How to make your writing more interesting

How to make your writing more interestingHow to make your writing more interestingThe title itself almost made me throw up.Being a good researczu sich, though, I clicked through anyway, hoping to be wrong. I was disappointed.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreYepthere is the suggestion my life was crap.Yepthere is the advice about getting up earlier.Yepthere are the mild adjectives and simple sentences.Yepthere is the implication the author is wildly successful.Yepthere is the ask for an schmelzglas addressYepthere is the vomit.The relentless swill of recycled wisdom in the self-help genre, while worthy of ire itself, is not the topic of this post. After all, self-help in itself is fine. Asking for email addresses is fine. Giving advice is fine.Writing with all the poise and grace of a third-grader, though, is not fine.No matter your topic, be it the urgency of the pension crisis, the excretion of the 7-toed tree frog, or yes, even getting up early in the morning in order to live YOUR BEST LIFE(), there are ways to write which do not compel puny, Y List Celebrities like me to throw their breakfast cereal at the wall.So here we go1 MetaphorA metaphor is when you describe a thing which cannot do or be the thing you are actually claiming it is doing or being. (Calm down, English majors. Thats essentially what it is).The sunrosevs.The sun was golden lava pouring over theground.Of course, the sun wasnt REALLY golden lava, unless your fiction story is off to a horrific start. But itbinnenseemedlike that, though, didnt it? It looked like that. As a matter of fact, your brain thought it actually was.Researchers from Emory Universitydiscovered metaphor spreads beyond the language processing center and into the other sensory areas of the brain.Youve been looking for Jedi mind tricks your whole life. Turns out all you had to do was use metaphor.Instead of bashing bad wr iters, lets cheer on a good one.Dan MooresMy Mom is a Movie Starputs on a clinicMy mom is the epitome of cool. Her eyes could cut ice. She bounces on her toes, all muscle and kinetic potential. In her hand she holds a baton that has been lit on fire at both ends. She holds it as casually as others might grip a tennis racket. The New England night yawns out behindher.Can a night yawn? No. Can a eyeball cut ice? No. It doesnt matter. Wefeelwhat Dan is saying.Make sure you go read that whole post.Then have a good cry.Then lets get into2 PacingPacing is when you slowly lead the reader up a long and winding tunnel. You slip and strain to pull them over boulders, hop across gaps, and squeeze through the tiniest crevices. You show them the marks you followed to reach your destination before finally emerging on the very top of a snowy mountain.Then, you push them off the cliff to their death.Think about when you are in a car. When you go 80 miles an hour for more than 60 seconds, you dont e ven feel it anymore. But when you accelerate from 10 to 100, or 100 to 10, you feelit. Some smart author who I forgot and cant findnow.Pacing is the bedrock of good writing. Take a look at your sentences and paragraphs. Are they the saatkorn length? Do you lull your reader to sleep with long, flowing sentences which seem to never end?Stop it.Then start again later.By the way, youll notice my pacing often includes a line break because Im super dramatic like that. Good pacing works in paragraphs too. Take a look at this example from a book Im reading right nowTy BurrsGods Like UsCary Grant, the studio ordnungsprinzips Perfect Man, privately raged against the Academy for not giving him an Oscar and experimented extensively with LSD. Read between the lines of the existing biographies and the mythic love affair of Kate Hepburn and Spencer Tracy turns into a problematic tale of alcoholism, enablement, and emotional cruelty. Im pretty sure Tom Hanks picks hisnose.Long sentence. Long senten ce. Short sentence. Easy, right? For bonus points, Ty Burr uses emotional pacing as well.Longserioussentence. Longserioussentence. Shortfunnysentence.Or take this out of context piece fromSunil RajaramansEverybodys Rich But You. What could have been a bland, self-helpy niche article about contentment as an entrepreneur turns into a fascinating read for all.You know what? Who needs an exit? You dont need more money. Money is only going to add stress to your life. Its not like these people are going to be any happier. What would you do with more money? You are so lean already. You get out of the car. You spend $10 on a cup of cat-shit coffee. Your Lyft cost$17.Capital EfficientFor comparison, here is one terrible and boring way to make the same point as above.If you are looking to make more money, perhaps you should start with more expensive daily purchases*. The New York Times did a study that said much coffee costs an average of $6 over a few days** Cut out coffee to save money and feel morerich***.*Telling people what they SHOULD do scares them**Please stop putting studies in your posts because Mr. Benjamin P. Hardy does it***If this were any more on the nose, we wouldnt even be able to see the rest of your face****.****I know that doesnt make much sense but I think you get it now.3 PersonalityWriting like yourself is when you tell yourownstories, share your own insights, and connect yourownpieces of yourownpuzzle with your own experiences and yourownadvice. Read yourownbooks and watch your own movies and do yourownwork and tell us what you learned.(Was that subtle enough?)Check outDervla McTiernansHow I Knew It Was Time to Quit My JobBattle mode. Old habits. I kept my job at the Commission and wrote at night. My husband stayed in his job, too, though he wanted something different. We kept writing down tasks and ticking them off. Every now and again, we would take a breath and look at each other and try to remember if life had always been like this. Hadnt we been fun, once? Hadnt we laughedmore?We had forgotten how to do anything but work, as if work were the solution to every problem.Do you see what just happened? You read someone elses story and learned something about your own life. Wow Turns out you are pretty smart I guess you dont need to be hand-held through self-improvement after all.Surely there are a million and one ways to go about writing better, but these three are my favoritesmetaphor, pacing, and writing like yourself.Happy writingDont Let your Book LaunchFlopGet my Solo Book Launch Checklist, as well as the swipe files for every single email I sent to help me make $5,000 in the first week of my book launchDownload the goods here for the price of an email address.This article first appeared on Medium.

