#Copywriting Briefing

[ideadeco]

What Not to Add in Your Briefings Send to Journalists | Filia Mitromara

Sending a briefing to journalists is more than stringing together enticing words; it’s about crystal-clear communication that syncs perfectly with your chosen journalists from the very first line. This guide is your blueprint for trimming the fluff from your ideas to ensure your briefing catches the eye and clearly conveys your objectives, whether you are spotlighting an event, conducting a…

[ollycapornsblag]

The centenary blog. What we've learned so far. Part 3.

If you’ve been in advertising for any amount of time, or indeed have written or produced anything creative whatsoever the ‘rule of three’ will not be new to you. The three wise monkeys, three musketeers, three wise men, three little maids from school, an Englishman an Irishman and a Scotsman walk in to a bar. Vorsprung durch technik. Just do it. etc all rely on the rule of three. The number has…

[beastmarketing]

Mastering the Art of Landing Pages Top Tips for Higher Conversions

New Post has been published on https://abnoubshenouda-digitalmarketer.com/mastering-the-art-of-landing-pages-top-tips-for-higher-conversions/

Mastering the Art of Landing Pages Top Tips for Higher Conversions

Tips for Creating Effective Landing Pages

In the world of digital marketing, landing pages are crucial for converting website visitors into leads and customers. A landing page is a standalone web page designed to convert visitors into leads or customers by collecting their information through a form. The ultimate goal of a landing page is to encourage visitors to take a specific action, such as filling out a form, making a purchase, or subscribing to a newsletter.

In this article, we will discuss tips for creating effective landing pages that will help you improve your conversion rates and achieve your marketing goals.

Set clear goals and define your target audience Before you start creating your landing page

it’s important to set clear goals and define your target audience.

Ask yourself what action you want visitors to take on your landing page and who your target audience is. This will help you tailor your messaging and design to appeal to the right audience and guide them towards the desired action.

Keep it simple and focused Landing pages should be simple and focused

with a clear and concise message that communicates the value proposition of your offer. Avoid cluttering the page with too much information or distractions, as this can overwhelm and confuse visitors. Use short paragraphs, bullet points, and images to make your content more digestible and visually appealing.

Use eye-catching headlines and images Your headline and images

are the first things visitors will see when they land on your page, so make sure they are eye-catching and attention-grabbing. Use a headline that clearly communicates the benefit of your offer and use high-quality images that are relevant and engaging.

Make it mobile-friendly More and more people

are accessing the internet on their mobile devices, so it’s important to ensure your landing page is mobile-friendly. Use a responsive design that adapts to different screen sizes and make sure your page loads quickly on mobile devices.

Use social proof and testimonials Social proof and testimonials

are powerful tools for building trust and credibility with your visitors. Use customer testimonials, social media mentions, or awards and recognition to show that your offer is trusted and valued by others.

Include a clear and visible call-to-action

Your call-to-action (CTA) is the most important element of your landing page. It’s the button or form that visitors will use to take the desired action, such as filling out a form or making a purchase. Make sure your CTA is clear and visible, and use action-oriented language that encourages visitors to take the next step.

Test and optimize your landing page

Creating an effective landing page is an ongoing process of testing and optimization. Use A/B testing to experiment with different headlines, images, and CTAs to see which variations perform best. Use analytics tools to track your conversion rates and identify areas for improvement.

In conclusion, creating effective landing pages requires a clear understanding of your goals and target audience, a simple and focused design, eye-catching headlines and images, mobile-friendliness, social proof and testimonials, a clear and visible CTA, and ongoing testing and optimization. By following these tips, you can improve your conversion rates and achieve your marketing goals.

refernces

Eisenberg, B., & Quarto-vonTivadar, J. (2021). Call to Action: Secret Formulas to Improve Online Results. New York: Thomas Nelson.

Gaudreau, J. (2019). 7 Tips for Creating a Killer Landing Page That Converts. Entrepreneur. Retrieved from https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/332407

Kharel, R., & Gurung, B. (2021). The Impact of Landing Page Design on User Experience: A Systematic Review. IEEE Access, 9, 161583-161593.

Odden, L. (2021). How to Optimize Landing Pages for Higher Conversions. TopRank Marketing. Retrieved from https://www.toprankblog.com/2021/02/how-to-optimize-landing-pages/

Patel, N. (2021). The Definitive Guide to Landing Page Optimization. Quick Sprout. Retrieved from https://www.quicksprout.com/landing-page-optimization/

[lucythornwalter]

Do you like urban fantasy? Do you crave more stories about running errands? Do you yearn for speculative marine biology? Do you need an excuse to cancel on an annoying social obligation? Is AO3 just not hitting the same anymore? And, most especially, are there books you can’t read any longer because the author’s metamorphosed into a package of meat infected with botulism?

If any of those things are true, congratulations! I have 100% free, organically grown, aposematically advertised fiction for you personally that has infected your dash like mold and will continue to do so.

Thanks to my haters I have refined my copywriting strategy - while it’s certainly true that there are gay and trans people here doing things like eating street food and joking about Christmas markets and turning one another into safety pins, there is more to a plot than “HERE BE QUEERS” or even “FUCK THAT ONE AUTHOR IN PARTICULAR I’M STEALING THEIR SHIT”. There’s a plot! This plot is about a group of nineteen-year-old students (and one recent graduate), some of whom are faeries, deciding to hang out on the last Saturday before the end of winter break in 2003. Things go differently than they planned, ending in a haphazard battle with a very unhappy monster. It’s raw, it’s imperfect, it’s outsider, and it can also be read completely for free on Tumblr! Presented in links to two parts immediately below the cut.

