
The Writing Guy
By Scott Keyser
A daily exploration of the written word from a seasoned writer and writing skills trainer, to help you improve your English writing skills. The pod covers persuasive writing, therapeutic writing, rhythm, poetry and poetic meter, grammar, punctuation and voice.

The Writing GuySep 21, 2022
00:00
07:36

Episode 225, the true meaning of Commitment
The world recently lost a special woman whose lifelong commitment to duty gives the lie to this much-abused, over-used word.
Sep 21, 202207:36

Episode 224. A mother's death
A piece of beautiful writing by Thich Nhat Hanh about his mother's death.
Mar 30, 202206:21

Episode 223, Strictly Come Dancing, Strictly Come Writing
Moved and inspired by the final of the BBC 'Strictly Come Dancing' show, Scott draws parallels between writing and dance.
Dec 19, 202109:20

Episode 222, 17 things James is gonna change about his writing
I'm buzzing after a wildly successful coaching session with a client. In this episode you get to hear the 17 things James is gonna change about his writing (SDK - Spelling Doesn't Kount). Ta-daa!
Dec 17, 202109:23

Episode 221, writing and mindset
Inspired by a successful session coaching a client in persuasive writing, Scott shares how together they turned a sow's ear of an email into a silk purse.
Dec 16, 202108:08

Episode 220, the origin of 'protest'
On the day that he celebrated a life lost and took to the streets to help preserve hard won freedoms, Scott looks at the origins of 'protest'.
Dec 09, 202107:24

Episode 219, switching mindset
Want a safe, legal way to shift your mindset fast? Plus the Word of the Day, courtesy of Susie Dent.
Dec 02, 202108:29

Episode 218, client feedback on my rhetorica writing techniques
Having whittled rhetorica down to 15 simple techniques (from 21), I've just had further endorsement from a client of their power.
Nov 25, 202104:35

Episode 217, the four readability stats
These are the four readability ratios that bid writers et al should track religiously to improve their writing.
Nov 23, 202107:46

Episode 216, how multi-coloured is your writing?
Inspired by James Knight's iMA colour-based language system, Scott invites you to write in a way that appeals to all four colours.
Nov 22, 202107:06

Episode 215, The Myth of Professionalism
Explode the Myth by writing plain English and using its five benefits.
Nov 19, 202105:21

Episode 214, curing 'technical noise' in your bids
3 quick and easy ways to humanise factual, technical text in your bid responses. (The evaluator will love you forever.)
Nov 18, 202106:04

Episode 213, what a bid client took away from a day's coaching with me
Besides a lovely testimonial, Scott shares what his coachee will change about her bid writing.
Nov 02, 202107:40

Episode 212, George Monbiot's brilliance on how capitalism is killing the planet
A leading light on the climate crisis, Monbiot espouses a new approach for living within planetary boundaries.
Oct 31, 202111:15

Episode 211, three dimensions of world-class bids
Inspired by a great coaching day with a client, Scott shares three vital aspects of a well written bid.
Oct 28, 202109:08

Episode 210, Agincourt 1415
Scott indulges his love of history and poetry to recite his own poem, 606 years and one day after Henry V's famous victory.
Oct 26, 202109:16

Episode 209, on St Crispin's Day, celebrating Agincourt (1415) and Chaucer (1400)
Indulging his love of Shakespeare, Scott recites the famous St Crispin's Day speech from 'Henry V'.
Oct 25, 202109:38

Episode 208, the oppositional language of protest
Scott reads and comments on the language of the Saturday Guardian's article 'Forces of nature'. The article looks at the impact of arrest on climate protesters, including long-time activist and actress, Jane Fonda.
Oct 24, 202110:35

Episode 207, 'sh*t', a visceral word used with power
Scott looks at the origins of this ancient, Germanic word and Brian Cox's use of it on BBC's 'Question Time' to stop two politicians squabbling.
Oct 23, 202109:15

Episode 206, a common grammar mistake: the comma splice
Scott attempts to explain this increasingly common error, and gives three ways of resolving it.
Oct 20, 202108:52

Episode 205, wanna write flabby, flaccid, paunchy emails to clients?
Scott shares Before and After versions of email snippets, from a recent client webinar.
Oct 19, 202110:59

Episode 204, why does rhythm affect humans so powerfully?
Walking: humans have walked the earth for millions of years. It's in our DNA. Scott muses about the link between rhythm and persuasive writing.
Oct 15, 202109:13

Episode 203, 1066 and its impact on our language
Today is the 955th anniversary of the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Scott chronicles its impact on English and its marker as the end of the Anglo-Saxon era.
Oct 14, 202107:25

Episode 202, the power of a simple, elemental idea
Moved by a message from 'The 12 Week Year's' Brian Moran, Scott explores the impact of an elemental idea wrapped up in a simple question.
Oct 13, 202109:07

