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Get Some Style

Presented by Leticia Mooney
of Brutal Pixie
(we <3 content strategy)
www.brutalpixie.com
Hashtag: #PixieSessions
Get Some Style
(this is really just a writing workshop)

Presented by Leticia Mooney
of Brutal Pixie
(we <3 content strategy)
www.brutalpixie.com
Hashtag: #PixieSessions
Good Style is:

Clear
Concise
Understandable

Hashtag: #PixieSessions
Good Style is:

As

Clear
of
thi
Concise
sa
sp
os
Understandable
s
mu
ch

ibl
e

Hashtag: #PixieSessions
Good Style is:
Knowing how to tell a story.
st

Storytelling is the 21 century's
new Top Skill.

Hashtag: #PixieSessions
Learn to spot:
Poor use of modifiers
● Poor punctuation
● Ambiguity
● Poor use of pronoun references
● Redundancies
● Hedges
● Missteps
● Extenders
● Pomposity
● Cliches
● Passive voice
● … and fix tact, tone, attitude, sexism
●

Hashtag: #PixieSessions
More examples!
●

●

●

poor punctuation
e.g. After hanging the man
straightened the pictures
Ambiguity
e.g. Before mixing the
nitroglycerin with the sodium,
shake the vial for four seconds.
pronoun references
e.g. John told Nick that he had
wrecked his car.
Hashtag: #PixieSessions
Learn to spot:
●

Hedges
also known as fumbling for ideas.
e.g. kind of, probably, particularly,
generally, basically.

- Only use it when you use it on
purpose

Hashtag: #PixieSessions
Learn to spot:
●

●

Missteps
are things that hinder conciseness
e.g. it might be said that, it is clear that...
Extenders
stretching verbs into nouns
e.g. asked for confirmation of the details
asked him to confirm the details

Hashtag: #PixieSessions
Learn to spot:
●

Passive voice
HINT: passive voice loves extenders
e.g. It is a misunderstanding to think that the
antiestablishment movement of the 1960s will
be perpetuated by the reopening of the
Hendrix investigation.
When you could just say:
Reopening the Hendrix investigation will not
perpetuate the 1960s' antiestablishment
movement.
Hashtag: #PixieSessions
Learn to check for:
● modifiers

Hashtag: #PixieSessions
Learn to check for:
● redundancy

Hashtag: #PixieSessions
Learn to check for:
● redundancy

Hashtag: #PixieSessions
Learn to check for:
● unnecessary complexity

Hashtag: #PixieSessions
Learn to check for:
● Cliché

Hashtag: #PixieSessions
Good Stories
●

●

●

Good stories have a protagonist,
preferably one that faces a problem.
Persuasion requires ethos (credibility),
logos (logic), and pathos (emotion).
Good stories show, don't tell.

Hashtag: #PixieSessions
Find your style guide
●

Use your architecture

●

Get a style guide

●

Define your dictionary

●

Define YOUR OWN style sheet

●

Use it, use it, use it, use it, use it, use it...

Hashtag: #PixieSessions
Now, on to the words
1. Wise words by Annie Dillard, to inspire.
2. Now, we write!

Hashtag: #PixieSessions

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Get some style

  • 1. Get Some Style Presented by Leticia Mooney of Brutal Pixie (we <3 content strategy) www.brutalpixie.com Hashtag: #PixieSessions
  • 2. Get Some Style (this is really just a writing workshop) Presented by Leticia Mooney of Brutal Pixie (we <3 content strategy) www.brutalpixie.com Hashtag: #PixieSessions
  • 5. Good Style is: Knowing how to tell a story. st Storytelling is the 21 century's new Top Skill. Hashtag: #PixieSessions
  • 6. Learn to spot: Poor use of modifiers ● Poor punctuation ● Ambiguity ● Poor use of pronoun references ● Redundancies ● Hedges ● Missteps ● Extenders ● Pomposity ● Cliches ● Passive voice ● … and fix tact, tone, attitude, sexism ● Hashtag: #PixieSessions
  • 7. More examples! ● ● ● poor punctuation e.g. After hanging the man straightened the pictures Ambiguity e.g. Before mixing the nitroglycerin with the sodium, shake the vial for four seconds. pronoun references e.g. John told Nick that he had wrecked his car. Hashtag: #PixieSessions
  • 8. Learn to spot: ● Hedges also known as fumbling for ideas. e.g. kind of, probably, particularly, generally, basically. - Only use it when you use it on purpose Hashtag: #PixieSessions
  • 9. Learn to spot: ● ● Missteps are things that hinder conciseness e.g. it might be said that, it is clear that... Extenders stretching verbs into nouns e.g. asked for confirmation of the details asked him to confirm the details Hashtag: #PixieSessions
  • 10. Learn to spot: ● Passive voice HINT: passive voice loves extenders e.g. It is a misunderstanding to think that the antiestablishment movement of the 1960s will be perpetuated by the reopening of the Hendrix investigation. When you could just say: Reopening the Hendrix investigation will not perpetuate the 1960s' antiestablishment movement. Hashtag: #PixieSessions
  • 11. Learn to check for: ● modifiers Hashtag: #PixieSessions
  • 12. Learn to check for: ● redundancy Hashtag: #PixieSessions
  • 13. Learn to check for: ● redundancy Hashtag: #PixieSessions
  • 14. Learn to check for: ● unnecessary complexity Hashtag: #PixieSessions
  • 15. Learn to check for: ● Cliché Hashtag: #PixieSessions
  • 16. Good Stories ● ● ● Good stories have a protagonist, preferably one that faces a problem. Persuasion requires ethos (credibility), logos (logic), and pathos (emotion). Good stories show, don't tell. Hashtag: #PixieSessions
  • 17. Find your style guide ● Use your architecture ● Get a style guide ● Define your dictionary ● Define YOUR OWN style sheet ● Use it, use it, use it, use it, use it, use it... Hashtag: #PixieSessions
  • 18. Now, on to the words 1. Wise words by Annie Dillard, to inspire. 2. Now, we write! Hashtag: #PixieSessions