How writing for others keeps your pencil sharp

There are so many different ways to write.

I’m reminded of that this week as each of my current client projects demands its own style. Writing for others forces a writer to test new techniques. It challenges you to try on styles that you normally avoid. Sometimes they even fit. It keeps you creative, fresh and sharp, and for that I’m grateful for each project - whatever style it asks for.

Here are this week’s examples:

You too can present like a priest

The 5 great presentation techniques I watched in a cathedral in Norway.

Last week I had the honour of singing with over 200 other choir members in Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim. My local choir, Östersund’s Cantilena Kör, joined seven other choirs for a celebratory mass to re-open “St Olavsleden” – a 500 year old pilgrim route between Sweden and Norway. (Incidentally I had translated the event’s PR materials).

Now, I am not a religious person. Add to this that a) it had been a long day, b) the entire ceremony was in Norwegian, c) we were sitting on cold steps, and you have the ingredients for me not paying attention to the actual content of the ceremony. But one of the priests changed all that. In spite of my scratchy Norwegian, sore backside and waning attention – here’s why.