships with talented individuals, including Silvana Cracogna and Deanna Litz.

All of this is only possible due to the vision of Global Infobrokers’ CEO, Monica Kreuger; VP Global Infobrokers Inc., Brent Kreuger; and Praxis program administrator and Principal, EDM Business Services, Elaine Mantyka.

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ABOUT US:
Between 2011 and December 2018, Elizabeth Shih Communications chronicled the stories of B2B marketing and communications on the Prairies and across the country.

Effective January 1, 2019, I rebranded as “Storytelling Communications.” I now help newcomers to Canada land better jobs by improving their English skills; I help small-sized businesses close more sales by communicating more effectively; and I help major companies tell their legacy stories.

Interested in learning more? Please contact me through my CASL-compliant
website (www.elizabethshih.com).

After I receive your message, I’ll be pleased to discuss projects with you!
Please visit my website for more information (www.storytellingcommunications.ca)

 

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Weird English idioms and some history behind the “Ides of March” in this month’s newsletter!

March 2023 Vol 5 Issue 3

 

Tell Your Story Newsletter (TYSN):
Specializing in Entrepreneurial and Linguistic Communication
Let me teach you to tell your story!

Welcome Mid-March, 2023!

After enduring unseasonably cold weather for the first 10 days of March, we have seen temperatures gradually rise, as we reached a calendar milestone— the famous “Ides of March!” You may recall that March 15th is the day when Roman Emperor Julius Caesar was assassinated (in 44 BCE, an event made famous by Shakespeare’s tragedy in 1599).

Although Saskatoon sidewalks and roads continue to be slick with ice, for the most part, there are no toga-clad conspirators, waiting with daggers for us at work! (Perhaps the risk is why some of us prefer self-employment? Lol!)

If such “workplace safety” isn’t relief enough, our daylight hours are lengthening beautifully and, after a stretch of grey days, our familiar prairie sunshine has returned!

I expect that none of you, good readers, were accosted (much less, assassinated) by Roman senators (or other “back-stabbing” colleagues) on your commute to work, yesterday! And hopefully, you weren’t headed for the Theatre of Pompey, either. . . . You may remember Wayne & Shuster’s
famous retelling of the story of Caesar’s demise on the Ides of March, from his wife Calpurnia’s perspective: “I told him, ‘Julie, don’t go!’”).

After having addressed serious philosophical and psychoanalytic concepts of stoicism, shame and resilience in recent postings of this newsletter and my blog, today I share some more lighthearted “fare.”

In “Article One,” I present some “weird and wonky” English idioms from a list compiled by the team at Tefl.org in the UK (from whom I earned my accreditation to teach ESL, in 2021). Newcomers and native English speakers alike may have been puzzled by some of these expressions.

And in “Article Two, “Word Nerd’s Corner,” I present some humourous aspects and history of the date of March 15th, more than two millennia after the date gained its murderous origins. (Thinking Edward Gorey, anyone?)

May the coming of spring dispel any superstition from your minds, good readers, so that yesterday’s “Ides of March” will connote no disloyalty or violent ends!

Sincerely,
Elizabeth
Principal
Storytelling Communications
www.elizabethshih.com
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IN THIS ISSUE:
ARTICLE 1: Ten weird English idioms from Tefl.org (in the UK)
STORYTELLERS’ CORNER:
Some history behind the date, the “Ides of March”
SHOP NEWS
ABOUT US
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Article One: Ten weird English idioms from mentors and colleagues at TEFL.org (UK)

While other languages may be very direct and use fewer figures of speech, English has many idioms that arise everywhere, whether in ordinary “watercooler” chat to official government documents.
Some of our simple phrases sound normal to native-speakers, but very odd to newcomers as they study English:

(1) “The Elephant in the room”: The metaphor of the “elephant” generally refers to a controversial or difficult topic that most people want to avoid. The idiom as a whole is attributed the Russian writer, Ivan Krylov, who wrote a fable (in 1814) of a man who visits a museum, observes small trinkets but not a large elephant in the room.

Fyodor Dostoevsky then used the idiom, writing in his book, Demons (1871-1872), that “Belinsky was just like Krylov’s Inquisitive Man, who didn’t notice the elephant in the museum.”

(2) “You can say that again”: This idiom can cause confusion, as it seems to ask a speaker to repeat themselves, when it means simply to express agreement on something. For instance, if I tell you that the weather is unseasonably cold for late March, you might say, “You can say that again!”

(3) “Lose your marbles”: To lose one’s marbles is to forget something, be frustrated or confused by something. These connotations are common, especially in UK English, since competitive marble playing has occurred for centuries there, and with much attention.

A secondary meaning known better in Canada, connects “losing marbles” with “cognitive deterioration” (i.e. insanity). “The mail deliverer must be losing his marbles today, because he stooped down while delivering our letters, to pet our Rottweiler.”

(4) “Butterflies in my stomach”: The metaphor of having insects occupy your digestive tract reflects the feeling of “flutters,” or nervousness about something. This idiom gets trotted out when you have a job interview, go on a blind date, or worry that a costly parking ticket awaits you, as you leave an appointment that ran late.
So, when you are nervous, your mind kicks into “fight-or-flight” mode, and this causes a fluttery feeling in your stomach or digestive tract..