[a-sunset-outside-my-window]

fic recs of the month

This is just a collection of my fic recs for the month of march, have fun <3

The Lab

by @de-sire-blog (de_sire) on Ao3

“I don’t get it,” Sirius says truthfully. “Remus is such a nice person, why does everyone pretend like he’s some kind of wicked stepmother?”

James laughs joyfully and winks at Sirius. “Are we even talking about the same person?” He holds out his hand above his head. “Big guy, about this tall, curly hair? Temper like a sleeping dragon? Smart, but a bit full of himself? Can kill you with his eyes?”

Sirius raises his eyebrows and laughs as well. “No, I don’t think we are talking about the same person at all.”  

A love story about healing, new beginnings and growing up. Academia! Romance! Shared cigarettes, cute cats, lots of coffee and the most amorous business trip you have ever seen.

the hare and the hound

by @steelycunt (aeridi0nis) on Ao3

‘He’ll never have to do it again, Remus realises. He can just keep being good, if he just behaves, he’ll never have to do it again, never with the dark and the bleeding and the crying. He just can’t give them reason to be angry at him, and he won’t, he hasn’t. And his mum is right – the drink does make him feel a little better.’

or:

Remus is a terribly behaved five-year-old. He doesn’t really think so himself, but his parents lock him in the cellar every month, so he must be doing something to deserve it. Well, not anymore. He’s got a plan, see, sort of. He’ll never go downstairs again.

Dusk

by @theresthesnitch on Ao3

“That’s not fair.” Sirius was crying now, and Remus swiped his tears away with his thumb. “This isn’t fair. We haven’t had enough time. It’s not fair.” 

“I know, love.” Remus leaned in for a kiss, and wondered if it would be the last. “I have loved you for sixty-two years, and it’s nowhere near enough.” 

Or

Sirius loses his memories.

Lupine

by @wolfstarbuxks (BayleyWinchester) on Ao3

Lupine adjective lu·pine | \ ˈlü-ˌpīn \ Definition of lupine : WOLFISH

Teddy is Remus' everything in life. He'd do anything for his son - including going to the same zoo, twice a week for a year so that his son could see the wolves that he had fallen in love with.

And if that meant that Remus got to met a sexy zookeeper, who was he to complain?

CONSTANT VIGILANCE and COMMON SENSE

by darkbluedark on Ao3

In which Alastor not-yet-"Mad-Eye"-but-still-quite-Mad Moody does as Alastor "Just Mad" Moody does, and brings a sneakoscope to an Order meeting.

~The kind of fix-it that makes so much sense that the fact that it isn't canon should be considered a plot hole in itself~

A Brief History of Dragons

by @eyra on Ao3

It's lovely up here; all meadows dotted with wildflowers, wind-beaten tracks criss-crossing this way and that through the fields, weaving inland to the pinewoods. The sun's hot on his back as he passes ramshackle stone walls, long since crumbled to piles of ancient rubble and scree, and then the path winds downwards, still following the line of the coast until Sirius finds himself outside an old white cottage, tucked away behind the hill with a rose garden that faces out to the sea.

Sirius moves to Cornwall for the summer and meets a rude, beautiful boy who is writing a book that may or may not be about dragons.

The Phoenix Agency

by LupinsChocolatePraline on Ao3

Sirius Black is excited to start his first full-time job after Uni, but this life change doesn’t sit well with his boyfriend who is difficult to live with on a good day, abusive on all other days. Sirius is good at pretending that everything is alright, he can even convince himself, but sometimes he wishes things were different. The problem is – Fabian is all Sirius has. Or so they both think.

Remus Lupin is a senior copywriter at an advertising agency, currently single by choice, and very comfortable with his unchanging daily routine, his familiar colleagues and his company-issued ergonomic chair that’s been his for three years now. When his favourite graphic designer is replaced by a twitchy, fresh-out-of-university Sirius Black, his peaceful routine takes an unexpected hit.

[lulu2992]

(This is a reply to this reblog because the post would have been way too long otherwise)

You’re right, @purplehairsecretlair; it would make so much more sense if the priest featured in the video was not Jerome! I was ready to accept this headcanon, but then I found the official description of the trailer:

This is about Joseph Seed's journey before he became the Father, before Pastor Jerome was forced to forfeit his status as shepherd of the County's souls.

So The Baptism is about Joseph “stealing” Jerome’s congregation… That said, I totally agree that this isn’t consistent with the game for several reasons (which you probably already know, but I want to use this opportunity to talk more about the trailer).

First, Joseph found John and Jacob before he started the Project, and they all arrived in Hope County together. In the trailer, however, as you pointed out, he’s alone. We see him creating Eden’s Gate, writing his own holy book, and recruiting his first followers. Also, this shot...

...looks like what the 2nd step of the Pilgrimage tells us in the game:

II. The Cleansing: Joseph Seed affirms his obedience to the Voice by cleansing himself with his own two hands, becoming born again.

Steps III and IV are about him getting his first followers and the Voice telling him about the Collapse, and he only “collects his blood family” at step V, which... I realize is not consistent with The Book of Joseph, unless that means he had already found his brothers and only “[anointed] them as his Heralds” at this point.

