Ellen Lupton Writing tips from "Design is Storytelling"

Ellen Lupton Writing tips from "Design is Storytelling"

❶ Wait. I’m scared. I have writer’s block.

• Instead of struggling to compose a brilliant for sentence, list the main points you want to make. Don’t worry about the order.
• Go back and group your points into sections. A pitch or presentation should have three to five main sections.
• If making a list feels too linear, create a word map instead. Write your main idea in a bubble in the middle of a sheet of paper. Draw more bubbles with more points.
• Research. Gathering evidence will help you create compelling content. It will also help you defeat writer’s block.

❷ I have notes and a general plan. Now what?

• Start writing in a relaxed, conversational way. Focus on the content, not the words, as if you were speaking to someone. Later, you can improve the writing style.
• As you write, focus on being clear, not clever. Focus on the ideas and information that you want other people to absorb. If your sentences have more secret staircases than a Victorian mansion, it’s time to clean house.
• A metaphor can be your best friend or a backstabbing enemy. Use metaphors to clarify and illuminate concepts, not to create flowery prose.

❸ My text is clear but it’s deadly dull.

• Generate intrigue by questioning assumptions. Make readers curious with phrases such as, “You may have learned in school that… “ or “One of the biggest mistakes in our industry is… “
• Introduce counter-arguments. Anticipate objections and address them.
• Imagine writing an FAQ for your product or idea. What will confuse a new user? Posing questions and then answering them keeps people interested.
• Read your text out loud and listen for repetition and clunky phrases. If you think you are being boring, your audience will, too.
• When you are almost finished, make an outline of what you have done. For example, if you are producing a slide deck, write down the main headings. Are they parallel? Did they tell a clear story? We working the headings can help you restructure your material.

— adapted from Design is Storytelling — Ellen Lupton p. 155–

https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/34696391-design-is-storytelling

Mr. X / he

IN ESSAYS

Where the subject of the previous sentence was something other than the subject of the current sentence, use the full form of the subject (here, “Mr. X”) instead of a pronoun (“he”), since the pronoun will seem as if it refers to the subject of the previous sentence (here, "many people”).

IN LoRs
Your recommender only needs to use your first and last name (Mr. Vince Ricci) once, at the very beginning of the letter, the first time he refers to you. Thereafter, he can refer you to as Mr. Ricci, or Vince. 

Differentiate, or die!

Never write something that someone else could write.

Too often, clients in their essays with something like, This will allow me to achieve my long-term goal.

Why do you even assume that the reader remembers your long-term goal? That was pages ago :) Seriously, use every single opportunity to remind busy readers of what you are trying to achieve and why you care about it. 

Like all humans, admissions office readers learn through repetition. Learn how to say the same thing in a different way. Paraphrase your specific goals. Never use a generic phrase like "my short-term goal" or "my long-term goal." Just because that phrase appears in the question you don't need to repeat it in your essay. You have specific goals. Remind them what your specific goals are at every opportunity. 

Show them the money

One of the hardest things from my Japanese clients to understand is that American people want to hear a hopeful story. It's okay to talk about Japan lagging behind in this area or that area when trying to convince your company to sponsor your MBA or when applying for a Fulbright scholarship or a similar grant. However, when writing for or speaking with admissions officers, tell them a story about the opportunity that you hope to capture.

Include first and last names when mentioning alumni in your essay

Include first and last names when mentioning alumni in your essay

Tip: Always refer to current students or alumni by their full name and year of graduation. 

Reason: Sometimes, admissions office readers only know someone's first name.

IN ESSAYS

• Student names: Always refer to current students or alumni by their full name. Sometimes, adcom readers only know someone's first name, especially at schools like Kellogg and Tuck. Write like this: Vince Ricci (MBA '15)
• School name: similarly, in your goals essay, the first time you write a school's name, spell it out officially as the school does e.g. The Kellogg School of Management. Afterward, you can just call it Kellogg.

IN LETTERS of RECOMMENDATION

• The first time your recommender mentions you, he should write your full name, like this: "I first met Mr. Vince Ricci in 2002." Afterward, he can refer to you as just Mr. Ricci (or Vince if a peer / casual recommender)
• I am writing to you with regard to [Mr./Ms. Full Name], who has requested that I write a letter of recommendation on [his/her] behalf.

Mr vs Mr.

• In British English, abbreviated titles that end with the same letter as the word being abbreviated do not take a full stop (period): “Mr” but “Prof.”
• On the other hand, in American English, all titles take a period: “Mr.” and “Prof.”
• Either way, be sure to add a space after Mr or Mr.

Too many clients write Mr.Smith, which is always incorrect in both US and UK English.