(5) “Easier said than done”: This is an unusually literal idiom which refers to something that is challenging to do, but may not be acknowledged as such. So a newcomer student might say, “I’m going to master the perfect conditional tense” today, when that is much easier said than done.

(6) “To let the cat out of the bag”: refers to revealing a secret, especially if it occurs by accident. To accidentally reveal a surprise retirement party to a good friend would be a typical example. TEFL friends clarify that the idiom “has nothing to do with cats, or indeed, bags.”

(7) “Hit the sack” or “Hit the hay”: these are two idioms that refer simply to “going to bed.” Historically, human beds were not always bought in furniture stores (“move over, IKEA”), so people commonly rested their heads on some loose fabric (sack) or even on some harvested farm crops (hay).

(8) “The best thing since sliced bread”: In the US, where sliced bread was first sold in the 1920s, it was advertised as “the greatest forward step in the baking industry, since bread was wrapped.” The convenience of buying pre-sliced bread led to the simplified phrasing of “the best thing since sliced
bread.” Americans started to apply the term to all kinds of modern conveniences and it persists today.

(9) “The bees’ knees”: this idiom was part of a popular movement in language in the 1920s that used the animal kingdom to create fun expressions of praise. This idiom means something of high quality; and there other idioms that had similar meaning, such as “the cat’s pyjamas” and “the sardine’s whiskers.” While none of these may strike you as terribly persuasive today, the 1920s were a completely different time, linguistically.

(10) “It takes two to tango”: TEFL writers say that the “tango” originated in the border between Argentina and Uruguay and was considered a “risqué and working-class” dance when it began. Now it’s a regular influence on network television, such as on the American program “So You Think You Can Dance.”

Do you use any of these weird and wonky idioms in your conversations in English? Do you know some that didn’t make it to the list? Please share; I’d be happy to post them in a future issue!

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STORYTELLERS’ CORNER . . . 

STORYTELLERS’ CORNER: Words, stories, riddles and more on writing and editing . . . Some history behind the date, the “Ides of March”

• The word “Ides” (the 15th day of a month) comes from the Latin word, “idus,” which refers to the middle day of any month in the ancient Roman calendar.

• The Ides refer the 15th day of the months of March, May, July or October; and the 13th day of the remaining months.

• There is much superstition surrounding the origins of the date, but in fact it only marks the first day of a full moon in every month (falling between the 13th and the 15th days).

• Part of the negative connotations of the “Ides” is that they were designated as the date to settle outstanding debts each month in the ancient Roman calendar. Debtors who could not pay their debts were typically thrown into prison or forced into slavery. Therefore, the “Ides” were thought to be especially unlucky days.

• The connotations of an unlucky day with particularly disastrous implications is, of course, tied to Ancient Rome. Roman Emperor Julius Caesar was murdered on the “Ides of March” in 44 BCE. Historians have said that Caesar’s senators murdered him out of fear that his popularity would turn him into a dictator (and them into slaves).

• A lot of the story surrounding the “Ides of March” comes from Shakespeare’s sensational dramatization of the murder of Julius Caesar. For instance, Shakespeare dramatizes that Brutus was Caesar’s best friend and the leader of the assassination plot, which are not true.
In fact, there were three conspirators, among whom Decimus, not Brutus, was most trusted and known by Caesar. And it was Decimus who led the murderous plot.

• Caesar was not warned to “Beware the Ides of March” by an anonymous soothsayer (in Shakespeare’s version). The omen was actually “Beware the next 30 days,” uttered on February 15, 44 BCE by an Etruscan soothsayer, called Spurinna (historians tell us).

• Dictator Adolf Hitler chose this day in 1939 to attack and seize the provinces of Czechoslovakia.

• Some parts of the world observe March 15 with national holidays that are not deemed unlucky, such as Constitution Day in Belarus; National Day in Hungary; and even Youth Day in Palau.

What was your “Ides of March” (yesterday) like?

Do you have a concept, story, joke or problem involving any aspect of writing or communications? Please share it with me; I’d be delighted to use it in an upcoming issue

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SHOP NEWS:

Every month brings new ways for me to thank my Raj Manek mentor and dear friend, Monica Kreuger. This month, she included me, among other team members of Global Infobroker’s ”Praxis School of Entrepreneurship,” in a deferred Christmas party.

A death in Monica’s family sadly occurred shortly before last Christmas, pre-empting the usual holiday festivities.

But amazingly generous soul that she is, only three months into the new year, Monica graced Elaine Mantyka, Deanna Litz, Silvana Cracogna, Grace Wang, Carmen Karin Rosner and I with pampering spa services (including several kinds of facials, sugaring, ion cleanses, foot wax, eyebrow and nail
treatments!).

It was heavenly! Missing but in our thoughts were also team members Marie Weinkauf and Jolene Watson. (On who the magical service providers were for the evening, see below.)

