I was pleased to contribute to the Author Learning Center, an online learning community for book authors.
Check out the 4 video interviews and 1 webinar!
In the first interview, I discuss the three secrets of authors who use their books to influence social change. You can see this 2 1/2-minute video for free here:
The other 3 brief videos cover:
[Dalya’s Note: This guest post was written by Patricia Dines. She is a freelance writer who’s been inspiring constructive eco-action for 20+ years and can be found at www.patriciadines.info or www.askecogirl.info.]
In my conversations with people about eco-action, one common question they have is how to talk with folks who don’t care about their issue, or worse, respond in non-factual and argumentative ways.
Understandably, most of us want to avoid conflict, keep conversations agreeable, and steer clear of the strident activist tone that turns people away.
However, simply skipping these discussions can leave us feeling unsatisfied, because we know that literally life and death is at stake for so many people, animals, ecosystems, and the planet itself.
So how can we communicate about these issues both pleasantly and effectively, and, through that, help our culture cheerfully shift from eco-destruction to eco-sanity?
[Dalya’s Note: This is an excerpt from my award-winning book, Writing to Make a Difference: 25 Powerful Techniques to Boost Your Community Impact.]
You may recall my post about the value of collaboration. Today I want to talk about the importance of carving out a unique niche for your organization in those collaborative efforts.
Your work to advance your organization’s unique brand involves illustrating how you contribute essential threads to your community’s interwoven fabric. You serve as a crucial resource and contributor to social and/or environmental responsibility.
Collaboration combines your organization’s power with that of other organizations that share your values, in a strategic effort to benefit a larger number of people than you could alone.
Ask yourself: How does your work fit into the larger picture of your community’s well-being?
[Dalya’s Note: This guest post was written by Nadia Khastagir who will be a Special Guest on the 3/5 Writing Wednesdays call. She is a co-owner/graphic designer at Design Action Collective.]
How many times has a copywriter bemoaned that designers always say there’s too much text? How many times does the designer want the editor to cut more text?
How can we come to a perfect harmony?
Graphic design should make your text sing. Good design should enhance the text, it is the supporting actor to the lead star, making sure that the lead role drives the plot and the story. It is the rhythm section to the leader singer. It is the choir to the diva. At the same time, if the story is dominated by the one star always taking the solo, the audience can lose interest, it starts to feel monotonous. This is why design can enhance the copywriting.
Functional graphic design shouldn’t overwhelm the reader to distraction but encourage the reader to read the this brochure, report, flyer, advertisement. Graphic design should show off the stars of the story.
Graphic design can transform your copy into an eyecatching piece:
[Dalya’s Note: This is an excerpt from my award-winning book, Writing to Make a Difference: 25 Powerful Techniques to Boost Your Community Impact.]
Given the astronomical proliferation of values-driven organizations in the last few decades, many of our readers are wondering: “How come you all don’t just combine forces?”
Good question.
No one—investors, customers, clients, etc.—likes to see duplication of effort among barely distinguishable parties. It certainly makes marketing and branding a tougher job as well!
But we are so passionate and concerned about our own sub-issues, services, and products that we can neglect the potential allies out there. In fact, instead of finding ways to cooperate, we often adopt a competitive attitude.
Please don’t get me wrong. I am the first to agree that healthy competition keeps organizations on their toes. What I bemoan is the frequent tendency to allow narrow organizational interests (such as maintaining the status quo or protecting fragile egos) to take precedence over larger community interests. Continue reading
