by Sue Horner | May 14, 2020 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
Simple, powerful, vivid words and analogies. They’re critical if you want people to understand you; even more important if you want to inspire action. Notice what’s happening with the COVID-19 pandemic. Health experts are using simple words to encourage understanding...
by Sue Horner | Apr 22, 2020 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
We’re all seeing one particular number everywhere these days – two metres (six feet). That’s how far we have to stay away from others to slow down the spread of COVID-19. But how far is that, really? Everyone citing this number quickly realized people need a better...
by Sue Horner | Jan 22, 2020 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
In a world where skimming and snacking is our default way of operating, vivid images can be an express trip to understanding. Metaphors are magic when you want to explain something complicated, give an idea of size, make a point memorably – or just make someone smile....
by Sue Horner | Aug 15, 2019 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
Country music has a reputation for sad songs involving drinking, trucks, love gone wrong, and more drinking. While that’s still often the case, today’s stars are often more thoughtful about looking at and learning from past mistakes. They also put on a master class in...
by Sue Horner | Aug 9, 2019 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
My word-a-day calendar is famous for sharing words that make you go “huh?” True, they are often the “perfect” word for a specific situation (like petrichor, as I’ve talked about before). But they are more likely to set up a roadblock to meaning than open up an...
by Sue Horner | Apr 25, 2019 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
Do you want to explain something, clear up confusion, make a point or reflect or spark emotion? Reach for what I call expressive language (AKA figurative writing), which is a memorable way of showing rather than telling. For example, Oxford Dictionaries describes...
by Sue Horner | Feb 14, 2019 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
You can’t always (ever?) be wildly creative in corporate writing. But you can choose words and phrases that are interesting and colourful to help your readers “see” what you mean. If you want to explain something, make a point or reflect or spark emotion, reach for...
by Sue Horner | Aug 22, 2018 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
Do you want to explain something complicated, spark a flash of understanding or create a feeling? Reach for analogies. Analogies – metaphors and similes, which show how two things are alike – help readers quickly get your meaning. “Tools such as analogies and...
by Sue Horner | Jul 26, 2018 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
You’ll find some of the best storytellers in the music world. Songwriters use lyrics to create a mood or trigger emotion. They are adept at alliteration, and use rhyme and rhythm to help listeners feel the tale behind the tune. Expressive language gets the point...
by Sue Horner | Apr 27, 2018 | The Red Jacket Diaries blog
Can you picture almost 80 million litres? Probably not. It’s a huge number, too big to understand without context. A client wants employees to understand the importance of managing energy like diesel fuel. To make the 80 million litres the company used in 2017 more...
