How to Outsmart Adjectives
by using forks and Pretty Woman
Don’t you love the movie, Pretty Woman?
You've probably watched that improbable Cinderella story again, and again, and again.
And after so many repeats, you'd already know most of the best lines by heart.
But do you remember the scene where the hotel manager coaches her on dinner etiquette?
You know... where she learns about forks?
And the order to use them in?
She finds out that one fork, should be used before another fork.
Now, take that simple idea from the table to your writing, and word order becomes much simpler. So here we go...
The Pretty Woman Rule of Adjective Order
It works just like forks.
When you have a number of adjectives, they must be used in a specific order.
You can’t have a green jolly giant.
It must be a jolly green giant.
Right. So, what's the magic order?
Quantity-opinion-size-age-shape-colour-origin-material-purpose, Noun.
If you mess it up, you’ll sound more than odd, it'll be very odd.
People will notice. Like they noticed Vivian in her red dress.
She wore a diamond necklace to the opera, and it came from a large dark blue velvet box.
It wasn't a dark velvet large blue box.
And no, I'm not making this up. It isn't just a Hollywood fairytale thing.
You unconsciously use this rule, every day.
You don't even remember being taught it.
But funnily, if I asked you to write it out, you'd be stumped.
Weird huh?
Di 
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Things on writing...
What is voice?
It's everything you don't have to say to get your message across, but probably should.
It's the little things – turns of phrase, rhetorical devices, idiosyncratic twists, unusual word choices and so on - that's what gives your writing a distinct voice. Voice differentiates what you say ... by the way you say it.
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Things on story...
Meaningful brand story-making tip
Brand Narrative EQ: Great narratives are not about logical, technical processes or facts.
Instead, they’re deep-seated in connecting with people on an emotional level, which in turn subconsciously lifts customer satisfaction and experience.
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Things on craft...
What's a big idea?
According to David Ogilvy, it's a big idea if:
You gasped
Wish you'd thought of it
It's unique
It fits the strategy perfectly
Can be used in 30 years
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7 Types of Brand Stories
Great brand storytelling doesn't happen in one piece of content.It ebbs and flows with your brand, product, or service and unfolds over time.
Think of your brand stories as chapters in a brand narrative book.
Each chapter (or content initiative) adds to the overall narrative and deepens the flow of your brand's storyline.
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Want to humanise your messaging?
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WORD SWORDS is a strategic messaging and brand identity writing agency, that works with brand-builders and legacy-leaving brands.
We connect your brand with its 'right' people, through meaningful brand messaging, cultural collateral and values-driven narratives that reveal the emotional value of your brand.
I write for brands that want to build, grow and do work that matters |
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