Regardless, the story told along the Pilgrimage path isn’t consistent with The Baptism either because he only brings his disciples to Hope County at step VII, but he’s clearly already there in the video. Plus, his Heralds don’t seem to be with him…

I tried looking for more information about the trailer, especially about the cast and characters but, aside from Greg Bryk, I couldn’t find the names of the other actors.

However, I found this. The website says the video has won 25 (in my opinion, well-deserved) awards and provides a synopsis, probably written by DDB Paris, the agency that created the two live-action trailers, The Baptism and The Sermon, for Ubisoft. It says that the little girl is “the daughter of the legitimate priest whose place [Joseph] took, ten years ago”. Far Cry 5 never implies Jerome ever had a child, so I don’t think that’s still canon, but I’m glad we finally know who she is!

I stumbled upon this other article (with a behind-the-scenes picture). It’s in French, so here’s a summary:

It was Ubisoft who “imposed” Greg Byrk on the agency, but the artistic director thought he was “perfect” even though they barely knew him. The copywriter comments he was “very immersed in his role” and “exuded something powerful”.

The video was shot in Canada, in Merritt BC. To help the team, Ubisoft sent them the “huge mood board” they made during their one-year trip to Montana.

Some shots were unscripted, such as the scene with the little girl on the swing.

About 150 people were involved in the project which also required dozens of supply trucks.

Finally, it says the trailer was released 14 months after the first briefing. Jerome and Joseph’s backstories had plenty of time to be rewritten...

I also remember reading this interview with the director on the now-offline UbiBlog years ago. So, in case anyone was wondering (I was), that string of saliva was, in fact, totally unplanned :’)

[yunwangja]

the prophecy | verse 11: it was sinking in

masterlist | next verse

a/n: mostly written content, coming after the content preview

the bar buzzes with the vibrant energy of the night. neon lights cast a colorful glow on the bustling crowd, and the air is filled with laughter and the clinking of glasses.

as you and tobio step inside, the warm, welcoming atmosphere envelops you. the scent of various drinks mingles with the faint aroma of bar food. your friends, who are already gathered around a large table near the back, spot the two of you immediately.

ryu stands up with a broad grin, raising his drink high. “here they are!” he announces, his voice carrying over the lively chatter. shoyo follows suit, cheering, “finally!”

their enthusiastic greeting sets the tone for the night, making you feel right at home amidst the lively setting.

you immediately set your eyes on yachi and ran to hug her tightly, her warm smile mirroring your own. “i’m so glad you're here now!” you exclaim.

“me too! it feels like forever since i’ve been on a night out too,” yachi responds, her eyes shining with excitement.

as you chat, the group's energy begins to flow in different directions, each person settling into their usual roles and conversations. the table becomes a lively hub of activity, with pockets of laughter and animated discussions breaking out.

shoyo and ryu, decide to be competitors for the night, quickly locking eyes and falling into banter. “i bet i can drink more than you, shoyo!” ryu challenges, slamming his empty glass on the table.

“you’re on!” shoyo replies, matching his enthusiasm.

meanwhile, kou, already a bit tipsy, starts venting to tsukki about his busy life. “i just miss them so much, tsukki,” kou slurs, his head resting on the table. “we barely get any time together anymore. it’s all just volleyball and studies. i feel like i’m drowning.”

tsukki listens with a mix of patience and boredom, glancing at his phone now and then. “why don't you just call them now instead of talking to me,” he suggests, his tone indicating his mind is elsewhere.

kenma, avoiding the chaos, sticks close to tooru, who’s trying to convince him to socialize. “kenma, you really should talk to more people,” tooru says, nudging him playfully.

“i’m fine right here,” kenma replies, his eyes darting around the crowded bar. “besides, you’re entertaining enough for the both of us.”

tooru laughs and then turns his attention to tobio. “come on tobio, have another drink. i’ll make sure everyone gets home safe,” he insists, trying to hand him another glass. "i'm the bigger man tonight!"

tobio shakes his head, his eyes never leaving you. “thanks, but i’m good. just keeping an eye on y/n,” he replies, voice firm.

tooru raises an eyebrow, a smirk playing on his lips. “ah, i see. well, you’re doing a great job,” he teases before turning back to kenma.

tobio’s gaze remains fixed on you. he finds you adorable as you smile, laugh, and rant. there’s something captivating about the way your eyes light up when you’re animated, and he can’t help but be drawn to it. his concern for you isn’t just because you’re part of the group—it’s something deeper. he watches for any signs that you might need help, ready to take you home in case you get too drunk.

you and yachi find a quiet corner to sit and continue your conversation. “so, have you finished your campaign for copywriting?” yachi asks, her tone a mix of curiosity and exhaustion.

“barely,” you groan. “my brief summary was approved, although my storyboard had a lot of revisions, plus my software crashed while re-doing it and didn't autosave. i thought i was going to lose my mind.”

yachi laughs, “oh no! that sounds like a nightmare. i had to pull an all-nighter for my graphic design class. i swear, my eyes were burning by the end of it.”

“we were really deceived by our major, weren't we?” you joke, and yachi nods in agreement, both of you laughing at your shared struggle.

as the night progresses, the group somehow gathers as conversations naturally flow. ryu moves to sit beside you, but tobio quickly takes the seat first. ryu shakes his head, amused by tobio’s eagerness. “you’re quick, tobio,” he whispers to him and chuckles.

tobio pretends nothing happened and puts down his drink on the table, making a sound that gets your attention. you make eye contact with him and smile. “having a good time?” you ask.

he nods, a faint smile on his lips. “yeah, you?”

