Video Transcript: Written Communication

Alright, here we are, again, hope you're doing well. We're in the effective  communication class. I keep saying this, we're going to keep saying, you have  to practice what you hear. You can take this class, you can get credit for the  class. But if you want to learn something, you have to use what you learn, use it, or you will lose it, or you will never gain it in the first place. So keep practicing  these things. Look at some of the headings, you don't have to listen to the whole message again, just look at some of the headings that will remind you maybe  put the headings on a card, and every day, just go through them make this a  habit in your life. This whole communication thing is the one thing that, you  know, if you work on it could change everything about your life, your marriage,  your friendships, your family connections, your walk with God, your connection  in the church world, with non Christians, in the workplace, in your society in the  world. Communication is really everything. And so if you want, if you want to  expand and grow in all these arenas of your life, communication is the key. In  John 1, Jesus is referred to as the word, the communication of God's, when  God created the world, he spoke it into existence. That's how powerful  communication is. So effective communication. In this session, we're going to  look at written communication. A lot of most of what I've been talking about is  spoken the spoken word, but I want to talk about written communication,  whereas written communication, still important. Number one, digital media  communication, emails are written down and you type them out. messages,  tweets, Facebook, Instagram, websites, all these things are written materials. I  mean, there's some video and so on, that people watch. But a lot of times when  people go to a site, they don't want to take the time to watch the whole video.  They want some, you know, a short and sweet words that will help them do  whatever it is that they want to do. Number two business agendas are written  down, reports, job descriptions, proposals, resumes, and he's trying to get a job  you need to write out a resume. Who are you? What have you learned? What  have you done? Why should we hire you? These are written materials, people  will often want to see what you write before they hear what you say. Number  three brochures pamphlets, newsletters, books, these things still, people make  access to the to what arenas nonprofit sports church community, written  materials still is probably the number one form of communication. wedding vows are written down. Love Letters, songs. Alright, how written communication  reflects its author. You should not judge a book by its cover. But people do judge an author by his or her written word. No matter where the words are written.  Whether you're writing an email, people will judge you by how well you write  those words. If you have all kinds of misspelling words, misspelled words,  people will have a certain view of you. He's kind of lazy. He's not very smart, are sentences that don't make any sense that are incomplete. It's a sentence, a  sentence that doesn't have a verb in it. And people will make judgments about  you based on how you write, you write this thing and it doesn't make any sense. 

You're trying to get a job and your resume doesn't make any sense. That's not  gonna go well. How written communication reflects on its author. Number one, is the writing interesting. If you're going to bore people to death with what you  write, people won't read it. Especially written communication. I mean, if the first  two or three sentences does not grab them. They're done. They're moving on.  People do not have patience. You know, if you read old books, you'll see that the sentences are really really, really long. People don't have time for that. They  don't have the patience to read a long sentence. It has to be short, has to be  sweet has to be to the point has to be interesting. Does it do what it should?  does it communicate? Does it logically say something? Or is it this hodgepodge  of things? I don't know what this guy is trying to say. Does it make sense to  someone? Does it hold together? Like there's a certain logic to it? I want to talk  to you today about the five most important things that parents can do to affect  their children so that your children can can succeed in life. Number one, number one effective thing. And then I say what it is. And then number two, effective  thing. Number three, effective thing, what am I talking about effective things?  And how do I know because I keep saying it over and over again, effective thing  one, effective thing two, effective three, but some people they're talking about  effective thing. And then they all of a sudden go on into certain different  direction. And they're not repeating this effective thing, thing. And it's like, I don't  know what you're doing. At the end of the thing, I don't know what you're saying. Does it look like someone cared. If you write something, and it looks like you  spent two minutes on it, people will know that you spent two minutes on it. And  and they conclude, I'm not important enough for you to take some time to  actually say it and put it in a nice manner. You don't capitalize things, you don't  put periods at the end of the period. You don't put commas in. So you can't be  bothered with all those details. Like I'm not important enough for you to bother  with that. Advantages written communication, number one, you can put a lot of  thought and time into what you say. You know, if you're just talking, you just say  things and these things come to your mind, but you're not putting a lot of thought into it. When you write it down, you know, it forces you to get it right. And you  have to think about what is the point of this whole thing? Why do I have this,  especially if you reread it, or you read it to somebody, to you can rework what  you write. I mean, all the best authors in the world that have written books and  become famous, they rewrite. They would say that writing is rewriting, rewriting  and rewriting, you read it, you write it, then you rewrite it. That's not, you know, I  have all this fluff by is I'm going down in a whole different direction. And here's  the thing, when you're talking about something, one thing relates to another.  So if you listen to conversation, people are talking eight people are talking, this  person says one thing, and then that person takes a different thing from what  they say. And the conversation goes here, and it goes eight different places in  10 minutes, which is how conversation goes, and it works in the conversation. 

