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Write to Influence!
Write to Influence! Personnel Appraisals, Resumes, Awards, Grants, Scholarships, Internships, Reports, Bid Proposals, Web Pages, Marketing, and More...
Powerful writing can change your life!
You may be the best candidate for a competitive opportunity--hands down--but if the competition is better at telling a story, you lose. Powerful writing correlates directly to success, personal and professional.
Opportunity knocking? Choose Write to Influence! when powerful writing is paramount to your goals. With this book you will:
Write to win--Make every word count and every second of the reader's time play to your advantage
Achieve your goals through persuasive communication in legal and many other applications
Write a resume that stands out ... for the right reasons. Uncomfortable with self-promotion? No problem--twelve tips make job hunting less daunting
Compose performance reviews--clear, powerful, compelling--for military and civilian writing
Persuade the reader--Tips on strategic thinking will help you assemble hard-hitting facts to make your case
Refine your presentation skills. Write and deliver a corporate speech? Learn to give a spot-on power point briefing
Maximize your internet promotion--leverage powerful words to do just that
Craft professional email--polished, succinct, and effective communication
Make the grade (pun intended) with academic essays for high school thru graduate school degrees, e.g., an MBA
Improve business writing skills--Avoid the ten most common errors with this correspondence how-to guide
Attention employers! Write to Influence! is perfect for your employees! Have you read a paragraph in a report again and again ... unable to understand it? Bureaucratic, textual muck is time consuming, frustrating, counterproductive, and the bane of today's business products.
Accurate, clear, and concise writing is the lifeblood for effective operations ... in private business, corporations, NGOs, government agencies and the military, in particular.
Powerful writing can change your life!
You may be the best candidate for a competitive opportunity--hands down--but if the competition is better at telling a story, you lose. Powerful writing correlates directly to success, personal and professional.
Opportunity knocking? Choose Write to Influence! when powerful writing is paramount to your goals. With this book you will:
Write to win--Make every word count and every second of the reader's time play to your advantage
Achieve your goals through persuasive communication in legal and many other applications
Write a resume that stands out ... for the right reasons. Uncomfortable with self-promotion? No problem--twelve tips make job hunting less daunting
Compose performance reviews--clear, powerful, compelling--for military and civilian writing
Persuade the reader--Tips on strategic thinking will help you assemble hard-hitting facts to make your case
Refine your presentation skills. Write and deliver a corporate speech? Learn to give a spot-on power point briefing
Maximize your internet promotion--leverage powerful words to do just that
Craft professional email--polished, succinct, and effective communication
Make the grade (pun intended) with academic essays for high school thru graduate school degrees, e.g., an MBA
Improve business writing skills--Avoid the ten most common errors with this correspondence how-to guide
Attention employers! Write to Influence! is perfect for your employees! Have you read a paragraph in a report again and again ... unable to understand it? Bureaucratic, textual muck is time consuming, frustrating, counterproductive, and the bane of today's business products.
Accurate, clear, and concise writing is the lifeblood for effective operations ... in private business, corporations, NGOs, government agencies and the military, in particular.
- GenresNonfiction
300 pages, Paperback
Published January 3, 2017
11 people are currently reading
255 people want to read
About the author
Carla D. Bass
3 books12 followersCarla D. Bass, Colonel, USAF (Ret) is a highly acclaimed author and speaker, who presents workshops based on her multiple award-winning book "Write to Influence!"... second edition of which was published in Jun 2019.
From powerful writing to banish bureaucratic blather to crafting powerful resumes, input for personnel reviews, grant submissions, elevator speeches, effective email ,and essays for college applications ... Carla's book and workshops cover it all -- to rave reviews.
Her clients include corporations, government agencies, NGOs, major universities, and public libraries. She has also presented at various symposiums. Her workshops range in length from 15 minutes (no kidding!) to two-full days.
Her battle cries: "Powerful writing changes lives" and "Powerful writing is the lifeblood of effective organizations." In each case, a compelling message often tips the balance between success and failure.
