Effective Communication Course

An onsite (yours) offering

2006-08-05T18:06:00.000-07:00

Fact 1: I've received several queries about conducting my course at locations other than Houston.

Fact 2: My wife Barbara loves to travel. ("How could you say no to Honolulu?"--see July 18 post "Where everywhere else is and isn't.")

Honolulu is still a reach but--

Beginning January 2007, I'll conduct two types of out-of-Houston courses.

1. A two-day cram session on improving writing. This will cover the writing skills contents of the Everywhere Else course calendar.

2. A three-day cram session of the entire course (managing communications media as well as writing skills).

Both will be available to individual companies or to a group of local association members (e.g., the XXX City membership of IABC).

Caveats:

1. Normally, my courses are heavy on remedial stuff based on how my individual students do in their writing assignments. These onsite sessions will have no writing assignments and, therefore, no personal feedback. Several specific writing drills to be done on participants' own time will, however, be recommended.

2. My preferred "attendee" limit is 15. That's negotiable, but 15 is a mental maximum that has worked well for me in the past.

3. There's only one of me, only so many hours in a day, days in a month etc. Sometimes I wish it were otherwise, but it's fact. So scheduling might be a problem but, as the Beatles put it, "We can work it out."

If you'd like to explore this further, please email me: relory@aol.com. Include your company or association affiliation.

[writing] [communication][editing] [writing course] [communication training]

Manuals and online course version

2006-07-29T16:11:00.000-07:00

The email asked where the writer could buy the two manuals I use in my course and also asked if I had a version of the course someone could take online.

Answers:

Right now both manuals are primarily supplements to the course I teach and are available only to writers who take the course. I am working on stand-alone versions of both but can't say when I'll be marketing them.

My "everywhere else" course version comes close to being totally online and, yes, I suppose it wouldn't task a Hercules to make it totally so. Personally, I'd miss the give-and-take of the two face-to-face sessions but...I'll think about it.

Email relory@aol.com;

[writing] [communication][editing] [writing course] [communication training]

Where "everywhere else" is-and isn't

2006-07-18T16:04:00.000-07:00

The email said, "Your course calendar for everywhere else doesn't have anywhere else listed" and asked if Hawaii qualified.

That sure rocked me back into global village mode. What I had in mind by "everywhere else" were places from which you could fly to Houston in, say, four hours or less. I did not have Honolulu in mind. Or Tokyo or London or Sidney or....

I apologize for my provincial thinking. And I don't want to imply that any place not within a four-hour radius of Houston qualifies for Gertrude Stein's noted quip about Oakland, California.

You may have heard it: "There isn't any there there."

Email relory@aol.com.

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Course materials

2006-07-09T15:25:00.000-07:00

Almost all course materials are provided on a CD that includes:

o My Effective Employee Publishing manual, currently 213 pages.*
o My Write the WRITE Way manual, currently 54 pages.*
o Source materials for all writing assignments.

Copies of Doublespeak by William Lutz are loaned to students for course duration (this book is out-of-print and, although currently available on Amazon.com, that could end).

The only item I ask people to buy is Strunk and White's The Elements of Style, which I believe every writer should have on his or her personal bookshelf.

*"currently" because, even after several years, I can't stop tinkering with either.

Email relory@aol.com

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Course Calendar--"Everywhere else"

2006-07-09T14:40:00.000-07:00

Before first session

o Read Strunk and White's The Elements of Style
o Write no more than 300 words on topic to be determined

First Houston session

Material covered:

Intro: This course is about managing:
1. Your self
2. Your communication message and medium
3. Your words

You:

I: Mindsets
1. You, the communicator
2. You, the profit center
3. Your media's mission
4. You, the editor
5. You, the copywriter

Your message and medium:

II: The copy platform
1. The concept
2. A generic platform with 11 message themes
3. Why employees as audience? Why a publication as medium?

III: Using the platform
1. Story treatments to demonstrate each of the 11 themes
2. Copy platforms in press releases, annual reports and advertising and...

