Icebreakers for writers

Want a way to connect with your fellow writers? Check out the following icebreaker questions. Answer them for yourself, and then ask them at your next online team huddle or virtual happy hour.  Though some of them may keep until your next in-person happy hour. Do you prefer to write fiction or non-fiction? As a writer if you could only choose one, would you rather be a commercial success or a critical success? If you could have dinner with any writer living or dead, who would it be? What was your favorite book when you were in elementary school? What was your favorite...

Simple advice for complicated times

Over the past several weeks, we’ve all seen a spike in content about how to better manage our work-from-home lives. Bloggers, podcasters, and journalists seem particularly preoccupied with video conferencing. From “How to look your best on a webcam” (from the New York Times) to “13 etiquette tips for video conference calls” (from TechRepublic), are we really supposed to be worried about our on-screen appearance in the middle of a pandemic? Do working professionals actually need to be told to “call from a quiet place”? Let’s keep it simple. My son is in...

Do any of these words describe your co-w...

“It is absurd to divide people into good and bad. People are either charming or tedious,” wrote Oscar Wilde, well before there were open office floor plans or compliance departments. This view seems rather limiting. People can be complex, and so are the words to describe them. Below are 12 words that capture the depth and breadth of the people in our work lives. Convive — an eating or drinking companion. My convive for this evening will be Jake from accounting. Deceptionist — a receptionist whose job is to delay and/or block visitors. Jill, the third-floor...

Test yourself with this corporate jargon...

Make your fellow writers and editors proud. Identify the corporate speak, jargon, and meaningless business terms in the sentences below. Check your answers by scrolling to the bottom. Quiz Sorry I’m late. I’ve been actioning my deliverables. Writing is clearly not one of your core competencies. The project is already six months behind. Is now a good time to start managing expectations? How can I incentivize you to proofread your own work? Let’s discuss the new employee handbook! No one is leaving this meeting until we ideate about the new ad campaign. As many of...

Words and phrases from the 2010s

Never under-estimate the power of words. Words not only describe subtle shades of meaning, but they also transmit culture and define the spirit of the age. To see how words can capture and transmit the ideas and beliefs of the time, let’s take a look at the last decade in words. Do you remember when these words and phrases were first used? Alternative facts — information used to support false or misleading claims; lies. This term was coined by White House counselor Kellyanne Conway in January 2017. Binge-watch — to watch many or all episodes of a TV or movie series...

A little nonsense . . . quotes from the...

As someone who loves words, poetry, and literature, I sometimes wish I had a more focused command of my literary knowledge. I would love to be able to remember and properly articulate a literary quote on the appropriate occasion. For example, a few Charles Dickens’ quotes would have served me well during my budget meeting last month. “Make up the fires, and buy another coal-scuttle before you dot another i, Bob Cratchit.” One of the best examples of literary-quoting prowess comes from the 1971 film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. In the film (but not the...