culture of writing Archives

What I Learned in 3 Years of Writing a Newsletter

A version of this story appeared in Total Annarchy, my fortnightly newsletter that helps you be a better writer, storyteller, marketer. Get it in your inbox; you’ll love it. * * * Three years ago this week—in January 2018—I decided to start a newsletter. Why? I wanted connection—not one-to-many social media connection, but me-to-you direct connection. Three years ago, I also realized a fundamental truth: The most important part of the newsletter is the letter, not the news. There were other, secondary reasons I thought of later—some much later. I wanted the joy of making something that was 100% mine. I wanted to understand how to build momentum with an email list (and truly understand, from the inside-out, what works). I wanted to experiment, to play, to have fun. I wanted to feel a little more alive. Does that feel like a ridiculously tall order for an email ferpetesake? Especially […]

10 Ways to Create a Culture of Writing

Many organizations have hired a content manager or director, or chief storyteller, or chief content officer. But how can content leaders champion a more content-oriented company culture so that everybody on their team writes? I got this question recently. Let me paraphrase what that question-asker was really asking: How can you get busy coworkers (or lazy slackers—ha!) to write for the company blog? But I think the question could be broader than that—or should be. Because creating a writing culture doesn’t mean simply producing more blog fodder. It also means creating a culture of more efficient and effective communication. And, ultimately, a writing culture develops more leaders. “Business leadership is a lot about communications. People really stand out if they are articulate, if they can actually write sentences and get them presented properly,” says Paul Danos, Dean of the Tuck School of Business. Becoming a better writer means becoming a

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