“of course,” you reply, feeling a warm flutter in your chest.

kou, in his drunken state, starts a new topic. “you know, you two make a cute couple,” he slurs, pointing at you and tobio. “i’ve seen the way you look at each other.”

ryu jumps in, grinning mischievously. “hey, y/n, let me know if tobio does anything stupid. i’ll kick his ass for you.”

the teasing intensifies, with comments flying from everyone else in the group, their inhibitions lowered by their half-drunken state. you now feel awkward and unsure how to react.

in the past, you disliked situations like this because the teasing usually involved people you weren't interested in. but when it came to people you actually liked, you felt even more unsure, not wanting to give in or show your feelings too easily.

you blush, covering your cheeks and looking away, only to see tobio bright red and shouting at them to stop, clearly embarrassed.

“shut up! you guys are annoying,” tobio snaps, his face flushed.

his reaction was unlike anything you’d experienced before in these types of situations. it was refreshing and, for some reason, calming.

your embarrassed expression slowly turns into a small smile, then into a laugh. tobio looks at you, initially confused but somehow relieved, realizing you’re not that upset by the teasing.

as the hours pass and the night deepens, the bar's lively atmosphere begins to mellow. shoyo and ryu are now slumped over, completely knocked out thanks to their competition, with tooru dutifully keeping an eye on them.

kou, having reached his limit, is passed out over kenma, who sits with a long-suffering expression, looking thoroughly annoyed but resigned to his fate. tsukki, meanwhile, remains engrossed in his phone, scrolling through messages and updates, his tipsy state making him quieter and more introspective than usual.

yachi is asleep on your lap, and you gently play with her hair. thankfully, you're not as drunk as your friends, thinking that you'll probably be helping tooru out later. meanwhile, tobio is still beside you and takes the opportunity to talk.

“hey, i hope you weren’t that bothered with all the teasing earlier,” he begins, his voice concerned. “just tell me if you are, and i’ll make them stop.”

you shake your head, smiling reassuringly. “no, it’s fine. i might be annoyed in other cases, but this time, i didn’t mind. i just don’t know how to handle it well, so i kind of malfunctioned at first.”

tobio nods, his expression serious. “i see. i was worried at first that you’d be uncomfortable being teased with me,” he admits, looking down for a moment.

you tilt your head, curiosity and a bit of amusement in your eyes. “of course not! didn't you see me laugh? why would you think that? ” you ask, your tone light but genuine.

he shrugs slightly, “i don’t know. just didn't want you to feel awkward or upset.”

you reach out and gently touch his arm, your smile warm and sincere. “there you go again. you don’t need to worry so much, tobio. really.”

tobio’s eyes soften, and he smiles back at you, a genuine, heartfelt smile that makes your heart skip a beat. “i’m glad,” he says quietly.

his smile of relief warms your heart. his concern for your feelings made you think how much he cares. you’ve always been the one to overthink, but with tobio, you’ve found someone who overthinks about you too. of course, despite that, you still want to assure him.

“i appreciate that you care, though.” you tell him, your voice soft. “it means a lot.”

there’s a brief, tender silence between you as you both look at each other, the connection between you deepening with every passing moment. just as you feel the urge to say something more, tooru’s voice cuts through the air.

“hey, lovebirds! it’s getting late. we need to get these drunks home,” tooru calls out, his tone light but insistent. secretly, he feels bad that he had to ruin your moment.

you and tobio exchange a look, a mixture of amusement and reluctance. “guess we should help out,” you say with a small laugh.

“yeah,” tobio agrees and starts helping you move yachi safely from your lap. “let’s get everyone home safely.”

notes

i changed the verse title for this one lol

tooru told tobio what it was while they were both eating ryu's leftover lunch later that night

he said, "it was because i tweeted about your sexual tension with y/n" and tobio choked on his (stolen) burger

tooru feigned ignorance toward yn and she never knew why

he might say it in the future though...

and ryu woke up to a crumpled paperbag on their counter the next morning, shrugged, and ate a melonpan (he's tired of getting mad over it)

if it seems like kou and tooru's role during the night out was reversed i just wanted to try a little twist

i feel like kou has a real tendency to be really stressed out being the best person ever so i thought he could let it all out here and tooru would act like a "cool older brother" to everyone

next verse

taglist: @fiannee @debussy42 @samvagejkflxhrt @diorzs @kagtobis @lovingvi @tea-drinking-nerd @iamfontenlos @jaynawayna @divinityghoul

[teoft]

Reminiscing

Spring 2020, I applied for a design job/internship and went to the interview. Turned out they wanted a copywriter instead of a designer, despite the brief saying otherwise.

On the bus ride back the news of lockdown reached me, and I remember thinking "Well, shit, there goes the rest of the semester." I also had this weird feeling, like something had changed.

Suddenly four years have passed, and it's all a haze.

Time just keeps slipping through my fingers.

