By Steve Kayser

I spoke to a group of business writers once (and there’s a reason it was only once).  Not from a matter of knowing the technical craft of writing (I’m horrible at that stuff – that’s why God made editors), but the art of writing with and writing for others.

WRITERS ARE WHACKOS

Why me? I’ve written with and/or interviewed hundreds of people. I find it fascinating, enjoyable, and fun. It helps expand your mind and mindset. The person that asked me to speak knew that. And,  he thought I was a whacko – which helped. He thought all writers were whackos (he was a C-Level executive).

WRITING IS A TOUGH JOB

This group of business writers I was going to speak to were fed up. Their morale was lower than a snake’s belly. They loved writing, and being writers. But their job was sucking the life, and the creative spirit. out of them.

Rarely, if ever, did their work see the light of day, get used or published. Why? Because of endless edits and input from everyone at their company. This had the effect of corporate gobbledygook-deizing the writing to the point that the words had less than zero meaning.

Writing was a tough enough job without everybody and their brother telling them how to do it. They were even embarrassed to tell anyone they were involved as the writer when their work actually got published.

THE DISASTERPIECE ROADMAP

So, knowing that background, I provided a them a quick, empathetic and realistic road-map (below) on how a writing masterpiece gets turned into a “disasterpiece.”  And yes, writing is and always will be a tough job, but a different perspective might help make their job easier.

HEY! IT’S NOT SUPPOSED TO BE FUNNY

The writers fell out of their chairs laughing (it wasn’t supposed to be funny – just realistic).

The person that asked me to speak hasn’t spoken to me since. He was right. I am a whacko.

A BUSINESS WRITER’S LIFE

You start writing your masterpiece.

Full of hope, spirit, good thoughts, better words … inspired.

It’s going to be simple.

Simple in a great kind of way.

Easy to understand.

Concise.

Clear.

Clean.

Lotta white space.

Easy on the eyes.

Easier on the vocabulary.

Pure.

Fun.

Like a Newborn.

Then …

Feedback.

More “feedback.”

Edits.

Edits on steroids – mixed with powerful laxatives.

Then additions. More additions.

Then deletions of the first additions.

Delays.

Multiple approvals.

From engineers, salespeople, marketers, and even the Bob the heating and air conditioning guy, who just happened to stop by (and he really had the best feedback).  But then …

More delays.

And detailed explanations of the edited, deleted, revised edited additions.

Detailed explanations that rival the complexity of Einstein’s Special Theory of Relativity.

Finally, eventually, somehow, your newborn ends up looking like…

And you writing masterpiece?

Do I even need to tell you guys?

It’s turned into a very well-known, recognizable…

DISASTERPIECE.

So … yes.

A writers job can be tough.

I guess.

But sometimes, if you think about it, really think about it …

… It might just depend on your perspective of writing as a job.

Yes.

Perspective.

Depends on your perspective of what a tough job might be.

It’s all about perspective

Now … get back to work and turn that disasterpiece back into your masterpiece

###

Baby pic courtesy of  Blingee.

Target practice image courtesy of myspaceantics.