| For all the fancy new technology mediums we've | | | | highly-produced movies often turn into spectacular |
| developed over the past century, writing remains the | | | | failures for lack of a captivating or enriching storyline. |
| core skill that feeds all other forms of communication. | | | | Yet simple, well told, low-budget movies often flood the |
| Radio advocates and executives will argue the | | | | box office with greenbacks. |
| spoken word and sound effects cannot be beat. | | | | It was the dazzling concept and story arc of The |
| Television producers will herald the power of TV and | | | | Matrix that made it one of the favorite sci-fi films of |
| its variety of programming. They will point to how | | | | our time, and the lack of story that caused its sequels |
| public opinion swung against the Vietnam War when | | | | to disintegrate before our eyes. All special effects and |
| CBS News and other network newscasts turned it | | | | no story made The Matrix sequels sorry follow-ups. |
| into a "living room war." | | | | Think of great TV series like All in the Family, |
| Cinematographers will argue there's nothing more | | | | M*A*S*H, Hill Street Blues and Seinfeld. Their success |
| powerful than motion pictures - the sound, color, drama | | | | was driven by quality of the shows' writers. Good luck |
| and musical crescendos. Movies are a topic of | | | | getting a decorated actor to agree to a script that |
| everyday conversation and a major weekend activity. | | | | doesn't offer memorable or distinguishing lines and |
| Internet advocates will reason that the web is most | | | | characters. (Okay, I'll acknowledge that it's not unusual |
| powerful of all because it's a convergent medium, | | | | for a big-name actor to take to a $20 million payday |
| bringing together the written and spoken word along | | | | [or should I say bribe?] to act in a movie they know is |
| with video, audio and computer-generated imagery. | | | | doomed to be a stinker.) We remember actors for the |
| The internet offers it all. | | | | lines. "I'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse." |
| Orators will naturally cite great speakers such as | | | | "Hasta la vista, baby." "Here's looking at you, kid." |
| Winston Churchil, Martin Luther King Jr., Ronald Reagan | | | | Radio personalities Garrison Keillor, Rush Limbaugh and |
| and Barack Obama and point to examples of how | | | | Howard Stern weren't flying by the seat of their pants |
| they moved the masses and changed the course of | | | | while the microphone was hot. They were supported |
| history with their speeches. | | | | by the written word because they wanted to make |
| True enough. Barack Obama serves as a good | | | | sure they would be delivering some signature lines |
| example for the validity of my argument. The president | | | | during their broadcasts, something memorable that their |
| always delivers his speeches using teleprompters | | | | listeners would share with others. To go on air |
| because he's reading text. The speech is carefully | | | | completely unscripted is to come to work unprepared. |
| written before he ever steps to the lectern and is | | | | Now we're in the internet age and between websites, |
| fastidiously adhered to during its delivery. With all due | | | | blogs, podcasts, video productions, e-zines and |
| respect to Mr. Obama's expert delivery and intonations, | | | | whatnot, more people are doing more writing and |
| his skill as an orator would be greatly diminished if not | | | | reading than ever in history. A recent, albeit unscientific, |
| for the word-craft of President Obama and his | | | | survey conducted by blogging guru Denise Wakeman |
| speechwriters. | | | | of The Blog Squad showed that 70 percent of |
| We know the same is true of President Reagan, who | | | | respondents preferred getting their information via text |
| relied on the speechwriting skills of Peggy Noonan and | | | | rather than audio or video. |
| others to deliver his powerhouse speeches about the | | | | This is not surprising. The printed word has no equal |
| Soviet's "evil empire" and his State of the Union | | | | for speed and versatility. Just try skimming or |
| addresses. Martin Luther King Jr. wasn't extemporizing | | | | "speed-reading" a podcast or video. Writing fires the |
| at the podium and neither was Winston Churchill during | | | | imagination while video supplies all the components and |
| their historic presentations. They carefully penned | | | | leaves nothing to the imagination. |
| those speeches, paying strict attention to every word, | | | | Who would have believed that children would be |
| turn of phrase, transition and the overall structure of | | | | reading tomes the length of the Harry Potter series? |
| the speech. Indeed, Winston Churchill also authored | | | | You cannot replicate the intimacy, character |
| many books and famously said, "History will treat me | | | | development and adventure of storytelling with |
| kindly because I intend to be the one who writes it." | | | | anything less than the careful considerations of the |
| Churchill knew the written word lasts forever - in its | | | | written word. |
| many forms. | | | | Business executives should take note. The written |
| Movies - whether classics or duds - begin with the | | | | word permeates everything you do, from business |
| formation of words in the screenwriter's or director's | | | | plans and sales presentations to marketing campaigns |
| mind. A concept takes shape, and then the screenplay | | | | and investor relations. If you buy into the false notion |
| must be written. It is the quality of the screenplay that | | | | that the written word has been slain by audio, video |
| is the chief determinant of the movie's fate. Grand | | | | and a fancy mélange of motion graphics, |
| pyrotechnics and ostentatious special effects may | | | | prepare to write a good eulogy because your |
| intoxicate the eyes but vast expenditures on | | | | business just might be dead. |