[klapollo]

i fucking hate when jobs want be to be a "copywriter and brand strategist" or "copywriter and social media strategist" "copywriter and SEO consultant" et cetera i am a WRITER i WRITE WORDS i have an ENGLISH DEGREE i will help you pitch stuff and iron out some campaigns and i will TURN AROUND A BRIEF but i'm just a limb of the marketing machine im not the brain in the robot ok

[prcdo]

have you heard from NICOLAS PRADO yet? back home they’re said to work as a REAL ESTATE COPYWRITER.  before this trip to blackwood pines, i’ve heard that they’re known to be ACTIVE, JOCULAR, AND ADAPTABLE. but on the downside, they’re known to be BRASH, COMPETITIVE AND BLUNT. when you think about them, you’ll probably see JERSEY NUMBERS WORN LIKE MILITARY MEDALS, BURST BOXING BAGS, CRUSHED SODA CANS, TARNISHED TROPHIES, AND KNUCKLES BRUISED TO THE HUE OF BUSINESS SUITS. and because of that, i would say that they’re known to be THE JOCK.

STATS. 

full name.  nicolas meza prado. 

nicknames.  nick is, in fact, his preferred name. nods at variations thereof with the notable exception of nicky.

date of birth.  13 october. 

place of birth.  odessa, texas, usa.  

current residence.  detroit, michigan, usa. 

languages.  fluent in english and spanish.

education.  has an mba from michigan state. paid for by a sports scholarship, of course.

occupation.  real estate copywriter. 

gender.  cisgender male. he/him. 

orientation.  bisexual. 

marital status.  dating, more often than not.

family.  a father, a mother, and two siblings sandwiching him into a suffocating space stuffed with birth order stereotypes.

PERSONALITY. 

the brief.  in one word, nick is winning. not a moment in his life has been spent without incredible drive, nor with any consideration as to local speed limits. he holds his head high and, in the process, can lose track of the bigger picture as easily as he can paint a new landscape of goals with loaded words and laborious action. whether this is concerning or endearing depends on a lot of factors, but he’s not dead yet, so he can’t be too insufferable. or maybe the team just needs some muscle. that’s probably it.

the good.  nick wants to help people. although he’s a primary proponent of self-love, he leads by example and is eager to learn whatever he can from whoever he can – the dumb jock stereotype didn’t pop up without any strict basis in reality, after all – and he’d sooner exile himself to an athlete’s foot locker than force someone to take a risk he wouldn’t seize first. 

the bad.  nick wants to help people with the absolute outlier of himself. he builds his plans around others, if he has any plans at all, yet has shoved his expectations for everyone above the stratosphere to the point where he feels personally degraded should anyone reject his get-pushed-in-the-pool-to-learn-how-to-swim teaching techniques. he does not deal well with having his opinions ignored in any capacity and nurses grudges as well as anyone with a doctorate in self-centredness would.

the ugly.  nick needs to be needed. being disliked macerates his mind into this mush of desperate people-pleasing, even if he knows the only path to justice is the one paved with potholes. if a friend asked him to jump off a cliff, he’d only ask if they wanted to film him doing a flip on the way down.

APPEARANCE. 

height.   5’9. good posture and a gleaming smile had most intramural coaches thinking otherwise.

build.  athletic, with a mean leanness that puts both his obsessive gym-going in adolescence and overwhelmingly green diet in adulthood on full blast. you know, as if he’s not enthusiastic enough about divulging all the sordid, sweaty

style.  comfort over couture. everything in his closet but his collection of immaculate basketball sneakers is best described as devil-may-care. colours stay neutral and t-shirt graphics stay slightly crude. sleeves must be rolled up regardless of weather and whether he’s even wearing something with long sleeves.

notable features.  jet black hair styled with water and confidence. the uncertain beginnings of a bristly moustache. a tattoo of the number one in a compact collegiate font on his right shoulder blade.

BIOGRAPHY.  content warnings for brief mentions of hazing and injury.

tl;dr.  annoyingly smirky middle child stomps his way into acquiring eldest child syndrome + a humiliating defeat to cap off his last collegiate basketball season, and proceeds to do everything in his power to not become the guy who peaked in school. which actually amounts to just throwing himself into work with little regard for sleep schedule or personal relationships, but a quick winter getaway could help him unwind a little, right? right.

first quarter.  nick’s a good kid, but good isn’t always good enough. his parents drill that lesson into his skull as soon as he’s out the hospital and in the prado household’s singular bedroom. they do it unintentionally, which is how they do a lot of things, but however much he wants to play hercules by hurling his weight around the run-down playground, every time he slices one head off the hydra of approval by joining this club or scoring that letter, another two pop up in its place, born of his brothers’ very existence. the one who came before him is their meal ticket making his way through med school, the one who came after him is already on track to become an accountant, and he’s… good at throwing things in hoops. things being homework, hoops being over trash bins. but he’s always been a good-natured kid, so when he secures a spot on the jv basketball team after trying out as a total joke, he soaks up the sugared electrolytes, the electric sound of applause, and the endless opportunities to sink his energy into something until the end of time. or until 6pm. you know, whenever practice ends.

second quarter.  nick’s a good guy. his parents call him the fun one, which might not be a compliment, but warping any and all descriptors into compliments is how nick’s become something of a casanova and kept his name relatively clear of any scandals. that is, until he semi-consciously continues a secret hazing ritual that results in the severe incapacitation of his fraternity brothers and a wicked hangover that, gasp, results in him ruining the next week’s championship game. then he blows his birthday money on veneers of all kinds to coast through police interviews and changes his course from sports officiating to business administration. then he realises that being impressive is way more important to the status of being good than making a squeaky-clean good impression.

