Writing, writing and more writing. The daily action of every PR person, which involves, in addition to talent, a lot of constant study, research and insight in different fields, analyzing and conveying messages that are always new, current and effective to help companies convey their voice in an authentic and memorable way.
This is by no means simple, and here's why writing is one of the skills that matter most in PR work.
What difficulties can PRs and PRs encounter when they find themselves having to tell the story of a company?
At Disclosers we work vertically only on PR and media relations, and in doing so we are able to cover different sectors and topics. This aspect, in addition to being a great stimulus for our team's creativity, can also prove to be a challenge when it becomes necessary to communicate a sector that you are not familiar with and that requires greater depth.
In such a case, to sharpen one's technique and nurture creativity, in addition to studying the relevant industry well, it can be helpful to take inspiration and learn from the foundations of creative writing.
Here we report what some writers (past and present) recommend from their own experience.
- The first sentence is crucial.
It is difficult to capture people's attention, so it is crucial to do it at the beginning and start with the right image, the right title and the first sentence of the text. Jamaica Kincaid, a writer and professor of creative writing at Harvard University, began her novel "Mr. Potter" thus: "Mr.Potter was my father; my father's name was Mr.Potter". As she herself stated, "In that one sentence there is a lot and a lot happened before I decided to choose those eleven words."
- Write, read and rewrite.
Susan Sontag, writer and philosopher, says, "To write is to practice, with special intensity and attention, the art of reading. One writes to read what one has written and see if it is okay and, since it is obviously never okay, to rewrite it -- once, twice, as many times as it takes to make it into a text that one can bear to reread." And Ursula K. Le Guin would add that "the cornerstone of good writing is accuracy" emphasizing the importance of being precise in word choice and sentence construction.
- Learn from publishing
When in an interview with writer Kurt Vonnegut, a Times editor asked him whether it was really possible to teach creative writing, he replied, "Listen, there were creative writing teachers long before there were creative writing courses, and they were called and continue to be called editors".
Therefore, it is important to pay more attention to editing, viz. "the art (and science) of finding what is not there but should be, guiding the writer or writer to get to the goal he or she wants to reach, and alerting him or her when he or she is taking a wrong turn." Exactly what the and PR people do when they build a strategy for a company.
- Get straight to the point
As George Orwell says: "If you can remove a word, remove it." This reflects the importance of clarity and conciseness in writing and without too many turns of phrase and reminds you not to sell, but to tell the story of the reality you are presenting. "Replace each 'so' and 'also' with a comma." would remind us of Mark Twain, promoting simplicity, reducing redundancy in writing.
- Write the truth
And what could Ernest Hemingway teach us instead? According to his simple and honest writing style and following his advice ("Write the truth. Write honestly.") we can remind ourselves that in PR work, it is crucial to The authenticity, truthfulness and correctness of the information being conveyed, to build an authentic reputation and a relationship with the target audience based on trust.
The great men and women writers of history are a great source not only of culture and creativity, but they are also true teachers for all people who have to write, write and write again for a living.
Article by Paolina Consiglieri
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