VIII: Writing for readers
1. Six story leads--mastering the shuriken
2. Six headline techniques

Your words:

1. Style, Style, STYLE and "Style"
2. Four basic modes: seeing, hearing, feeling, thinking
3. Cookbook writing (the how-to article)
4. Sidebars for the tangential--but good
5. Do nothing extra
6. Use short words
7. Avoid jargon
8. Keep sentences, paragraphs short (goodbye, semicolons)
9. Use the active voice
10. Avoid adverbs and most adjectives
11. To be or not?
12. Meet Flesch-Kincaid

Work before week two:

o Read Effective Employee Publishing (EEP)--pages 1-108 and 163-174
o Read Write the WRITE Way (WWW)--pages 1-29 and 32-35 ("Use your computer to help")
o Write a personal mission statement
o Write your job mission statement*
o Hero #1-rewrite the "real" story in 350 words or less*
o Write short (250 words) how-to article--subject to be determined-plus 2 sidebars*
o Begin reading Doublespeak by William Lutz

*Please note:
1. All writing should have an FK score of 10 or less (some assignments will be specific).
2. All writing assignments should end with their
- wordcount
- % passive verbs
- FK score

Week two

Material covered by Bob Lory email(s):

Your message and medium:

IV: Contents planning
1. Using the calendar
2. Using continuing features
3. Using audience maps

V: Story sources

VI: Measuring results
1. Readership surveys?
2. A goals-based method
3. Reporting your results

Your words:

Individual feedback on your assignments, plus:

14. Quoting the experts
15. Dialogue in fiction
16. "Dialogue" in non-fiction
17. The best dialogue: the Q&A

Work before week three:

o Read EEP--pages 109-154
o Read WWW--pages 29-33
o Read The Old Ragnarok Trail portion on your course CD
o Write 200-word 3-person "trialogue"-subject to be determined*
o Hero #2 -write 3 leads, each demonstrating a different message theme*
o Hero #3 - write a 150-200-word Q&A with Smith covering the essentials of his story*
o Select 3 company articles (or other written material) that demonstrate 3 different message themes (identify the themes)**
o Select 5 non-company magazine/newspaper ads that demonstrate 5 different message themes (identify the themes)**

*Please email on or before (day before start of week three).** These can be emailed as .pdf, .bmp. or jpg files or you can fax them, whichever is easiest.

Week three

Material covered by Bob Lory email(s):

Your self:

The WRITE way

Your message and medium:

VII: Publication nuts and bolts
1. Format and frequency
2. Distributing the publication

Your words:

18. Hero, hero, hero, HERO! Two reasons why
19. Adapting your writing style to the medium you're writing for
20. "Boiling" stories to their essentials: WSJ vs. IBD
21. The press release--rules to live (and die) by

Work before week four:

o Complete reading both EEP and WWW manuals
o Hero #4--Write 6 different style leads and headlines (note message theme demonstrated by each lead)*
o Rewrite WSJ story in IBD style-90 words max, FK below 8.5*
o Rewrite Ragnarok portion in OT style 250-300 words*
*Please email on or before day before week four.

Week four

Material covered by Bob Lory email(s):

Your message and medium:

IX: Graphics, design and layout
1. Obtaining and using good photos
2. Design, layout basics

X: Techniques for sustaining readership

Your words:

22. Murphy's Law for editors

Work before second Houston session:

o Rewrite Moscow article in 250 words-no passive voice, adverbs, adjectives or any version of the verb "to be"*
o Write 3 heads and leads based on Fargus article (mix-match)*
o Rewrite proverb in "business language"--minimum 50 words*
o Complete reading Doublespeak

*Please email on or before (day of Houston session).

Second (final) Houston session

Material covered:
o Full review of all course material
o Additional skills-development resources

Questions? Email relory@aol.com.

[writing] [communication] [editing] [communication training] [writing course]

Course Calendar--"Texas"

2006-07-09T14:31:00.000-07:00

Before first session

o Read Strunk and White's The Elements of Style
o Write no more than 300 words on topic to be determined

First session

Material covered:

Intro: This course is about managing:
1. Your self
2. Your communication message and medium
3. Your words

You:

I: Mindsets
1. You, the communicator
2. You, the profit center
3. Your media's mission
4. You, the editor
5. You, the copywriter

Your message and medium:

II: The copy platform
1. The concept
2. A generic platform with 11 message themes
3. Why employees as audience? Why a publication as medium?

Your words:

1. Style, Style, STYLE and "Style"
2. Four basic modes: seeing, hearing, feeling, thinking
3. Cookbook writing (the how-to article)
4. Sidebars for the tangential-but good
5. Do nothing extra
6. Use the active voice.
7. Meet Flesch-Kincaid

Work between first and second session:

o Read Effective Employee Publishing(EEP)--pages 1-24
o Read Writing the WRITE Way(WWW)--pages 1-13 and 32-35 ("Use your computer to help")
o Write a personal mission statement
o Write your job mission statement*
o Fax or email a copy of your organization's mission statement
o Hero #1-rewrite the "real" story in 350 words or less*
o Write short (250 words) how-to article-subject to be determined-plus 2 sidebars*
o Begin reading Doublespeak by William Lutz

*Please note:
1. All writing should have an FK score of 10 or less (some assignments will be specific).
2. All writing assignments should end with their
- wordcount
- % passive verbs
- FK score