third quarter.  nick’s living the good life. sure, he’s got little to no time for recreation, but he’s strongarmed his way up the corporate ladder and isn’t coming down at any cost. also, he can still toss his assignments in the trash can. he’s got a photocopier now. his friends tell him there’s no place better than blackwood pines, and if only to prove them wrong (and maybe prevent himself from getting hypertension at thirty) nick brings himself and a basketball along for the ride to the rockies.

fourth quarter.  nick’s story may or may not have a good ending. aka this is the part where i’ll put summaries of all super important life-changing in-character events so i don’t lose track of them <3

MISCELLANEOUS. 

radio.  beastie boys. no doubt. oasis. rage against the machine. red hot chili peppers.

potential relationships.

childhood friends.  people who witnessed his evolution from tryhard to hard-ass and has, by some miracle, decided to stick around. nick’s definitely drafted up at least one microsoft word nda regarding his tragic past and its secrecy for these folks. whether or not they unblocked him long enough to read the final document is trivial.

college classmates.  nick may or may not be the reason the general public does not desire a 5’9 brown-eyed man in finance. while not as egoistic as he was in his younger years, his enthusiasm for extra credit was well recorded.

former teammates.  while he never went pro, nick’s played basketball for as long as he’s been alive and was a volunteer coach at a couple of summer camps in his must-join-every-extracurricular-ever-or-perish days. whether you knew him as the point guard of your dreams or the gatorade purist of your nightmares, nick was sure to make games interesting.

gym sibs.  they stay hungry, they devour, put in the work, put in the hours, et cetera.

former coworkers/clients/employers.  nick’s had a host of less-than-dignified jobs with less-than-humane pay, including but not limited to arcade janitor, junior assistant dishwasher at a fast food joint, and human directional.

current coworkers/clients/employers.  being a real estate agent isn’t much more dignified when you get to the cold calling, door-slamming phase, but at least nick gets to do it in a fancy suit! and maybe you want to do things in a fancy suit too. or own a beautiful home in the suburbs with so much fluorescent lighting you’ll never think of going to the hospital again.

flings.  nick commits to everything except for relationships. go figure. he’s never lied about what he wants out of a night or two, but he has driven off way more than two dates by insulting their interior decorating skills during pillow talk.

assorted headcanons.  has a southern twang to his voice that gets exponentially stronger on the rare occasion he experiences an emotion aside from pride. says that he bikes everywhere for health reasons but has actually been banned from several buses for playing his super hype playlists without headphones. also hates cars because the smell and sight of exhaust pipe smoke reminds him of his older brother lolol. doesn’t curse much in general but absolutely refuses to do so in the presence of a lady thanks to mami, even if she has a sailor’s mouth of her own. very physically, if not emotionally, protective; will not hesitate to be someone’s meat shield in any given situation.

[tiikerikani]

"I feel that it is time for me to pursue another opportunity that is more aligned with my career goals and values"

I’m 100% quitting my job if they require us to use Gen AI

They did, so I quit. I gave my one months' notice today and will start New Job near the end of next month. Of course I have to credit random Recruiter Guy for showing up in my life at exactly the right time; I wouldn't have left without an exit plan.

I try to be a principled person and there aren't always opportunities to safely stay true to those principles.

-----

When Recruiter Guy messaged me on LI last month, I was intrigued that it actually seemed like he'd read my profile (unlike the spammy messages I usually get). I've never worked with a recruiter before, so it was interesting having a sort of agent pitching you to the company and liaising with them instead of having to be persuasive and do all the arrangements on your own.

Since the technical writer role is a new position in this company, I figured that it would mean they would be open to ideas on how to do things and wouldn't be forcing me to use AI things.

When Recruiter Guy asked for my salary expectations, I gave him a number in the middle of the range that was in the job description. The entire salary range is a significant increase over what I'm earning now[1], so I had literally nothing to lose and everything to gain trying for this. He said he'd ask for a bit more than my figure. (And that's what I'll be getting.)

The role would be a massive step up in responsibility for me and I know it's going to be a challenge; as the in-house writer I'd be responsible for maintaining the entire documentation library[2]. In-house writer is actually the role that many technical writers aspire to. You get to work closely with and really know the products you write about, and you can give feedback during the product development process.

I would have asked about it anyway, but the interviewer wanted my thoughts about using AI, and I said something along the lines of "I know people who do, but I do not because I trust my writing skills and good writing that gets taken seriously needs to have a touch that only a human writer can provide." She agreed that AI text sounds really obviously fake, so I took this as a good sign.

There was a small sample task that I had to do on my own time (given a list of specs, write a brief product description). Not a huge fan of copywriting but a product description is still very factual and not usually trying to sell stuff to people who don't want it. I returned the assignment along with a thank you note for the interview.

The interviewer wanted to speak with one of my references, so I directed her to talk to my master's thesis supervisor. He made such a good impression that she wanted to read my thesis (which IS, in the end, the only formal writing sample I can provide because I can't divulge who I've done work for) and had Recruiter Guy set up a chat for me with their HR person. Whom I spoke to on Good Friday because it wasn't a public holiday in their country and I didn't have big plans for the Easter weekend anyway and I just really wanted to move the process forward as quickly as possible. They were also extremely impressed and went back to Recruiter Guy right away, who then called me that afternoon. I'm sure he would not have done this if he wasn't optimistic about my application since he was very well aware that it was a public holiday for me.

So yeah, I got the offer email just as I was about to leave for the concert last Thursday, and I wrote back immediately to accept it. Recruiter Guy called me as I was getting out of the metro and I really hate talking on the phone in public, but THIS WAS IMPORTANT ENOUGH for an exception. We discussed the start date and agreed that I could have a gap week in between to just...catch my breath and rest a bit.