The Decision That Transformed My Confidenceand My Career

The Decision That Transformed My Confidenceand My CareerThe Decision That Transformed My Confidence- and My CareerI will never forget what a man at a bar told me after my college graduation. Cupping a beer bottle, he gave me a hard look and said, Youre perfect- other than those teeth. Doesnt that bother you?Somehow, I eked out a response and told him I didnt need to be perfect. (a.k.a., Of course it bothers me, jerk.)For years, my smile held me back, both in and outside of the office. My teeth were crowded and misaligned, and my canines pointed out enough to look vampy. I constantly covered my mouth when I spoke and never flashed an open smile in photos. If I did without thinking, Id beg friends to take my photos down from Facebook. I had a tight-lipped smile reserved for close family, friends, and colleagues- everyone kept telling me I should really smile. And I always agonized during job interviews that hiring managers would remember not my credentials, poise, and quick responses t o curveball questions- but my teeth.Last month, I finished orthodontic treatment to fix my smile. I couldnt be more in love with the end results, but even a month or two into treatment, Id already noticed an extra boost of confidence from my teeth moving into the right alignment. In fact, in the time I had braces, I powered more business relationships and found more career momentum than ever before, even moving into a management role at work. And immediately after finishing treatment, I landed my dream job (with a smile).Heres the story of how I decided to get braces at 29 years old- and why its the best decision Ive ever made for my career.The DecisionFor years, people always pushed me to get braces (although most of them more diplomatically than the man in the bar), and for years, I put treatment off. I welchesnt a candidate for the clear, nearly unnoticeable aligner treatment systems like Invisalign. The idea of metal braces was terrifying- rezulaufs of Ugly Betty flashed through my head- and I didnt think I could afford the treatment costs.So, I never seriously considered them- until I had considerable wear to my tooth enamel and an occasional chipped tooth because of my overbite. Before getting braces, I talked to my orthodontist, Dr. Charles Wait. I was undecided, and he made me take a real look at how putting off treatment would continue to affect my oral health. Because I had a deep overbite, my teeth would run together, causing irreversible enamel damage. He told me that, by my 50s, my lower teeth would be down to nubs. As I learned, most of us dont realize that crooked teeth or uneven spacing between teeth can actually cause gingivitis, TMJ, or eventual tooth loss.In my case, I decided I owed it not only to my current self, but to my future. I wanted to network like a boss, present and lead meetings with complete confidence, and of course continue moving up the ladder into more challenging roles. Looking ahead, I wanted to see 50-year-old me as a hig h-powered executive, not someone struggling to make it through the corporate world with baggage about her smile and tooth loss. I knew it was time to make my move.Getting StartedSo, what about my concerns? First off, I didnt have to suffer through metal, train-track teeth. Most orthodontists, like mine, now offer cosmetic braces to adult patients. The cosmetic braces I wore actually used a special color-matching technology to blend to the color of my teeth. A matching tooth-colored arch wire and rubber ensembles made my braces basically invisible. Most people didnt notice I had braces immediately, and if they did, they were excited for me or commented with approval or envy, I need those, tooAdditionally, the cost wasnt excessive- in fact, it was easily covered by cutting back on non-necessities and shopping trips. While I opted to pay in full upfront, my doctor offered different billing options, like making small monthly payments.After my consultation, a dental tune-up, and some X-r ays, I had my braces. My orthodontist gave me a rough timeline of a year and a half to two years. I was extra compliant with rubber band wearing and dietary restrictions, (no popcorn, peanut butter, or tragically, red wine). I ended up wearing braces for almost two years, but it was worth every moment. (Plus, it didnt hurt that they made me look younger.)Gaining ConfidenceI knew my smile would be different once the braces were removed, but I was clueless as to how much I would change before even enjoying the final results. I never realized how much I hated my teeth, and when they started aligning after just a month, my confidence doubled.I started becoming the person and the professional Id always wanted to be, navigating social and professional situations with more grit and assurance than ever. I no longer dreaded meetings with my boss or exchanges with colleagues at conferences. When I met with upper management or interfaced with the CEO directly, I didnt have to hold back anymore . Working with outside agencies, publications, and vendors, I quickly built relationships without insecurities about my teeth holding me back.As I became more visible at the company, my smile did, too. I smiled at everyone, bringing more energy into meetings and encounters with the executive team. I was known for my constant smile and positive attitude, which made me approachable, and I was able to build some of the most real and meaningful relationships of my career at that company. I think that, positiv the fact that I was making a visible investment in my quality of life, made me more credible as a leader. It didnt take long in braces for my new tenacity and continued hard work to pay off in the form of a promotion.Days after having the braces removed, I had an interview for my now-current gig. I didnt agonize over my crooked teeth- instead, I pushed my portfolio and knowledge with a permanent smile. I think people know when youre holding back, and for the first time, I didnt. An d it helped me land my dream job.Looking back after finishing my treatment in braces, its hands down the most positive decision Ive ever made for myself. My only regret is not pursuing treatment sooner, but taking action on my own as an adult and paying for treatment was empowering.If youre considering braces- or anything else, for that matter- Id encourage you to think about how it can affect your confidence, your relationships, and your career. For me, it was an investment in my future- and one thats already paid more dividends than I could possibly have imagined.Photo of woman with braces courtesy of Shutterstock.