And in Monica’s impeccable way, the food was scrumptious, featuring the charcuterie and desserts of local entrepreneur, Colleen Middlemiss, of Colleen’s Catering.

Thank you, Monica, and to fellow entrepreneurs of the Praxis team, who have learned from Monica’s genius and generosity!

Entrepreneur of the month:
Writing two days after the above evening spa event, my skin still feels great. So I’m delighted to shine a spotlight on the service providers at Bailey Kreuger’s woman-owned business, “Drop Dead Gorgeous Day Spa.”

Along with estheticians Sara Kreuger, Megan Kent and “Essentials” hairdresser, Crystal Hill, “Drop Dead Gorgeous” provides a wide variety of services that will make you feel as beautiful as you look, including facials and skin care, lashes and brows, hands and feet, makeup application, hair
removal, tanning, tattooing and permanent makeup.

As proud daughters of amazing entrepreneurial parents, Monica and Brent Kreuger, Bailey and Sara belong to the Chamber of Commerce and support “Totally Locally Saskatoon.” They do so by also promoting the work of entrepreneurs who are among their regular and loyal clients.
Ready to feel as gorgeous as you look? Visit their website or their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/DropDeadGorgeousDaySpa !

There are always new businesses and new ideas to promote and discuss. Please write me to shareyour stories! . . . . But for now, this is a wrap for mid-March!

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ABOUT US:
Between 2011 and December 2018, Elizabeth Shih Communications chronicled the stories of B2B marketing and communications on the Prairies and across the country.

Effective January 1, 2019, I rebranded as “Storytelling Communications.” I now help newcomers to Canada land better jobs by improving their English skills; I help SMEs close more sales by communicating more effectively, and I help major companies tell their legacy stories.

Interested in learning more? Please contact me through my CASL-compliant
website (www.elizabethshih.com).

After I receive your message, I’ll be pleased to discuss projects with you!
Please visit my website for more information (www.storytellingcommunications.ca)

 

Posted on

Want to succeed as an ESL teacher? 16 tips to increase motivation and engagement from your ESL students (A webinar presentation by Carl Cameron-Day)

Carl Cameron-Day, a very experienced (and affable) TEFL teacher, based in Northern Ireland, has hosted many webinars on EFL/ESL teaching topics (see Tefl.org). You can find them posted on YouTube and Facebook. Recently Carl discussed how motivating students to learn and to engage with your lessons (and each other) can present a challenge.

How to encourage motivation and engagement may be especially challenging when you teach “young learners” (YL) and when adult learners (AL) have such busy lives that attending class (and preparing homework) can be tough

Carl suggested numerous strategies for EFL/ESL teachers and tutors. Here are a sample:

  1. Adopt a friendly teaching personality, even on your worst days (e.g. when you’re sleep-deprived, sick, etc.): Only the most ungracious and tactless student can resist the power of a friendly teacher/facilitator. Aim to be magnanimous!

2. All education involves at least some degree of suffering on the part of the student. So, when students are struggling, reassure them that if they keep trying, what you’re teaching will soon make sense.

3. Learn your students’ names as quickly as possible. You may need to use signs initially or nametags but make the effort to match faces to names.

4. Treat students individually and not according to stereotypes you may have heard about their cultures. Ask why they’re taking your course, and what music, food, pop culture, etc. they like.

5. Show students that they’re improving, by doing group vocabulary or grammar
“progress tests,” about every four weeks. You can also encourage students to make portfolios out of their marked exercises and projects; the portfolios provide a record of their efforts, in which they can take pride.

6. Explain how to use English in the real world—for instance, what words would you use if you went on holiday to New York City or to London, UK?

7. Use topics for conversation practice that are appropriate to the age of your students: For instance, what have the Kardashians done lately?

8. Think about different learning styles among students and use coloured images, pictures, YouTube videos and a wide variety of teaching activities (e.g., games, music, TedTalks, etc.)

9.Think about the bad teachers you had in life and do the opposite: smile, laugh, use humour, including having a laugh at yourself. Avoid being too serious.

10. Learn how to praise students without sounding like a sycophant.

11. Move students around in the room (or breakout rooms, on Zoom), so that every 10 minutes or so they must often work with someone new.

12. When giving “bad news,” remember to use a “bad news sandwich.” Preface and conclude bad news with good news, so the criticism doesn’t sound too harsh.

13. Male students often like to compete, so you can assign them words to define and use in sentences—“the first one with correct answers gets to choose the music for the class break.” By competing against their peers, some students are motivated to learn better. 

14. If your students know the grammar rules but are not applying them when they speak, then choose an activity that requires accuracy. For instance, you can search for online grammar and vocabulary games, where only one answer can be correct.

15. Be confident as a teacher, even if you do not feel that way. Remember the education and training that you have. Send yourself positive thoughts about how prepared you are to teach new learners of English.

16. You can create a Facebook group for each class and encourage its students to meet and practice their English with each other, in that group.

And now it’s your turn:

To facilitators/teachers: What ESL teaching tips or strategies do you use in a classroom?  

To students: What activities do you enjoy most in class?