New Job is a hybrid workplace and they expect people to come to the office at least a couple of times a week, so I hope some social life and networking can actually happen??? Their products include hardware devices so it also makes sense that I need to physically be there to examine the things to document them properly.

__________

[1] With the amount of experience I have now, with a job that requires a university degree and specialized language skills, and living in the Helsinki area, I should NOT be earning BELOW the national median wage (across all industries)!!!

[2] A recurring theme in my art and what I try to do with it is wanting to be seen, so it would mean a lot to me to be able to point to my work and say "I did this," rather than writing anonymously as a contractor.

[ideadeco]

How Empathy Can Improve the Structure of Briefings | Tassos Kotzias

Jumping into briefings is less about ticking boxes and more about syncing hearts and minds. This is your playbook for weaving empathy and just the right vibe into your briefings, making sure your project vibes with everyone from the word GO. We’re here to show you how to sprinkle a little empathy and the perfect tone across your briefings, turning them from basic instructions to something that…

[fairycosmos]

I'm looking for a career change so I'm wondering what your job entails exactly? Do you find it difficult and does it pay well? Did you need any qualification for it? thanks:)

so i'm pretty much just a blend of a digital marketer + copywriter, here's a brief of the tasks i generally have to do but throw in a bunch of copywriting and graphic design as my role is heavily focused on that w the company i'm with atm. doesn't pay well but doesn't pay terrible compared to other jobs ive had, it's just above minimum wage after taxes. it's a relatively easy job like w how flexible it is and how i get to work remote hybrid and how i get to approach my tasks - it's super manageable. im qualified in support teaching which isn't inherently related to this but i think it gave me the literary and communicative skills needed to intern at a few offices and do decent copywriting work on a freelance basis which then eventually led up to getting full time work in this field. was a slow process though tbh so any qualifications do help, i got pretty lucky overall though and was rejected a bajillion times before i even got to the next phase of any interview (though ik that's the case for most ppl anyway.) good luck with your career change, ik it's very stressful - wishing you the absolute best <3

[allastoredeer]

"Considering Pentagram City is boxed in by mountains, and the Ring doesn't expand past those mountains (well, as far as we've seen), I can't see there being more to the Pride Ring beyond what we've already been shown. I feel like if that were the case, it would've been alluded to in either Hazbin Hotel or Helluva Boss by now."

I'm not so sure about that. Wasn't one of the main reasons for having two shows set in the same universe supposed to be so each show could explore different parts of hell? Like, Helluva Boss is meant to explore the other six rings while Hazbin Hotel is meant to focus on the Pride Ring?

Yes, the main characters of HB all live/do business in Pride, but it's rare that we see any Pride Ring locations in Helluva Boss outside of the I.M.P office and Stolas' palace.

Sure, we've gotten brief glimpses of other places,

-Blitzø and Loona's apartment

-The M&M's apartment

-The fancy cafe, the abandoned mine, and Andrealphus' palace in Western Energy

-And the various locations Millie and Sallie May visited in the Hell's Belles short

But aside from the main characters' apartments (which are most likely in Imp City) it's very nebulous WHERE in the Pride Ring the other locations are. We can't even be certain where in Pride STOLAS lives. Helluva Boss isn't meant to explore the Pride Ring, that's supposed to be Hazbin Hotel's job. The other circles just haven't been as relevant to HB's plot as the other Rings have been.

Unfortunately, Hazbin Hotel also hasn't gotten to really explore the circles due to season one only getting eight episodes. There was no time to for any in depth world building that wasn't vital for telling the main story HH wanted to tell. It seems to be the same for even small background Easter eggs. All visual Easter eggs being reserved for either giving clues about Hazbin character lore or vaguely referencing the other Rings/Sins in ways that won't break copyright.

That's something else you have to take into consideration. Copyright.

I think it's safe to say that there will never be a Helluva Boss episode where the I.M.P. gang visit the Hazbin hotel. And I doubt we're ever going to see Charlie and Vaggie go on a date to the Lust Ring. Any location featured in detail in one show is automatically off the table for the other.

Since the I.M.P. gang and Hazbin crew all live in Pride, the Spindlehorse crew would have to be careful deciding which show gets to focus on which Circle. If an episode of Hazbin Hotel takes place primarily in, say, the Third Circle, that would eliminate any opportunity for Helluva Boss to have an episode that also visits the Third Circle, wouldn't it?

Yeah, I know the copyright thing will get in the way of what can and can be put in Helluva Boss and Hazbin Hotel, but there have been instances where the same thing/characters have shown up, like Katie Killjoy, who shows up in Hazbin Hotel and a billboard in Helluva Boss. I don't know if that just slipped under the copywrites nose, but it's there LOL

But to refute the concept of I.M.P being in Imp City, and Imp City being a circle outside of the Pride Ring, a comment on one of my previous asks (thank you @tomboy014) brought up the fact that I.M.P has to be in the Pride Ring because their job is reliant on Sinners. They're whole marketing scheme is killing people on Earth that Sinners still have beef with. Furthermore, we've seen clients in their office building, like Martha Mayberry and Loopty.

I.M.P (and thus Imp City, where I.M.P is canonically set in) HAS to be set up in Pentagram City for Blitz, Moxxie, Millie, and Loona to even get clients, which then implies that the 2nd Circle is there too.

