Confessions of a Word Nerd … in front of a bunch of college students

I recently got to talk with two classes of PR Writing students at the USC College of Journalism and Mass Communications.

It’s always a delight to talk about writing and the importance of strong writing skills in the workplace. I typically start out talks like this by establishing my “word nerd” credentials – I wore my typewriter key earrings and showed off my Grammar Police plaque that was a long-ago going away gift from co-workers.

Years of experience have taught me that people with strong writing and speaking skills are typically the people strong leaders want around their leadership table. Writers who can break down the complex are highly valued in any work environment, regardless of whether they have the function of “writer” in their job description.

My typical “word nerd” points I like to start off talking about with students are

• Default to active voice first – use passive voice only as a deliberate decision.
• The story is in the benefit not the features.
• Narrative + data = a compelling story.
• •You can never go wrong with a handwritten note.
• There’s no good reason to skimp on accurate grammar, punctuation and spelling. You never know who is keeping score.

I left them with some tips on writing and editing, shared some grammar rules that I believe can be broken with intention, discussed how writing is like smoking a pig, and explained why certain fluffy overused words are the drunk party guests of writing. We also talked about the value of a handwritten note and what it means to be a “writer.”

And a highlight of my campus visit was the fact I didn’t have to search for a parking place. My host, Amy Coward, had managed to score the much coveted parking spot #38 right outside the building.

Who’d have thunk when I paid my final $300 in parking fines when I graduated that I’d be able to (legally) slip right into this spot 40-something years later!