Practice Adult Small

How can I practice being more poetic/lush/vivid when writing?

I have always admired words. Ever since I learned to read I got everything I could lay my hands on, big books and small books, for children and for adults. And though sometimes I had no clue what I was reading, I have always loved the way words sounded together, smoothly flowing, sort of like a personal symphony in your mind. I was a very intuitive and solitary child; I also loved to write, just for my own entertainment, even though I laugh at the things I wrote then. But laugh as I do, I am still in awe of how free I was in writing then. When I write now, I don’t feel as if I’m searching deep enough for words. I feel as if I’m losing my freedom of expression, based on what society has drained me of as I grew and matured. What I mean to ask is, how can I let go and just enter that little world I was in, without outer disturbance again? How can I ‘lose’ myself again when writing? How can I be more poetic and vivid?

I love writing, particularly descriptions, which people tell me that I’m really good at. What I do is write a really basic sentence first, then fill in the kind of words that I want to fit in the scene. But first you need to know what you want. Are you after a description of breathtaking beauty, danger, or just a description of movements? Think about what kind of mood you want to convey to the reader. So write a basic sentence and fill it (though not too much) with adjectives that you think would go well with the scene and personality you want the reader to feel. Read the sentence aloud and if some of the words sound a little sharp, find a thesaurus and look up the word to find a gentler word that means the same thing. A good exercise to practice this-when you’re bored, describe a random object to the absolute best of your ability. For colors, use words that you would find in nature, like sapphire (I use that a lot for eye-color), hazel, cloudy, and sunlight. Use uncommon words that sound intelligent and have a ring to them. I, personally, use really old-fashioned words a lot and they usually sound really good. I love words, too, and have always had a talent for writing and description, as well as an advanced vocabulary. Try to learn a few new words all the time. Or if you stumble across a word that you really like, remember it. Read a lot. Use smooth words. That’s all I can think of at the moment.

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How to Present Without Fear – Practice

Copyright (c) 2008 Drew Stevens PhD

Public speaking is one of the largest fears that people face. Whether a toast at a wedding or as business meeting facilitator- public speaking can be a nuisance. Some balk at embarrassment while others fear hesitating. Even for the most learned or the professional speaker, public speaking is difficult.

Overcoming fear is similar to athletic competition- one must practice before competition. Research with hundreds of clients shows that when individuals practice speaking they become confident and unrestrained. Presentations are not as difficult as they seem; they require structure and framework. Get help with your next presentation with PRACTICE©.

Preparation – No presentation can begin or even end properly without proper preparation. All speakers require a framework that must include 1) your audience analysis, 2) your purpose or motive for the presentation, 3) your 3 or 4 main points 4) any stories or statistics required 5) your call to action. These five components are essential to every presentation. Meetings today are run too haphazardly. Productive meetings must have purpose.

Rapport – Some presentations are succinct and do not enable much time for your to build audience rapport. You can overcome this hurdle with consistent interaction. More importantly, adult participants desire becoming part of the presentation. When possible, stop for questions, engage participants with case studies, exercises, charts, etc. If you relax your audience you too will relax.

Attention – It is important to understand that you will never capture the attention of an entire audience. People filter during presentations are think about a myriad of items other than you. However, to ensure you capture an audience majority it is best to use metaphor, statistics, and even self-deprecating humor. Participants enjoy hearing new information especially that which is memorable.

Conviction – Passion and empathy are keys for presentation success. Avatars of the speaking world capture audiences with charisma. The best speakers include King, Kennedy, Robbins, Clinton and many others. Participants even in business meetings enjoy listening to those passionate about the subject.

Timely – Presentations must be time honored. Research proves that business meetings and classroom training are too long. Keep meetings succinct and agenda bound. No meeting should last longer than 45 minutes to one hour.

Information -Dependent – The best meetings have agendas and stick to them. Every meeting must have an opening three to four main points and closure. Do not offer similar bromides others do. If you want to run an effective meeting then you must honor the framework of an agenda with only three to four main points. This framework keeps meetings focused and energetic.

Close – Our work over 27 years proves that over 82% of meetings have little if any closure. Every meeting must have a summary of key points and a call to action. For a keynote presentation this is imperative, a classroom breakout- a return on investment and for the general business meeting- completeness of task.

Evaluation – On completion of any meeting take a few moments to digress your presentation for evaluation. Never focus on the rote “smile sheets” handed to participants, simply review your work and areas that you believe might need improvement.

There is no such thing as a flawless presentation. Even the “best” professionals mar their performances. The key is to not worry, remain relaxed and most important- have a conversation. The best presenters have a plan, know their purpose, speak with passion and hold their presence. Yet, the most imperative tool for any speaker is practice. So, for your next speech remember to PRACTICE Your Presentation©. Now make it happen!

About the Author

Drew Stevens assists organizations to dramatically accelerate business growth. Visit http://www.drewstevensconsulting.com to download FREE “Sales Effectiveness” White Paper or his newsletter Split Second Success.