Exclaiming Points

It could be that we believe we're sharing information so important that we want to shout it. It might be that we want to gain attention in a cluttered info-environment. It may be that it is easier to input an exclamation point than it is to clearly explain what we are excited about--but the proliferation of the exclamation point in writing is hard to overlook. In grading writing assignments, advice to students seems fairly simple: Show, don't tell. Let your words, your descriptions and your detail do the work of gaining others' attention. Don't rely on the punctuation mark to do so. My hunch is that we like the exclamation point because it uses the same key on a qwerty keyboard as the number 1, and it looks a lot like a capital I. Whether it is convenience or habit that leads to its overuse, trust your readers. They can get the point--without the point.

Compounding Hyphens

The use of the hyphen in newspapers, magazines and advertising appears to be disappearing. When one does appear, it is misused more often than not, and when one is needed, there is just the empty blank space between what should be a compound modifier.

My guess is that we don't understand when or why a hyphen is needed. I remember writing a short piece for a children's section of a daily newspaper in which I tried to explain how one used properly used a hyphen. I likened it to a plus sign that held two words together so that they would add up to one thing (a two-room house; a mid-career move). Without the hyphen, the modifiers might stand alone -- and they wouldn't make much sense. What is a two house or a mid move? If the modifer makes sense alone, then a hyphen likely is not needed.

A hyphen is not needed with an adverb. Tip here: Watch for the "ly" that usually signals an adverb, and be cautious of adding a hyphen. For example, one doesn't need a hyphen to write "a typically-unnecessary" punctuation mark correctly.

So -- here's my salute to a vanishing marker of connectivity, the small reminder that sometimes two are better as one.

Reminder about Crisis Comms

Want a reminder about the importance of planning before a crisis occurs? Check out this story:

http://bit.ly/14eTdC

Practicing Writing

I'm not an athlete. I may be the only living Boomer who has never been part of an organized sports team. My passion for sports is unfortunately much greater than my abilities. Even my daily exercise routine is largely marked by persistence, rather than talent. Yet I spend a good deal of time listening, watching and reading sports--and talking or arguing about them with others with similar passion.

Does this make me a sportswoman? No -- it makes me a fan. Wearing a Peyton Manning jersey doesn't make me a Colt. It takes more. To be an athlete, you have to compete. To be an athlete, you have to practice, exercise, lose and win. To be an athlete, you have to be in the game.

Similarly, to be a writer, you have to write. Enjoying reading alone does not make you a writer--although it can be a great help. Envisioning columns, chapters or plots alone doesn't, either. Loving words is not enough. A writer has to practice writing--often. A writer must explore ways in which to maximize his or her talents and to find the discipline to apply them in what can be competitive or comfortable settings. A writer has to find a way to convert the potential into the actual -- and for professional writers, that usually has to occur within a given time period, with only a few time outs.

You can think of other parallels between writing and athletics. Share them with me.

And while you're thinking about that, a friend shared a column that offers some solid reminders about how to get started writing. Read it at http://bit.ly/Eax3. Anything you can add to your game plan for writing?

Read the latest about changing communication patterns

Interesting stories about how the changes in communication patterns are affecting public relations and public communication you may want to review....

http://adage.com/digital/article?article_id=135566

http://www.newsday.com/business/ny-bzlink306088916mar30,0,5004737.story?track=rss

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/02/fashion/02voicemail.html?_r=1&hpw

Second Edition of Applied Public Relations

The second edition of Applied Public Relations: Cases in Stakeholder Relationships by McKee and Lamb will be published this summer by Routledge.

It will include:

• new and revised case studies


• new professional commentaries.


• enhanced teaching-support material on Web site.