Communication Archives

Female Networking: Why and How Women Should Do It

What are the benefits of female networking? How can women build a business network? How Women Rise by Sally Helgesen and Marshall Goldsmith explains that women tend to excel at building social networks but may struggle to make effective use of them. This is because using contacts to advance their careers and asking others for help makes women feel manipulative and selfish. Continue reading to learn why women need to take advantage of networking, and how they can make connections.

How to Set Healthy Boundaries and Put Yourself First

How do you set healthy boundaries? What type of boundaries do you want to set? Not Nice by Aziz Gazipura says that your internal feelings (your likes, dislikes, opinions, and intuition) inform your boundaries. Therefore, establishing boundaries begins with knowing yourself better, starting with what you want. Learn how to set healthy boundaries and prioritize your own wants and needs.

The 3 Basic Elements of a Story: Insights From Storytelling Experts

What do you want to be sure to include in every story you write? What are the essential ingredients that help make a story coherent and compelling? According to storytelling experts, readers want two things: an emotional impact and a truth about life. If you want to satisfy these desires, the experts agree that your story needs three basic elements: a realistic and relatable protagonist, a goal that’s blocked by obstacles, and a big-picture theme. Continue reading to find out what the experts have to say about each of these basic elements of a story.

How to Find Story Ideas: Tapping Into Big Magic, Others, & Yourself

What does it mean to “write what you know”? Do you make the most of serendipity? Before you can sit down and write a story, you have to figure out what to write about. Coming up with story ideas can be hard. But, ideas are out there; you just need to know where they can be found and be sure to notice them. We’ve collected tips from several storytelling experts on how to find story ideas. Read on to get advice from Rob Biesenbach, Stephen King, and Elizabeth Gilbert.

How to Speak Your Mind Without Fear: 3 Techniques to Practice

Are you afraid of being your authentic self? How can you speak your mind without fear? There’s never a bad time to be your authentic self, one who speaks your mind. According to Not Nice by Aziz Gazipura, people avoid speaking their minds for several reasons we’ll get into below. Let’s look at how to speak your mind without fear.

How to Start Writing a Story: Mindset & Drafting Tips From Experts

Do you have a great idea for a story and wonder how to actually get something down on paper? Where should your mindset be? Should you map out the plot first? When you’re ready to write the first draft of your story, you’ll likely benefit from the wisdom of some experts in the field. We’ve put together some advice from Stephen King, Elizabeth Gilbert, Robert McKee, and others on the drafting mindset and specific drafting strategies. Continue reading to learn how to start writing a story.

Steps for How to Have Uncomfortable Conversations

When’s the best time to have a difficult talk with someone? How do you have uncomfortable conversations that you’re afraid to initiate? Tough conversations are never easy to have, but sometimes they’re necessary for relationships. Not Nice by Aziz Gazipura has great advice for people afraid to say the wrong thing in these necessary talks. Take a look at how to have uncomfortable conversations no one wants to have.

6 Steps in Writing a Story: Strategies From Storytelling Experts

Is a story outline the right strategy for you? What tactic makes it easier for you to “kill your darlings” when it’s time? What trait might you need to overcome to complete the last step in the writing process? We’ve drawn on the advice of several storytelling experts to distill the story-writing process into six steps. You’ll get advice on how to find story ideas, get into the right mindset, write a first draft, take a break, revise your story, and share your finished story with others. Keep reading to learn the steps in writing a story with insights from

How to Write Complex Characters Your Readers Can Relate To

How is it possible that people can relate to a fish named Nemo? Why is Annie Wilkes (the kidnapper in Stephen King’s Misery) so terrifying? You’re not one-dimensional, nor is anyone else. Real people are complex, and fictional characters must reflect that complexity if they’re going to be true to life and relatable. We’ve put together some insights into complex characters from Stephen King, Robert McKee, Lisa Cron, and Thomas C. Foster. Keep reading to learn how to write complex characters that will help bring your story to life.

Basic Story Structure Is More Complex Than You Might Think

If you have a beginning, a middle, and an end, do you have a story? Is that all there is to story structure? Story-writing experts generally agree that effective stories loosely follow the same pattern. This is called story structure, and most everyone knows that the basic story structure is beginning-middle-end. But, it’s not quite that simple. Read more to get advice from Rob Biesenbach and Robert McKee on how to leverage the basic story structure for the greatest impact.