Writing advice, multimedia messages and Texas
By Jackie KochellOct. 19, 2008
I don’t think Texas likes me.
As I grinned nervously at the camera, I sat on a longhorn steer that did not want a photo with me. He moved in and out of frame, unruly like the Naomi Campbell of cattle. The photographer made kissing noises to make him stand still.
“Texas,” she demanded in between smooches, “look here.”
A few minutes later, the camera flashed. I gladly climbed off Texas, that little diva, and waited for dinner to start in the George R. Brown Convention Center.
Not that I hadn’t eaten enough already during the day. The SATW hospitality room stocked up on trail mix, cup cakes and refreshments for attendees to enjoy before, during and after the professional development workshops.
The first workshop I attended discussed how to use multimedia to its fullest potential. “Putting the ‘Multi’ in Multimedia,” led by Backpacker magazine’s Tim Shisler, showed the power of reaching an audience through multimedia formats such as Google maps, photo slideshows and how-to videos.
“The Secrets to Creative Writing,” with communications consultant Paula LaRocque, stressed the importance of simple language and strong verbs. She proved that wordiness and flowery language do nothing for the reader but cause confusion.
At dinner, attendees reflected on what they learned at the workshops as servers placed endless plates of food on the tables. Country music twanged through the speakers as projected images from the Houston Livestock Show swooped across the walls.
With aching stomachs (everything really is bigger in Texas, including appetites), Natalie Avon, Tracie Ortman and I collected our photos from earlier in the evening.
I looked rodeo-ready in the picture, smiling in a Western-style shirt and a cowboy hat provided by the photographer. The steer didn’t seem bothered that I was sitting on him, either.
Texas must be warming up to me.