Carla served 30 years on active duty, working directly with general officers, ambassadors, congressional delegations, and foreign dignitaries. She still works for a federal agency, composing products sent to Congress and the White House.
While on active duty, she developed her writing strategies and tools, composed a handbook on powerful writing, and taught thousands of Air Force personnel for 15 years.
Carla served in locations to include Germany, Bulgaria (as the defense and air attaché), Korea, and Washington, D.C. For more info, see www.writetoinfluence.net
From powerful writing to banish bureaucratic blather to crafting powerful resumes, input for personnel reviews, grant submissions, elevator speeches, effective email ,and essays for college applications ... Carla's book and workshops cover it all -- to rave reviews.
Her clients include corporations, government agencies, NGOs, major universities, and public libraries. She has also presented at various symposiums. Her workshops range in length from 15 minutes (no kidding!) to two-full days.
Her battle cries: "Powerful writing changes lives" and "Powerful writing is the lifeblood of effective organizations." In each case, a compelling message often tips the balance between success and failure.
Carla served 30 years on active duty, working directly with general officers, ambassadors, congressional delegations, and foreign dignitaries. She still works for a federal agency, composing products sent to Congress and the White House.
While on active duty, she developed her writing strategies and tools, composed a handbook on powerful writing, and taught thousands of Air Force personnel for 15 years.
Carla served in locations to include Germany, Bulgaria (as the defense and air attaché), Korea, and Washington, D.C. For more info, see www.writetoinfluence.net
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
February 26, 2017
As an editor (among so many other things), it is very difficult to resist a book such as this one.
This is particularly true for me, as brevity--and writing more concisely in general--has been the biggest focus of my attempts to improve upon my work of late. It is not surprising, then, that this book felt like a must-have reference tool, something that should be omnipresent in my office.
But this book is so much more than that. The fact that it was written, that a need for it exists, is to me a very sad truth.As the author herself--and many others who comment on the book--points out, it seems too many of us have lost--or perhaps never really acquired?--the art of writing well, and effectively. Whether in a resume, a work email, or in the corporate world, communicating through the written word is KEY. Career advancement--heck, even career OBTAINMENT--absolutely depend upon being able to express oneself effectively, and to do so in writing. Therefore, a desk-reference such as this one can be of great assistance to us all.
In the book, Bass expertly addressed what she calls "word sculpting." I love this idea! For those among us that may have trouble saying whatever we need to say in the written form, she advocates a "gut-spill" to start the writing process. So a high schooler struggling to create the winningest college app essay can be encouraged to simply fill a page or two with every relevant idea that comes to mind. Once these are written out, the essay may be sculpted from these disgorged contents. Extraneous and/or redundant lines are cut out, other sentences restructured, each paragraph reorganized so that it clearly tells the readers "who did what to whom," then proofread the thing, and voila!, you have yourself a much improved college application essay.
It sounds easy, right? No worries! The author goes to great lengths to simplify and guide everyone through this process. She provides a plethora of examples, before-and-afters, and exercises for every teaching point she addresses. If you start the book as an entry-level writer, you cannot BUT come out a better, more effective writer upon completing this book, especially if you take it seriously and complete those exercises that address your specific problem areas.
The logic of the book's organization is very smart. Bass even includes a hefty Appendices section, in case any of her readers have additional writing-perfecting practice needs. It's an excellent reference book, one that does precisely what it promises to do.
IT DEFINITELY CAN HELP EVEN THE BEST AMONG US WRITE BETTER.
[Oh yeah! Bass discourages the use of capital letters OR bolded words in written communication; and she is correct: It is not very professional, not at all.]
I would like to thank the author and the publisher for the review copy of this book.
NOTE: There is no true GRAMMATICAL guidance here; Bass tells her readers where to look for some excellent grammar resources. This book focuses more on ensuring what we write tells the story we are hoping and intending to tell, in the best and most captivating way possible.
This is particularly true for me, as brevity--and writing more concisely in general--has been the biggest focus of my attempts to improve upon my work of late. It is not surprising, then, that this book felt like a must-have reference tool, something that should be omnipresent in my office.
