Words That Stick: A Guide to Short Writing with Big Impact (Paperback)

by Rix Quinn (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Winston Churchill’s famous "blood, sweat, and tears" oration to British Parliament was only 627 words long and lasted about 6 minutes. Lincoln’s Gettysburg address was only 286 words; Martin Luther King Jr.’s "I have a dream" speech lasted only 16 minutes. The words that mean the most are often delivered in succinct passages. Whether you’re a business owner promoting your product, a consultant selling your ideas, or a student working for better grades—your writing is more effective when it’s concise and focused. In WORDS THAT STICK, columnist and writing instructor Rix Quinn uses the techniques of such famous wordsmiths as Mark Twain, Winston Churchill, and Franklin Roosevelt to demonstrate how small chunks of text can have a big impact. From defining the audience and choosing a structure to reworking, condensing, and proofing the work, Quinn teaches writers of all abilities how to captivate an audience and communicate a memorable message.

About the Author
RIX QUINN writes a national weekly humor column alled "Poor Rix’s Almanac." He holds degrees in journalism and persuasive writing and conducts writing workshops for high schools, colleges, and business groups. Rix lives and writes in Fort Worth, Texas.

Product Details

• Paperback: 104 pages
• Publisher: Ten Speed Press (March 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580085768
• ISBN-13: 978-1580085762
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 5.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #7,717 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for writers of all ages and skill levels!, November 9, 2004

By	M. McDaniel "graphic designer" (Fort Worth, TX USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I wanted to let you know that this book is great! I am a high school journalism and newspaper teacher. This book is a wonderful supplemental learning tool for my classes. I have divided my newspaper class into pairs of students and each Monday I assign a pair a chapter out of Words That Stick to present to the rest of the class on Friday. I am going to do that for the rest of this semester. The book is very direct and concise. It doesn't have any jargon to get bogged-down in so it is great for my high school kids who are just getting their feet wet in the world of journalism. Words That Stick is also an excellent resource to accomplished writers. It helps keep you focused and reminds you to keep your writing short and to-the-point.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Kept Blog Writing Secret , September 12, 2008

By	Craig M. Knight - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If you are a blogger who is struggling to write compelling content, there's new hope in the form of Rix Quinn's handy-sized book "Words That Stick".

Need an attention-grabbing heading? Chapter six shows you how and includes 51 examples.

What about a captivating first sentence? There are no less than 60 in chapter four.

Struggling to come up with an ending? Chapter five will not only show you how to build your case in the middle paragraphs, but also provides 30 endings you can customize to close your posts in style.

This is a book for all types of short writing, but it's ideal for the blogger who wants to know how to keep their readers' eyeballs glued to every post from beginning to end.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book on how to better connect with your audience, June 23, 2009

By	Palomar (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews

This short book is packed with great insight on how to write with greater impact. In a nutshell, Words That Stick is about how to use fewer words in your communications to achieve higher recall with your audience.