6+1-traits Archives - Successful Blog

Every Choice IS the Story

In 6+1 Traits — Word Choice, I make the point that we cannot talk without talking about ourselves. The words that we choose to express what we mean also reveal things about who we are and our world view.

The same is true about every choice we make. What we bring to each choice is our experience as a person and a writer. Therefore, each choice we make reflects who we are in a most telling way. Our writing and how we present it says more than we sometimes imagine. That’s why we need to internalize what we stand for, what we value and offer as an entire story. In other words, as a writer, a business person, someone people read . . .

It’s crucial to live our brand to communicate clearly.

I had this brought home to me by a reader, TS, this week. Choices I unconsciously made affected how he saw, not just this blog, but blogging in general. I’ve included an excerpt from his email that tells the story. . . .
[Read more…]

Effective Writing Traits Kids Know that We Don’t

I’m writing a writing program again. Writing programs are like other products. They have their individual nuances. They offer particular features and benefits, but all solid writing programs offer certain things in common. The engine of any well-built writing program is the 6+1 Traits of Writing.

If you’re reading this post, it’s unlikely that you encountered the 6+1 Traits as a student. You could find plenty about them on the Web now. Unfortunately, what you found would take the form of lessons and research for teaching school children. Why should school kids and their teachers be the only ones with direct access to the information and the rest of us have to adjust our thinking?

I’ve decided a simple action is in order. [Read more…]