But this book is so much more than that. The fact that it was written, that a need for it exists, is to me a very sad truth.As the author herself--and many others who comment on the book--points out, it seems too many of us have lost--or perhaps never really acquired?--the art of writing well, and effectively. Whether in a resume, a work email, or in the corporate world, communicating through the written word is KEY. Career advancement--heck, even career OBTAINMENT--absolutely depend upon being able to express oneself effectively, and to do so in writing. Therefore, a desk-reference such as this one can be of great assistance to us all.
In the book, Bass expertly addressed what she calls "word sculpting." I love this idea! For those among us that may have trouble saying whatever we need to say in the written form, she advocates a "gut-spill" to start the writing process. So a high schooler struggling to create the winningest college app essay can be encouraged to simply fill a page or two with every relevant idea that comes to mind. Once these are written out, the essay may be sculpted from these disgorged contents. Extraneous and/or redundant lines are cut out, other sentences restructured, each paragraph reorganized so that it clearly tells the readers "who did what to whom," then proofread the thing, and voila!, you have yourself a much improved college application essay.
It sounds easy, right? No worries! The author goes to great lengths to simplify and guide everyone through this process. She provides a plethora of examples, before-and-afters, and exercises for every teaching point she addresses. If you start the book as an entry-level writer, you cannot BUT come out a better, more effective writer upon completing this book, especially if you take it seriously and complete those exercises that address your specific problem areas.
The logic of the book's organization is very smart. Bass even includes a hefty Appendices section, in case any of her readers have additional writing-perfecting practice needs. It's an excellent reference book, one that does precisely what it promises to do.
IT DEFINITELY CAN HELP EVEN THE BEST AMONG US WRITE BETTER.
[Oh yeah! Bass discourages the use of capital letters OR bolded words in written communication; and she is correct: It is not very professional, not at all.]
I would like to thank the author and the publisher for the review copy of this book.
NOTE: There is no true GRAMMATICAL guidance here; Bass tells her readers where to look for some excellent grammar resources. This book focuses more on ensuring what we write tells the story we are hoping and intending to tell, in the best and most captivating way possible.
Read
May 8, 2021Carla’s book “Write to Influence” is well written and straight to the point. Our alumni organization hosted her talk at a major intelligence agency, and it was a success. She delivered a 90-minute workshop based on her book, “Write to Influence!” to more than 100 attendees and others via VTC. Her message was simple, “Powerful writing changes lives ... It is also the lifeblood of effective operations.” Ms. Bass’s presentation was interactive, entertaining and, most importantly, effective.
Her simple message, “Powerful writing changes lives ... It is also the lifeblood of effective operations” was perfect. The audience responded with rave reviews, comments ranging from “phenomenal” to “a breath of fresh air” and suggestions that she do a repeat performance.
Carla emphasized, “The goal is to make every word count and each second of the reader’s time play to your advantage.” Her methods apply to an expansive range of products: personnel appraisals, job descriptions, resumes, analytical products, responses to Congressionally Directed Actions, budget justifications, essentially any official written communication. Proof is in the pudding. During a recent review of award nominations at this agency, I could tell that many had listened to her and or read her book. The recent nominations were written much better than those in past years.
James F. Riggins, Lt. Col, USAF (Ret)
President, Defense Intel Alumni Association
Her simple message, “Powerful writing changes lives ... It is also the lifeblood of effective operations” was perfect. The audience responded with rave reviews, comments ranging from “phenomenal” to “a breath of fresh air” and suggestions that she do a repeat performance.
Carla emphasized, “The goal is to make every word count and each second of the reader’s time play to your advantage.” Her methods apply to an expansive range of products: personnel appraisals, job descriptions, resumes, analytical products, responses to Congressionally Directed Actions, budget justifications, essentially any official written communication. Proof is in the pudding. During a recent review of award nominations at this agency, I could tell that many had listened to her and or read her book. The recent nominations were written much better than those in past years.
James F. Riggins, Lt. Col, USAF (Ret)
President, Defense Intel Alumni Association
March 8, 2017
A very practical and necessary book in this day of tweets and texts where we have either forgotten or were never taught the basics of persuasive writing.