But it doesn't work when you write things. What's the one thing that we're talking about here? You can craft your content. I wrote a book on the Titanic. And I  wanted to say things in a certain way. She was only seven years old when it  happened. shivering in lifeboat number 13. She watched as the great ship, it's  radiance, exhausted, slid out of sight with the weight of a dislodged mountain.  She didn't realize it at the time. That realization came many years later, out of  the voices. In the darkness came a cry of 1500 people drowning in the icy  waters. And what she didn't realize is that one of those voices must have been  her drowning father. she last saw him on the rail when she was handed to her  mother. Okay, so anyway, I can go on and on with that I have it memorized. But  time to write that out. I wanted to say it in such a way, I wanted it to have an  emotional impact. And I can craft it, I could put it in the right order, rather than  just me trying to tell the story. And then I might get it wrong. That's what you can  do when you write things down. You can collaborate with others on one written  project. Hey, this is what I've written. What do you think? What would you do  differently? I can't do this with this talk. I'm doing this talk. And when it's done,  it's recorded. It's finished. Okay, so I can't craft it. I can't make out. You know,  when I listen back, it's like, I should have said this or I would like to change that.  But in written material, you can easily go back and do that. You can send the  finished product to as many people as you want over a long period of time. You  write something down. I wrote this Titanic book. People have read it for 10  years. Then they can read it. 50 years later. I have a book that my great uncle  Cecil de Boer wrote on philosophy he's been Dead for 62 years, I still have the  book why this form of communication is becoming less. Number one, people  read less. I said, people don't read the long sentences anymore. But people  aren't reading sentences at all anymore. People don't put as much time into their communication, written communication, people fire off an email, they don't even  we reread it. To check it, we have spellcheck and other things AutoCorrect. But  how frustrating is autocorrect it doesn't think like you think it picks words and  chooses things you didn't want to communicate. Communication is more throw  away Snapchat, Instagram, we say it and it's gone. I get an email, I look at it and it goes down the list. I don't delete emails, I have like, you know, 280,000 emails. But they go down the list, I never see them again. Facebook you look at so I  don't have enough time in a day to see everyone's posts on my own site. It's  gone. If I didn't read it, if I didn't somehow catch it, look at it. And right, the  moment it's gone, I'll never see it again. Everything is very instant. Everything is  very removable. We only take it for a bit, and then it's gone. Alright, but as I said  in the beginning, there still is a need for writing. And the more that you improve  in this communication style, it still will help you even though it's becoming less of a thing, basic writing tip number one, be clear on the purpose for writing. Know  what you're trying to say that you have to start with that? What is the one thing I  want to do? Do I want to communicate something? Do I want to persuade 

