So what is good writing? This year, I used six concepts to help my students improve their writing and make it fresh and interesting. Take a look…
Concept 1: Simplicity
We need to find the essential core of our idea. We must eliminate and prioritize to create simple, yet profound ideas. The focus should be on effectively communicating the core idea, but to do so without going on and on. The less amount of information needed to communicate the core idea the better. We shouldn’t forget to include great leads. We need to mix in metaphors, proverbs, analogies, and relate it to the reader’s own experiences.
Concept 2: Unexpected
We need to get our reader’s attention. Do the unpredictable or unexpected (violate the reader’s schema). Use surprise, or high interest ideas to keep the reader’s attention. The more unexpected, the more attention you will get from the reader. Surprise keeps the reader hooked looking for the answer. We need to remember to keep it focused on the core idea, but be unpredictable. Don’t let your reader guess what you are going to say next. A little bit of mystery can keep it interesting as well. Another great technique is to ask a question the reader can’t answer and go about answering it.
Concept 3: Concrete
Concrete language helps the reader understand your core idea and concrete ideas are easier to remember. Try to avoid making your ideas too abstract. Use a lot of sensory language to make your ideas “living things” so people can relate to them. The more concrete you are with your language, the more likely you will be able to communicate your core idea.
Concept 4: Credibility
Use information gathered from experts to make your writing credible. If you are relating you own experience or knowledge, use a lot of vivid details to boost your validity. Using statistics is a great technique to increase the credibility of your writing.
Concept 5: Emotional
People will care more about your idea if you can connect with them emotionally. Your writing can connect with ideas that people get emotional about by appealing to things that matter to your reader. Show the reader why your idea is important to them and why they should care.
Concept 6: Stories
Stories help to show your reader how you want them to act and then motivate them to act. The story is part entertainment, fun to read, and part instruction, what to do. The reader should be able to “see” the story as they read it. A great plot will present the character(s) with challenges, or connect people who would never usually meet, or your characters can be very creative and do new things. Your story can get people to think in new ways and then get them to act on those thoughts
These concepts have produced some truly interesting pieces of writing in my class this year. One student’s opening line caught my attention when she told me she would be dead or living in the streets if not for her “favorite person.” Now that is a “Favorite Person” essay I want to read.
So, where did these concepts come from you ask? What writing program did I use? No program, just business marketers. Marketers develop some of the best ideas. After all, it is their job to get your attention and to make sure you remember what they said.
Chip Heath and Dan Heath are the authors of Made to Stick, Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die. It is a fantastic book about how to communicate ideas that “stick” They build the book around the six key qualities listed above.
So, why not bring the qualities of communicating great ideas used in the business world into my classroom? Some of the best ideas for education can be found out in the “world.” Education Innovation is all about thinking differently about approaching education and looking for way to innovate and teach creatively. Thanks to Chip and Dan, my students learned how to make their ideas “stick.”
Rob Jacobs
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