Interlude: Preparation, Stories, and LinkedIn
Every morning, I take my dog, Benson, for an "adventure" around the neighborhood. He loves our adventures...except when it rains. And recently, we had quite the rain storm.
On a rainy day earlier this week, I got us ready for our morning adventure. I put on my rain gear and got Benson "suited up" in his raincoat (his coat is red, so I like to think of it as his superhero cape). And then we trudged out into the storm, anticipating feeling dread for being out in the bad weather. Only this time, I didn't feel dread. Instead, I found myself enjoying the sound of the rain and feeling gratitude for having rain gear that keeps me dry and warm. And then I realized that my gratitude was rooted in one thing.
Preparation.
Because I was prepared with the proper gear, I found myself enjoying what may people find unenjoyable. And I realized that this link between preparation and enjoyment applies to many things in our lives.
The more we can prepare, the more we can enjoy. Whether we're preparing an outline for a manuscript or practicing an upcoming presentation, we can make things easier and more enjoyable by preparing.
So, my goal for this weekend is to find a better raincoat for Benson, so that he can enjoy our rainy adventures as much as I do.
And now for this week's round-up...
💌 Round-up
🎉 Featured
The Intrinsic Story Structure of Original Research Manuscripts
I'm delighted to share my latest publication in the AMWA Journal. In the article, I describe how the most common story structure—the three-act structure—maps onto the standard IMRaD structure of original research manuscripts. And I share a useful abbreviation to help you remember to include each part of this structure in your manuscript.
🖥️ Watching
The Magical Science of Storytelling
In this TEDx talk, David JP Phillips shares how storytelling is a powerful way to transfer knowledge because it induces the release of four neurotransmitters in the brain. Although "Mr. Death by Powerpoint" focuses his talk on storytelling in presentations, his tips are just as relevant to writing.
🧰 Tools
Presentation Coach (PowerPoint)
Would you like feedback on your presentations before presenting in front of others? Try the "Rehearse with Coach" feature in PowerPoint. This feature will give you a report on your pace, pitch, energy, use of filler words, and so much more. However, the feature won't report when you use these other phrases that you want to avoid in your presentations.
📝 Challenge
This week, open up your most recent presentation and practice with the "Rehearse with Coach" feature. Then note just one thing you can do to better prepare for your next presentation.
Thank you so much for reading.
Warmly,
Crystal