Second session

Material covered:

Your message and medium:

III: Using the copy platform platform
1. Story treatments to demonstrate each of the 11 themes
2. Copy platforms in press releases, annual reports and advertising

Your words:

8. Use short words
9. Avoid jargon
10. Keep sentences, paragraphs short (goodbye, semicolons)
11. Avoid adverbs and most adjectives.
12. To be or not?
13. Quoting the experts
a. Dialogue in fiction
b. "Dialogue" in non-fiction
c. The Q&A as to-the-bone dialogue

Work between second and third sessions:

o Read EEP--pages 25-116
o Read WWW--pages 14-32 and 35-37
o Read The Old Ragnarok Trail portion
o Write 200-word 3-person "dialogue"--subject to be determined
o Hero #2 -write 3 leads, each demonstrating a different message theme
o Hero #3 - write a 150-200-word Q&A with Smith covering the essentials of his story
o Select 5 company articles (or other written material) that demonstrate 5 different message themes
o Select 5 non-company magazine/newspaper ads that demonstrate 5 different message themes

Third session

Material covered:

Your message and medium:

IV: Contents planning
1. Using the calendar
2. Using continuing features
3. Using audience maps

V: Story sources

VI: Measuring results
1. Readership surveys?
2. A goals-based method
3. Reporting your results

VII: Publication nuts and bolts
1. Format and frequency
2. Distributing the publication

VIII: Writing for readers
1. Six story leads-mastering the shuriken
2. Six headline techniques

Your words:

14. Hero, hero, hero, HERO! Two reasons why
15. Adapting your style to specific media
16. "Boiling" stories to their essentials: WSJ vs. IBD
17. The press release--rules to live (and die) by
18. Intro to The WRITE Way

Work between third and fourth sessions:

o Read EEP-page 117 to end
o Read WWW-page 38 to end
o Hero #4--Write 6 different style leads and headlines (note message theme demonstrated by each lead)
o Rewrite WSJ story in IBD style-90 words max, FK below 9
o Rewrite opening of The Old Ragnarok Trail in OT style 250-300 words

Fourth session

Material covered:

Your self and your words:

19. Writing the WRITE Way

Your message and medium:

IX: Graphics, design and layout
1. Getting and using good photos
2. Design, layout basics

X: Techniques for sustaining readership

Also: Murphy's Law for editors

Work between forth and fifth sessions:

o Rewrite Moscow article in 250 words-no passive voice, adverbs, adjectives or any version of the verb "to be"
o Write 3 heads and leads based on Fargus article (mix-match)
o Rewrite assigned proverb in "business language"-minimum 50 words
o Complete reading Doublespeak

Fifth session

Material covered:

o Full review of all course content
o Additional skills development resources

Questions? Email relory@aol.com.

[writing] [communication] [editing] [communication training] [writing course]

Intro--to me and the course I teach

2006-07-08T12:24:00.000-07:00

I'm Bob Lory, and my current work is training professional communicators. I teach a month-long course--one-on-one or in groups of two or three--to help them manage their words and the media in which their words appear. I've been doing this for more years than I like to admit.

My background in brief (if you've read these same words on my Writing for Communication blog, I apologize for the repetition):

I've almost 30 years writing and managing employee communication, public relations, marketing promotion and advertising-for most of these years with several affiliates of a Fortune Five company. During this time I created and led several communication-training programs for professionals from all Western European and most Asia Pacific countries as well as the Americas.

Under the Robert Lory and two pen names, I've written 35 published novels and two short story collections-science fiction, fantasy, horror, action type stuff-none of which was nominated for any major (or minor) distinction. But more than half of them were translated into French, German and British.

For the past ten years, I've primarily been a corporate hired gun--magazine articles, executive presentations, video scripting and direction, communication organizational counseling and analysis of competitor communication strategy and content.

There are two versions of my training program--formally titled The Professional Writer/Manager's Course in Effective Corporate Communication. They differ, not in content, but in their number of face-to-face training sessions. The first, "Texas," version calls for five weekly morning sessions at my Houston home-office. The second, "Everywhere else," version calls for two all-day sessions in Houston, one at the course beginning and the other at its end-with detailed emails elaborating on concepts covered in the course's two manuals, explaining assignments and commenting on completed assignments. The calendars for each form the two posts following this one.

The cost of the training program varies with the number of participants. It's US$2000 for a single person, $3500 for two from the same company, and $4500 for three, again from the same company. (Walmart is not alone in offering discounts.)

If you have any questions, please email relory@aol.com.

[writing] [communication] [editing] [writing course] [communication training]