The book begins with general writing advice and then advances to specific guidance regarding resumes, emails, and presentations. The author provides several before-and-after examples and practice exercises for every teaching point she addresses.
When I was in school we were told to write a first draft, walk away from it for a while and then come back and start rewriting a second draft. Once that was done we were told to dissect each paragraph and refine it into a final draft. Now it seems we simply sit down at a computer, write the required amount of pages, hit spell check and grammar check and then print. Bass’s “word sculpting” concept is fairly similar and is one of the techniques she employs to help create a more effective writer.
I won a copy of this book in a GoodReads Giveaway and it will be an available reference book in my classroom that I hope gets a lot of use.
The book begins with general writing advice and then advances to specific guidance regarding resumes, emails, and presentations. The author provides several before-and-after examples and practice exercises for every teaching point she addresses.
When I was in school we were told to write a first draft, walk away from it for a while and then come back and start rewriting a second draft. Once that was done we were told to dissect each paragraph and refine it into a final draft. Now it seems we simply sit down at a computer, write the required amount of pages, hit spell check and grammar check and then print. Bass’s “word sculpting” concept is fairly similar and is one of the techniques she employs to help create a more effective writer.
I won a copy of this book in a GoodReads Giveaway and it will be an available reference book in my classroom that I hope gets a lot of use.
June 26, 2017
There is simply no better resource for the professional writer than Write To Influence! Practical, precise, and actionable, Write To Influence! is the distillation of a 30 year public service writing career at the highest levels of government. Carla Bass translates theory into practice with hundreds of examples and exercises to transform banal writing into persuasive proposals, resumes, grants, and awards that return results. As a consultant I found the before and after examples particularly actionable, their lessons immediately impacting the efficacy and punch of my proposals. Write To Influence! should be required reading for every government contractor proposal center employee, non profit organization, and consulting firm. It has my highest recommendation.
May 9, 2017
I wish I had read this book years ago. It is jammed packed full of good advice for folks who do a lot of work by email, write point papers, briefings, evaluations, promotion recommendations and so on. I picked up the kindle version first, then realized how valuable of a reference it was, --so I purchased the paperback version.
February 21, 2019
Great book on how to be a better writer and to look for those grammatical errors. Carla provided exercises that you can do and check to see where you need improvement. Thanks for creating this book.
March 17, 2017
This is a great resource for beginners and those with a bit of writing knowledge. If you are looking for a reference book to help guide your writing (in everyday situations) then you should check this out first.
____________________________________________
I would like to thank GoodReads and Carla for a copy of this great book.
____________________________________________
I would like to thank GoodReads and Carla for a copy of this great book.
Read
January 5, 2017This book is fantastic! It is spot-on for persuasive writing. This should be the textbook for a class required of all incoming college freshmen, a high school class, a class for all military officers, and a refresher at most companies.
The author starts with general writing advice, including lots of examples and exercises. The author then goes on to give specific advice regarding resumes, email messages, and presentations -- with more examples. The author ends with more exercises and some more general pointers.
I don't know of anyone who would not benefit from this book!
I received a free pre-publication copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I provided that to the author a bit ago and nothing required me to post this, but I'll include this just to keep me safe from the FTC.
The author starts with general writing advice, including lots of examples and exercises. The author then goes on to give specific advice regarding resumes, email messages, and presentations -- with more examples. The author ends with more exercises and some more general pointers.
I don't know of anyone who would not benefit from this book!
I received a free pre-publication copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I provided that to the author a bit ago and nothing required me to post this, but I'll include this just to keep me safe from the FTC.
March 31, 2017
This is a great book to have if you need to brush up on your business writing skills. Carla Bass shares her tips on writing effective business communication that is professional and grammatically-correct. She teaches you how to pare down your words and avoid redundancies and get your point across without needing to ramble on. The book includes her pointers for resume writing, emails, briefings and proposals and has a hundred business writing exercises at the end. It's a very useful tool to own.
*I received an advance reading copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.*
*I received an advance reading copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.*
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews