When writers talk about creative writing, they only refer to fiction
How weird!
As if non-fiction like writing for learning can’t be creative . . .
That’s crazy.
Of course, writing for eLearning can be creative. Any creative writing technique can be used to improve any kind of writing.
Here are some thoughts to start your creative juices running (even if it is 9.00 am Monday morning).
- Often, we want to explain everything so we miss nothing in the training.
Such writing is hard to grasp and easy to forget.
So, the trick to writing engaging learning is to zoom into specific stories that illustrate your points.
For instance, when writing for your Modlette about Customer service tips, share a story . . . of someone who implemented those tips.
Stories belong everywhere, in fiction and in training.
- Paint vivid imagery.
Make the learner feel they are looking over your shoulder.
“James recognised the Customer approaching his station as the one he had spoken to earlier on the phone. He knew how he had made a mistake; his mouth went dry and he could feel his heart racing. How could he handle the situation?”
Can you picture how the young man felt?
Vivid writing makes learners feel like they’re present in the story. Learners look through the author’s eyes, seeing what the author sees. They listen with the author’s ears, hearing what the author hears.
Learners experience stories and that’s what makes stories memorable.
In writing for learning, you have several opportunities for painting vivid imagery. First on using a new product being introduced to the company, how will it make their job easier? How will it make them feel about their job when they learn to use it.
Lastly, tell your own stories, e.g., how you once averted a major Customer situation by driving out to help them after work.