Episode 201, two magic words to sprinkle over your writing
Scott reminds us of the magical power of two simple, personal words to use in our writing.
Oct 12, 202108:19

Episode 200, the noble warriors who are peaceful water protectors
To celebrate episode 200, Scott reads a letter from a native American arrested (and shot with rubber bullets) for peacefully protesting against a pipeline that will move 760,000 gallons of tar sands oil a day from Alberta to Lake Superior.
Oct 11, 202112:59

Episode 199, more nature writing to soothe your soul
On World Mental Health Day, Scott reads a short extract from Robert Macfarlane's book 'The Old Ways'.
Oct 10, 202109:57

Episode 198, recognising nature's beauty through language
Scott reads Robert Macfarlane's introduction to 'The Old Ways', hailed as one of the great works of nature writing.
Oct 09, 202108:56

Episode 197, pain engages prospects
Rather than 'we-ing' all over the prospect, Scott asserts that showing we understand their pain points is a better way to get their attention.
Oct 08, 202108:42

Episode 196, Jerusalem 2.0
On National Poetry Day, Scott shares his draft poem inspired by William Blake's iconic hymn, on the subject of choice.
Oct 07, 202104:36

Episode 195, Boris Johnson's party conference speech
Vying to be among the first people in the world to comment on today's speech, Scott looks at the PM's consummate and amusing use of language and rhetoric.
Oct 06, 202111:45

Episode 194, an icon of music and language turns 70 today
Scott celebrates the 70th birthday of an outspoken music legend.
Oct 05, 202109:42

Episode 193, how to write actions and benefits, outcomes or results
Scott sharpens the grammatical difference between writing actions and benefits.
Oct 04, 202106:00

Episode 192, Keir Starmer's missed opportunity
Scott laments the Labour Party leader's uninspiring keynote speech, which failed to blend the radical and the reasonable, to mix fire with ice.
Sep 30, 202109:13

Episode 191, plain English, and a limerick inspired by Welsh beauty
Scott corrects the Business Secretary's wordiness and shares a saucy limerick about Welsh gorse.
Sep 29, 202107:32

Episode 190, the artist's investment in their art
Inspired by a poster outside a shop in Aberaeron, Wales, Scott reflects on what buying a piece of art means.
Sep 28, 202104:32

Episode 189 George W Bush's welcome letter to the new President, Barack Obama
George Dubya's personal, heartfelt letter to the new President in January 2009 partly rehabilitates my opinion of the outgoing one.
Sep 26, 202108:19

Episode 188, the story's (first) climax
In his final reading from 'The Old Man and The Sea', Scott recounts the old man's harpooning of the magnificent fish
Sep 23, 202110:10

Episode 187, the great fish surfaces for the first time ('The Old Man and The Sea')
In praise of Hemingway's evocative style, Scott reads a short passage from this wonderful story.
Sep 22, 202110:33

Episode 186, Hemingway's economical style
Scott reads a paragraph from 'The Old Man and The Sea' as an example of how the Nobel Prize-winning writer broke the cult of difficulty.
Sep 21, 202106:07

Episode 185, the simplicity of 15 writing techniques
Scott muses on why an attendee of a recent workshop who posted his writing confidence as 9 out of 10 had revised it down to 2 by the end of the morning!
Sep 20, 202107:25

Episode 184, the power of rhythm
Scott unpicks the meter and rhythm of a famous nursery rhyme, then plays fast and loose with it.
Sep 18, 202110:17

Episode 183, 9/11
On the 20th anniversary of the attack on the Twin Towers, Scott recites his poem '9/11', inspired by a recent visit to the Ground Zero museum.
Sep 11, 202109:35

Episode 182, compassion
Inspired by caring for his mother as she convalesces, Scott looks at the origin of this ancient word.
Sep 09, 202106:11

Episode 181, JRR Tolkien
Scott commemorates the 2 September 1973 death of the great John Ronald Reuel Tolkien who transported millions of readers to Middle Earth and beyond.
Sep 02, 202111:00

Episode 180, neurologically engaging writing (!)
Scott rails against the biggest barrier to writing Human: nounitis.
Aug 31, 202109:20

Episode 179, A Midsummer Night's Dream in Cambridge
Scott shares his experience of a magical play in the magical setting of the King's College Fellows Garden.
Aug 31, 202109:60

Episode 178, nailing your elevator pitch
Helping a leadership coach client, Scott unpicks the all-important 'soundbite' that all leaders and business owners should have.
Aug 26, 202107:57

Episode 177, hear the voice of a Victorian costermonger
Reading from Henry Mayhew's 'London Labour & The London Poor', Scott introduces us to a 19th century street-seller who sold peaches to the Prince of Naples.
Aug 25, 202109:39

Episode 176, the sad history of St Giles, London
After joining the climate change protests in Central London, Scott explores the sorrowful history of St Giles, an area notorious for disease, deprivation and depravity.
Aug 24, 202110:34