Insights archive
Red Pony is a team of writers, editors, Microsoft Office template developers and communications trainers. We have been writing about our areas of expertise for over a decade in our Red Pony Express newsletter.
This collection features the best articles from the last 10 years.
The war against cliché
If there’s one helpful thing to be said about making your writing clearer, it’s this: If you see a phrase you’ve heard a million times before (such as this one), replace it.
What the hell am I talking about?
A common piece of advice is to write the way you speak, the idea being that you will then be ‘freed up’ to express yourself without worrying about that intimidating blank page (or screen) before you. This may be useful to get you started, but if you send whatever you’ve written in the same spirit, look out.
The power of metaphor
But often your goal is to persuade as much as it is to inform. And that’s where metaphor is your friend. Metaphors are so prevalent they often pass unnoticed, but that doesn’t mean they don’t leave a powerful impression in the mind of your audience.
Creeps from the deeps
Perhaps you are familiar with a common horror movie device – it’s the opposite of the ‘sudden surprise’ that startles the audience and the protagonist at the same time. This is the one where the monster/tidal wave/giant squid looms up behind the protagonist to reveal its vast immensity to the audience before the protagonist turns around to be devoured/drowned/ingested.
To correct or not to correct
Tricky situations arise when someone uses a word in the wrong context or when it is pronounced incorrectly. We have all experienced that moment when our great story has been interrupted by someone saying something like, ‘You mean dock the boat, not park the boat, because you park cars, not boats – don’t you?’
Think before you write
Next time you are about to launch into writing something important, metaphorically bite your tongue and consider your reader before you start writing or your message may not be read the way you intended.
Pronouns: A matter of life and death
In his recent book, The Secret Life of Pronouns, psychology professor James Pennebaker writes about how our use of pronouns reveals much about our social status, health, honesty … even our propensity to commit suicide!
Who am I writing for?
It can be a fraught matter, trying to ‘set the tone’ of a piece of writing. And when you’re trying to sell or promote something, your ear needs to be well calibrated to what your audience likes to hear.
The value of handwriting
It wasn’t so long ago that every writing task started with a pen and paper, and possibly a snifter of port in front of a warm fire. That’s a much more welcoming creative environment, isn’t it? And while the most agreeable parts of that environment can’t be replicated in most offices, you can at least turn off the disapproving Cyclops on your desk and pick up a pen … or pencil, or crayon. Don’t laugh. Any strategy that connects you with the neglected part of your brain that flourished in infancy can produce terrific creative advantages.
Google refines search algorithm to reward originality
In February this year Google announced a significant change to the algorithm it uses to rank search results. What’s most notable about the change is that it’s designed to reward websites that feature quality, original content.
Harnessing the power of words
This short film offers a wonderful insight into the power of language to actually change the way we think about our world. It also demonstrates how a simple idea can be communicated much more effectively by choosing a different combination of words.
How am I coming across?
It may seem obvious to say it, but how often do you check your own business correspondence (especially email) for similar lapses in decorum that may be slipping through?
Starting an argument
When you know what you want to say—when you’ve taken the time to get your thoughts clear in your own mind—it becomes a far simpler matter to organise those thoughts on the page.
Putting yourself in your client’s shoes
The lesson is this: always try to clarify in your mind who you are writing for—before you begin writing. Avoid making assumptions about the prior knowledge of your readers, particularly when writing for a medium as widely disseminated as a company website.
Fulsome prison blues
Sometimes words betray us; they don’t necessarily mean what we think they mean. We can go for years misusing relatively common words or phrases, getting them ever so slightly (or totally) wrong. It can be quite embarrassing, especially once we find out we’ve been getting it wrong all our lives.
Document localisation
What’s the lesson? Know your audience. Especially if a document is to have international exposure, it pays to carry out ‘document localisation’, in which the document is edited with specific sensitivity to another English-speaking market. This can involve identifying catastrophic missteps such as ‘bluegum’ but more commonly involves removing local idiosyncrasies that may be confusing or ambiguous to an overseas reader.
Using industry awards for a PR boost
Have you ever considered entering your organisation for an industry award? If not, you may be missing out on a golden opportunity for some excellent free publicity.
Politics and the English language
In 1946, George Orwell wrote one of the most prescient and influential essays, 'Politics and the English language’. In it he asserts that lazy writing prevents critical thought and ultimately leads to a corruption of political life.
The case for case studies
Where have you been and what were the lessons you learned from the experience—positive and negative? Your clients and customers will be looking for this information too. They know that the best indicator of your future performance is your past performance.That's why a selection of case studies can be a very valuable addition to your website or suite of marketing materials.