by Sue Horner | Nov 14, 2019 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
A prospective client called me this week to talk about an e-newsletter he wants to send his customers. I’m fond of newsletters, so it would be easy to just say, “Sure, let’s do it!” Instead, what I suggest in situations like this is to ponder...
by Sue Horner | Nov 7, 2019 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
Some days I flex my writing muscles. Other days, red pen in hand, I’m trimming and toning flabby writing. By that I mean reviewing a document for typos, jargon, wayward punctuation, grammar errors, the passive voice and other writing that stops readers in their...
by Sue Horner | Oct 31, 2019 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
“When you make friends with fear, it can’t rule you.” – Writer Anne Lamott, in Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith With Halloween on the doorstep, it seemed time to talk about things that scare you. No, not zombies and ghosts — I mean things you want to do...
by Sue Horner | Oct 24, 2019 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
I’m on Plain Language duty. While my client overhauls structure and cuts duplication on the website, I’m trying to make the content more readable. The existing words are often off the readable charts – post-graduate, say, or grade 13 – whereas my client hopes for...
by Sue Horner | Oct 20, 2019 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
You need to bulldoze, guilt, beg and pressure your company’s management (“leadership”) into doing their part for internal communication (IC). That was a key message from a recent Ragan Communications webinar on “What makes communications great.” The webinar talked...
by Sue Horner | Oct 10, 2019 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
October 11 is National Coming Out Day — meant to be a reminder of the power of coming out as gay or lesbian.* The day marks the anniversary of the National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights in 1988. Why is coming out so powerful? Simple. It’s easy...
by Sue Horner | Oct 3, 2019 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
As Merriam-Webster likes to say, the English language never sleeps, and neither does the dictionary. Whether we like it or not – and many do get upset about certain changes – modern dictionaries constantly reflect the state of our word nation. We have no one but...
by Sue Horner | Sep 26, 2019 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
Having been on the outside of internal/employee communication for many years, I’m on a quest to find the current “inside” view. The September issue of my newsletter, Wordnerdery, continues a series where I report the results. My thanks to Sheri Morgan, ABC, for...
by Sue Horner | Sep 22, 2019 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
Last week, IABC members received a short email from the chair of its International Executive Board with the subject line “IABC Leadership Changes.” Within the email are two classic bits of corporate speak: Two people “are no longer with the...
by Sue Horner | Sep 12, 2019 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
Writers are always eager to learn from the masters. We’re told to read widely, and model our writing on the work of those we admire. Years ago, I was lucky enough to meet the famous (in communications circles) Don Ranly, Ph.D., IABC Fellow and professor emeritus of...
