Reading Response

This week’s readings gave me a lot of insight into what a professional writing story will actually entail. The first article about corporate, NGO and non-profit storytelling explains the purpose of telling a story to create media opportunities. Every piece of writing is a “story,” and the ability of the writer to capture the audience’s attention will determine the success of the piece, whether it is professional writing or fictional literature.

The most important qualities of good writing, as highlighted in the reading, include adherence to a theme, use of metaphors, description and movement. A successful writer is able to use dynamic and descriptive language to keep their audience captivated and to propel them through to the end of the story. They do this by creating images that awaken the imagination and making the details in the story come alive. The reading also talks about the particular sounds and words that an author should include in their storytelling. A lullaby maintains the same phonetic patterns, using soft sounds to “lull” a person to sleep. The repetition of those sounds upholds the quote, “make sure your story not only says what you mean but ‘sounds’ what you mean.” Like a lullaby, a story should adhere to a theme through every word and sentence phrasing the author uses.

The tips in the reading will challenge my creativity and help me to form an effective professional writing story. I already feel inspired by the description of the magic of metaphors and the power of images created through language. Reading through these pages made me realize some of the flaws in my own writing. I think that I tend to be static and to “maroon my story-boat.” When drafting my professional writing story, I think I will have to pay close attention to the movement and description that I add to the story so that my boat can stay out in the water. This reading will help me to recognize shortcomings in the language I use in my writing and to revise some of the wording to make it not only say what I mean, but sound and feel like my overall theme as well.