someone of something? Do I want someone to do something at the end of this  thing? Do I just want to entertain people with what I'm writing? What is the  purpose of writing? When people do service? I'm just going to do John 3:16.  Yeah, but why? What's the purpose of you doing John 3:16? What do you hope  will happen at the end of whatever it is that you write or are saying about this,  you've got to understand your purpose. That will influence everything that you  do in creating the subtext of what you're writing. Number two, keep it simple.  Make it clear, your job is to make something clear, not make something  complicated. Life is complicated. And one thing relates to another but if he's take people on all these different trails, they'll lose the big picture. eliminate the  clutter, don't tell a story that doesn't directly impact a point that you're trying to  say, don't tell a story that makes another point. And now you just you have them  going down a trail and all of a sudden they're going down a different trail and  you think you're going to get them back. And sometimes the story that you tell is  so powerful, and it has a side message and that side message Oh, such  overpowers what you're trying to say that they lose every you know, your main  point. Be clear on your logic. And I find the best way to do that is to make an  outline. Here's what I'm trying to say. How to effectively parent children. Okay,  that's my goal. And I'm gonna, I'm gonna have five things. Five tips. Right now  I'm doing tips, right. Basic writing tips. Tip number one, tip number two. Tip  number three, so you know where I am. You know what I'm talking about? What  am I talking about tips for writing is right there. And every time I mentioned the  number, I reiterate the whole point tips for writing tips for writing tips for writing.  This is how we parent, you know. Be clear on your logic. Make an outline, follow  the outline, make your points follow the big heading, the big idea. Number five,  check your spelling. Tip for writing. Check your spelling don't put up  communication out there with misspelled words, today we have all these  spelling helps. Read through it, make sure it helps someone else read through  it. Check your spelling, because there are people out there who will be reading  along. You're emotionally grabbing them. You're logically persuading them and  then they hit a misspelled word and everything is lost. Because that's all they  can think about. Now I'm not one of those. I can read something it's misspelled  word I just go right on. I don't think about it, but for some, probably half the  population. And if you have too many misspelled words, you just upset them that they can't get over it. They want to email you they want to write to you and say  hey, fix this because they want it fixed. Read it aloud, you think it's good, read it  aloud. And you'll find out whether it's good whether it really communicates or  not. Rewrite, again said that before. get others to read it and give feedback. You  have a certain logic, you write the sentence, and you have all kinds of other  information behind that sentence. And that sentence makes sense. But does a  person who doesn't have all that information that you haven't written in the  background? Can they get the same thing when they read that sentence? Let 

someone else read it. Let them comment, I didn't get what this is. I don't get  where you're going. And you're like, how can you not get it is because they don't understand the same things that you understand. So you may have to explain  certain things that you thought everyone understood. Number nine, don't be  afraid to just get something down. You can always refine it later, in writing some  people they they were, you know, when I, for example, when I have a couple  that wants to get married, I make them write their vows. And then I don't know  what to say, I don't know what to write. And then they tried to write out the  perfect thing, you know, how will I start? And what are the No, I just tell them  look, just get a piece of paper and write down in random, maybe it's just words,  love concern. I want to believe in you a little phrases, just write it on a piece of  paper, no order, no sentences that are completed doesn't matter, just get  something down on paper. Now, once you have something down on paper, you  can start looking at, you can see these three sound the same. And this one, oh, I liked this sentence, maybe going to start with this. See, then you can work it and put it together. But just get going just your resume, just start randomly putting  everything that you think is relevant down on a piece of paper, organize it later.  Practice writing, poetry, short story, children's book, I've written two children's  book, books, one on Christmas, one on Easter, and I took a team of people to  the Holy Land to take pictures. I want it to be authentic looking and so on. So  we're at the picture point. But I've never written a children's book, what do I  know about children's books. So I bought children's books and started reading  them and looking at them. And trying to understand how this really works. And I  wanted it to be, you know, most of the children's books, just don't tell a good  story. I wanted to tell a good story. So I put the people in the, in the scene and  they you know, they wake up and they're in a field and they don't know what's  going on. And, you know, so is this my livelihood? Is this how to make a living?  No. It's just something. I try to be creative. I'm trying to get things out. I want to  communicate. And you can't learn to be communicate without doing it without  practicing. It doesn't matter if my book is a success or not success, or someone  buys it or they don't. It was just good for me to do. Get out there, write. Use a  thesaurus. Okay, a thesaurus, you look up one word, and it will give you a list of  words that are similar. expand your vocabulary. More tips, number one,  brainstorm what you want to write about, what do you want to say? What do you want to do? Is this a book? What's its purpose? Try to find a common theme or  question or problem that emerges out of the brainstorming. What are the things  I'm interested in? I write them on a piece of paper now what's the problem in this stuff? See, unless you're solving a problem, so even my children's book, that kid goes to sleep, he's in this country, the next day is Christmas. Can't wait for the  morning and the Christmas tree and the presents and all of that. And they wake  up and they're in some house from 2000 years ago. The mom was dressed like  2000 years ago, and the dad says Come on, we gotta go. Where are we going? 

