Microstyle
The Art of Writing Little
Published on 23. July 2012
256 pages
978-0-393-08233-3 (ISBN)
Description
"A work of pop linguistics . . . [that] synthesizes . . . grammar, branding, cognitive science and Web theory . . . with intelligence and friendly wit.”—New York Times
Welcome to the age of the incredible shrinking message. Your guide to this new landscape, Christopher Johnson reveals the once-secret knowledge of poets, copywriters, brand namers, political speechwriters, and other professional verbal miniaturists. Each chapter discusses one tool that helps short messages grab attention, communicate instantly, stick in the mind, and roll off the tongue. Piled high with examples from corporate slogans to movie titles to product names, Microstyle shows readers how to say the most with the least, while offering a lively romp through the historic transformation of mass media into the media of the personal.More details
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Book
08/2012
WW Norton & Co
€43.51
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Book
09/2011
WW Norton & Co
€38.56
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Person
Christopher Johnson is a blogger and branding consultant, with a PhD in linguistics from the University of California, Berkeley. He lives in Seattle, Washington.
Content
- Intro
- Title Page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Introduction
- MEANING
- 1 BE CLEAR
- 2 CHOOSE THE RIGHT WORD
- 3 PAINT A PICTURE
- 4 PUSH BUTTONS
- 5 EVOKE SPECIFIC SITUATIONS
- 6 ZOOM IN ON TELLING DETAILS
- 7 TAP INTO METAPHOR
- 8 USE AMBIGUITY FOR GOOD, NOT EVIL
- 9 SAY THE WRONG THING
- SOUND
- 10 KEEP IT SIMPLE
- 11 GIVE IT RHYTHM
- 12 PLAY WITH POETIC PATTERNS
- 13 MAKE THE SOUND FIT
- STRUCTURE
- 14 BREAK THE RULES
- 15 COIN A NEW WORD
- 16 MAKE A PLAY ON WORDS
- 17 COMBINE WORDS ARTFULLY
- 18 USE GRAMMAR EXPRESSIVELY
- 19 REPEAT STRUCTURES
- 20 TEACH AN OLD CLICHÉ NEW TRICKS
- SOCIAL CONTEXT
- 21 EVOKE CONVERSATION
- 22 ESTABLISH A RELATIONSHIP
- 23 CREATE A MICROVOICE
- Epilogue
- Acknowledgments
- Index
- Praise
- Copyright
