A friend asked me to look at a few chapters of a book he’s writing. It’s a strong book with a strong premise. But he’s struggling with making the writing equally buff. So together let’s live-edit a single paragraph right here, right now. Because the writing takeaway is a solid one you can apply to […]
Vivid Writing: How Do You Paint a Picture in the Mind of Your Reader? Add These 5 Things.
Big Word Day is a day that encourages people to use king-sized words just to impress others. I love words. Sometimes I like big words. (And I cannot lie!) But using big words for the sake of using big words…? So. Dumb. The point of writing is to connect with other people. To be […]
How to Find Your Unique Brand Voice [with Examples]
The brand voice you use in your marketing is potentially a huge differentiator. It’s also vastly ignored by most companies—especially business-to-business companies. That spells plenty of opportunity for you and your company. “Back up,” you’re thinking. “What’s ‘tone of voice’? That thing I studied in Humanities?” Yes. And also no. Brand voice is how our […]
On Writing, Art, and Carving Your Own Bear
The other night, I stayed up way too late reading Jonathan Franzen’s The Discomfort Zone, a book I devoured and savored at once. Devoured: I wanted to stuff myself silly. Savored: I wanted to take small bites to make it last. I loved each small flavor and the way they worked together to create something […]
Who’s Inspired You? A Shoutout for International Women’s Day
In honor of International Women’s Day on March 8, Oracle + GirlGeekX asked me to share a story of a woman who’s inspired me as part of their #HerStoryContest. So I did in this video. If you’re thinking it *has* to be Tina Fey (because TINA!)… well, NOPE. I dug deeper to tell *this* story… […]
The Ridiculously Useful Holiday Gift Guide for Marketers and Writers
Is it too late for the Handley Ridiculously Useful Holiday Gift Guide for marketers and writers? Not if you are a procrastinator, like me. In other words, there’s no time like the present. (Sorry.) Here are my 2018 picks for ridiculously useful gifts to help marketers become better, more confident communicators now and in the […]
Slay the Ignosaurus; Change Your Life
The Ignosaurus (Latin: Ignosaurus Status Quo) is a beast that lurks in the shadow of Marketing. Some say it doesn’t exist. That it died out millions of years ago along with the other dinosaurs. Some say it never existed. But insiders know the dirty secret… that the Ignosaurus is very much *ALiVe* in marketing. It […]
Making Boring Writing Fun Again: What We Can Learn from Stink Bugs. (Yes, Seriously.)
Here’s the best writing I read all week. It’s 170 words tucked into a belly of a 7,000-word article. And yes… it’s about stink bugs. Stay with me. Because those of us writers who write about B2B “solutions” or other boring or complex things can learn a lot from the vivid description of these […]
The One Thing the Best Career Mentors Do (and an Ode to Mine, Who Did That Very Thing)
“It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.” — e.e. cummings In one of my first assignments from the Boston Globe, editor Dick Powers sent me to cover a fire in the Boston suburbs that had destroyed much of a couple’s antique colonial home. It was a straightforward task, from a […]