10 Career Quizzes to Help You Find a New Job for the New Year

10 Career Quizzes to Help You Find a New Job for the New Year 10 Career Quizzes to Help You Find a New Job for the New Year You’ve got big job questions - and these 10 career quizzes and personality tests have the answers. From figuring out what job you’re best suited for to whether you’re a natural-born leader, these quizzes will help you find the perfect new job or career in the new year. This quiz, created by Glassdoor, is all about helping you find a job that works for you. While many quizzes are designed to suss out whether you’d fit a certain job, this quiz is meant to help you see how well a job would fit into your life by looking at what you do and how you spend your time outside the office. If you’re looking for a career change , this quiz is for you. The Myers Briggs Type Indicator quiz is one of the most respected and used personality tests by both career centers and hiring managers- and there’s a reason! This test (or quiz, if you will) helps define how people see and perceive the world, using four psychological functions, including sensation, intuition, feeling, and thinking- four things that can really help you determine what career field and specifically, what job, fit your personality best. Nowadays, it’s not always enough to have a stellar resume and cover letter. To snag your dream job, it’s sometimes also necessary to have a personal brand . But how do you define and exhibit your personal brand best? That’s what this quiz, developed by Glassdoor, was designed to do. It will help you hone your brand- and use it to get a new job or career. Are you considering taking a step up the corporate ladder in your next job? Then this quiz is for you. Designed by Glassdoor, it will help you figure out how ready you are to lead and manage a team or even an office. As it points out, “while being a natural isn’t required to be a good leader, it’s important to know how your competencies line up if being a role model and guide … is your goal.” This quiz will show you where you stand now- and how to grow. According to its website, “the O-Net Interest Profiler can help you find out what your interests are and how they relate to the world of work,” making it a great quiz to take if you’re just starting out in the workforce- or if you’re trying to change your career path. If you’re not happy at work , is it automatically time to find another job? Maybe- or maybe not, and this quiz will help you figure out if you should change things up at your office or change jobs- or careers- entirely. The quiz, created by Glassdoor, looks at many things that could be making you unhappy at work, “from company culture to lack of advancement opportunities to uninspiring management. … No matter what your situation, [it] will help you begin to figure out whether you’re in the wrong job and need to plan an escape, ASAP.” According to its website, “the MAPP (Motivational Appraisal Personal Potential) career assessment is perfect for students, graduates and working adults. You’ll get a wealth of information to help find the right career that matches your unique assessment profile.” When you’re ready to find a new job, it will inevitably be time to update your resume. But what kind of resume is right for you ? This quiz, made by Glassdoor, will help you answer that question- then write a resume that fits your personality and brand best, and get a job. This quiz is a free, psychological assessment to help you “discover how you measure up in the five factors of personality: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism.” Knowing these measurements will help you find a job that fits your strongest personality traits- or avoid jobs that won’t align with who you are as a person. Would you move for the right job ? If so, then where would you move? That’s a big question to answer- but this quiz can help you narrow down the right region for you. After you answer a few questions about your lifestyle, professional interests, and preferences, this quiz- created by Glassdoor- will tell you the perfect city for you to find your next position.