Hello!

It has been a while since I've sent out an e-newsletter, but the start of a new year inspires me to get in touch with colleagues and clients -- as well as those of you I've met or talked with this past year about writing projects. With time galloping by at breakneck speed, it's easy to lose touch, and I've appreciated hearing from so many of you when I send out these sporadic updates about writing and my freelance projects.

Crafting a conversation. Have you noticed the shift lately to a more relaxed, conversational style in newspapers, business communications, and advertising? E-mail, blogs, and other quick and spontaneous methods of communication have moved us gradually away from a formal style into something much more casual. As I've made my own transition from writing technical materials to writing marketing copy, I've enjoyed incorporating a conversational writing style in a business and marketing context. A friend sent me an interesting blog on this topic that suggests that we learn and retain more easily from conversational writing (thus the success of the Dummies books). According to the research cited, readers tend to be more active listeners/learners if we perceive the writer is speaking directly to us!

If you notice that your own writing seems stilted or too formal, try reading it out loud. If what you've written sounds unnatural to your ear, it probably will seem so in writing as well. Hearing your own voice can help you sort out how to craft your message more directly and accessibly.

News from the freelance front. I've had some great projects this past year. In addition to my solo work, I've continued to team up with other marketing and design professionals to provide direct mail letters, brochures, Web content, and newsletters for a whole range of companies, from startups and sole proprietors to large firms like Wells Fargo and Washington Mutual. I'm always on the lookout for longer-term projects -- I'm particularly interested in health care, progressive companies, and nonprofits with a focus on preserving the environment or otherwise making the world a better place. I always appreciate your support and referrals.

One-stop word shopping. Do you find online dictionaries and thesauri like www.dictionary.com and www.thesaurus.com as useful as I do? Now there's a site (www.onelook.com) that looks for definitions -- and translations! -- in well over 900 dictionaries at the same time. But for those of us who sometimes just can't find the word we're looking for, the best thing about this site is the reverse dictionary. Just enter a few words like "deciduous trees", or "person who talks too much" and get a whole page full of related terms. It's not perfect, but it offers up so many choices that I usually spot the word that my own brain just won't supply.

Web site updates. Thanks to my web site update last year, I'm now able to easily add new writing samples. You'll find an article I wrote for the September/October issue of the Alameda Magazine, and a few recent copywriting projects as well at www.christinebuckcommunications.com.

May these shorter, darker days of winter give you a chance to step back a bit, reflect, and recharge for the new year. All the best to you in 2006!

Warm regards,

Christine Buck