Additionally, we see that Pentagram City is boxed in by mountains, and when Stryker kidnapped Stolas, we saw those very same mountains. So either they were in Pentagram City, or every other Circle is also surrounded by mountains (perhaps as a means of keeping them separated if that is the case).

If we look at Andre's castle, that theory could hold up, unless his castle is merely set up somewhere within the mountain ranges surrounding Pentagram City.

I mean, the area around the castles does look barren as fuck. There are no other buildings, no people outside of Andre and Stella (not even any servants while they're having tea), and no hint of life whatsoever. It could be that since snow is just a drastic change from Hell's normally blistering hot temperature (or, at least, the Pride Rings hot temperature), he had to distance his castle from everyone else, which could explain why it looks so isolated and empty.

But even disregarding all of that, there are more ways to world-build outside of the characters explicitly going somewhere or saying something. Like the sign for Imp City telling us it's in Circle 2, no one outright said that, it's just a background detail that was there and then gone. There are plenty of opportunities to show us more about the world, and the 9 Circles, even if its something as simple as a poster on the wall.

I also disagree that it's Hazbin Hotel's job to be the one to explore the Pride Ring, but that's only in the case that the 9 Circles actually exist. I can't see the Circles coming up as often, considering most of the characters we meet are Sinners and they aren't allowed outside of Pentagram City, thus there's no reason for it to come up as its not even an option they can explore.

(I know the rule is that Sinners can't leave the Pride Ring, but if the other Circles do exist, and are part of the Pride Ring - and thus places the Sinners are allowed to go - there's no reason they couldn't have explored the other Circles while we were in Hazbin Hotel, even a little. Even if it was a passing glance. A split second blink and you'll miss it moment.)

Charlie and Lucifer would be the perfect characters to explore it for us, but they never do. Our first introduction to Lucifer would've been a fantastic place to sneak in the information that Lucifer lives in one of the other Circles, not Pentagram City. It could've been something as simple as a passing comment or a note on his desk.

But that never happened.

Helluva Boss, however, is the perfect place to explore the 9 Circles especially because their main base of operation is in the Pride Ring. Not only that, but they're the ones who have the freedom to move around and travel to different areas of Hell. They are the audiences' ticket to seeing more of the world, which has worked, because they're the reason we've seen more of the Rings at all. Blitz and Co are the perfect choice to explore the Circles, especially if they've already visited the other Circles.

But they never expand on it which leads me to doubt that the Pride Ring is made up of all 9 Circles, otherwise, why not expand on or allude to it???

[pergimelaut]

Nulis Yang Lucu-Lucu

Seorang kawan baik akan menikah akhir bulan ini, dan dia minta aku untuk bikin tulisan pendek tentang dia dan pasangannya. Tulisan itu akan diedarkan di surat undangan. Aku menulisnya hari itu juga dan mengirimkannya ke kawanku. Proses menulisnya cukup cepat dan senang banget! Aku senang diminta menulis. Semoga persiapan pernikahannya dilancarkan.

Brief darinya abstrak banget, "Santai, ringan, romantis, lucu." Setelah kubaca ulang tulisanku, aku merasa tulisannya sudah santai dan ringan, tapi kurang lucu deh. (Kalau romantis kan, tentu saja ya.) Jangankan "kurang", kayaknya malah nggak ada lucu-lucunya sama sekali.

Kalau diingat lagi, aku jarang berhasil bikin tulisan yang lucu-lucu. Aku baru belajar itu saat menulis copywriting, bidang yang baru kutekuni kurang lebih 3-4 tahun terakhir, karena, ya, sejauh yang kuterima, netizen sukanya yang lucu-lucu. Jadi kalau copywriting, aku bisa, walaupun trial error ya. Tapi kalau surat? Cerpen? Novel apalagi.

Untuk pengerjaan novelku yang draf pertamanya selesai November lalu, aku struggle bikin draf kedua ini. Aku pengin ada lucu-lucunya. Tapi apa yang lucu dari novel tentang ... perang ...? Aku pengin tone down sedikit novelku, biar nggak kesannya terlalu "berdarah-darah"---habis, chapter pertamaku udah saling panah di atas kuda.

Tapi setelah beberapa hari lalu kucoba rombak dan bikin ulang chapter pertama, dan itu kubuat lucu, malah jadinya aneh, dan maksa. Kayaknya aku butuh pembaca pertama untuk draf novelku. TAPI AKU MALU MINTA TOLONGNYA,,, terakhir kali aku melakukan itu, kayaknya 2019 deh. Itu pun setelah tulisannya kelar, bukan buat konsultasi-things.

Yah, gimana pun, novel harus selesai! Semoga selesai.

Selamat lebaran Iduladha.

Yogyakarta, 17 Juni 2024, 14.04 WIB.

___

EDITED! Tambahan, 17 Juni 2024, 20.34 WIB.

Anehnya, temanku sudah selesai membaca tulisanku dan komentar pertamanya adalah, "Lucuuu." (Dengan tiga u.) TULISANKU DIBILANG LUCU,,, hahahah. Baru aja beberapa jam yang lalu aku insecure soal ini, tapi jawabannya langsung diberikan. Alhamdulillah.

oKE, wahai diriku, artinya, cukup sudah bikin-bikin alesannya, kelarin novelmu!!!!

[helloyoucreatives]

AI vs Copywriters. Same brief, very different results. Read the full post here