Well, it's your first day out, I'm in the field, what field? What are we talking  about? And the father takes the little girl by the hand. And she ends up, you  know, being a shepherd. What is this? I don't know. Where am I? What's going  on? So I'm taking them on a I'm taking the reader on a journey. What is going  on? I'm gonna find out. I can't wait to get to the next page because I want to  know the solution to this problem. Your books or the thing or your poetry, or your song or whatever it is has to solve some problem. It has to take us on some  journey. We're interested in finding solutions. We're interested in knowing where  a journey goes or what the purpose is. Try to arrange the pieces under one  central idea. Here's what I'm trying to say. Here's my ultimate goal. Now how  does each piece contribute to that one goal, don't have five goals don't have five topics. People will, they won't be able to follow it. They need one topic. Let's say  I had. I just wanted to talk about stuff. Okay, so I'm going to arrange my stuff  under Steve's interesting stuff. I have five interesting stuff, things to talk to you  today about five interesting stuff. Stuff number one. I was almost killed when I  was 12 years old by putting my hand through a glass door, and a little sliver  came up and hit me right in this artery. That's interesting stuff. Number one.  Interesting stuff. Number two, I met my wife. Now I tell some interesting story.  See, I'm telling random stories. But they all fit under five interesting stuff, things  from my life. If it logically fits, make your points fit. And reiterate. I'm saying this  over and over again. Because whenever I read to people, sermons, and so on  are all over the place. They don't follow that one thing that they're trying to say,  at the end of the sermon, I'm like, I don't know what you want. Do you want us to do something? Do you want us to know something? Do you want us to believe  something, I have no idea what you're trying to get us to do? Add examples and  stories that go with each piece. So part one, now I tell the story. Part two, I tell  the story. Point three, I tell the story. Point four, I tell the story, sermons are really easy. But they have to follow what you're trying to do. Add an intro and  conclusion. So you have this main point, you have all these sub points that go  under and follow that my main point and, and sort of help you communicate and  verify the big point that you're trying to make. And then you need a way to start.  And then you need a way to end. And my one of my favorite ways of starting  and ending, I start with a problem. Have you ever been frustrated with church?  Okay, well, today, we're going to talk about five things that we can do as a  church that will take away that frustration, number one, communication. Number two, worship at home because it makes worship at church better. Number three, okay, so then I go through my points. And then what's my conclusion? My  conclusion is church doesn't have to be frustrating does it? I started with the  problem. I'm trying to solve the problem, and then I'm reiterating the solution.  You know, we had a problem. And did we solve it? That's the question. All right.  So I know that written communication is a struggle for many. And many will  blame the written communication, well, I just can't write. The truth is, maybe you 

can't communicate. Writing it down just brings to light your problem. You think  you're real logical, and you're making sense when you're talking? But if you  wrote down what you said, you would look at it and go, that doesn't make any  sense. So the written thing only brings to light. What is so my encouragement to  you is do a little writing. In fact, you know, I don't write out my sermons, I make  an outline, and I follow that outline. That way I can look at people. And I can look you right now, wherever you're at, and I can look you in the eye, okay. But for  one year, when I was preaching, it was my first church for one year, I wrote  every single sermon, and I had two every week, so that was 104 sermons that  year that I wrote every single word. Yeah, I don't recommend that. You do that all the time. But I'm telling you that one year writing it helped me write sermons  helped me understand logic helped me to see where I'm missing things, and  what makes sense and what doesn't. So my encouragement again, you have to  practice these things, or you're going to gain nothing from them. Write  something, I don't care what it is. Maybe it's a love letter to the person you're in  love with. Maybe it's a note to your children. Maybe it's a note to your parents.  Sometimes the written word communicates in a way that the spoken word  doesn't. Tell them how much they mean to you. I mean, try to write something in  a winning logical, emotional way, and see what it does for you. Thanks for  listening.