{"id":104,"date":"2010-11-17T08:02:16","date_gmt":"2010-11-17T08:02:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jobshuk.com\/yoni67\/2010\/11\/17\/a-business-blogging-lesson-in-creativity-a-who-dun-it-murder-on-the-orient-express\/"},"modified":"2010-11-17T08:02:16","modified_gmt":"2010-11-17T08:02:16","slug":"a-business-blogging-lesson-in-creativity-a-who-dun-it-murder-on-the-orient-express","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jobshuk.com\/yoni67\/2010\/11\/17\/a-business-blogging-lesson-in-creativity-a-who-dun-it-murder-on-the-orient-express\/","title":{"rendered":"A Business Blogging Lesson in Creativity & a “Who-dun-it?”: Murder On the Orient Express!"},"content":{"rendered":"

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A BUSINESS Blogging Lesson in Creativity & a "Who-dun-it?": <\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Murder<\/em> On the Orient Express!<\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n

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A lesson in bringing C<\/span><\/b>R<\/span><\/b>E<\/span><\/b>A<\/span><\/b>T<\/span><\/b>I<\/span><\/b>V<\/span><\/b>I<\/span><\/b>T<\/span><\/b>Y <\/span><\/b>to your Business blogging begins here with a practical and applied example. It’s MURDER<\/font><\/em>…Agatha Christie-style…<\/strong><\/font><\/p>\n

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It happened<\/font> as the famed, iconic luxury passenger-train, still a thousand miles from it’s final stop in Istanbul, rounded the final bend before stopping at the station in Zurich. Clouds were heavy; a fine sleet had begun to fall. The majestic, snow-capped peaks of the Swiss Alps provided the perfect, scenic backdrop. For death!<\/font><\/em><\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n

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It was exactly <\/em>when the engineer sounded the train’s shrill, almost-deafening whistle that the shot rang out. The BANG<\/font><\/em>, <\/em>as intended, was muffled by the whistle. <\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n

It would be another five minutes before one of the railroad’s porters would go to check on Madame Giselle Landry (she was supposed to get off in Zurich after all) and the body would be discovered.<\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n

Pascal Poirot, son of the famed Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, entered the compartment only seconds after hearing the screams of the porter…"Murder! MURDER!"<\/font><\/em><\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n

The sight <\/em>which greeted the portly, mustached criminologist was a harrowing one indeed. The dazzling, up-and-coming star of the business world lay in a pool of her own blood. A red spot on the lapel of her blazer, directly over her heart, marked the bullet’s entrance. Next to the high-heel of the shoe on her right foot lay the instrument of murder: a pearl-handled .38 revolver.<\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Poirot, ever vigilant, his brilliant mind always attuned, scanned the room for clues. He spotted the open Dell laptop computer almost immediately. <\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n

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He examined the screen. After a brief hesitation, and just as the first Swiss police officers entered the luxury compartment, Pascal Poirot, son of a crime-fighting legend, muttered these barely audible words: "Hmm…Murdered over a Business blog post!"<\/font><\/em><\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n

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I could go on <\/font>with this crime-ridden, blood-soaked murder-mystery of a blog. But I won’t…at least as far as finding out which of the Orient Express’s myriad of passengers had the means<\/em>, motive<\/em> and opportunity<\/em> to do in poor Madame Landry.<\/strong><\/font><\/p>\n

More importantly, at least in a Business-sense, I have a point to make.<\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n

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In addition<\/font> to being a Business blogger, both for my company and for other organizations, I am a literary writer and author. In that context, people ask me all of the time questions such as "How do you come up with ideas for your posts?" "How do you remain so motivated?" "And what is the catalyst for your creativity?"<\/em><\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n

My <\/em>answer is always<\/em> the same.<\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Start having F<\/span><\/b>U<\/span><\/b><\/font>N<\/font> <\/span><\/b>with your Business blog!<\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Start cutting back on some of the Business you put into your writing. It’s important to have a measured-dose of it; that’s not up for debate. But keep one thing in mind: Business is rather boring!<\/font><\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n

"Take some of the Business out of my blog Yoni?" <\/em>YES!<\/em><\/font>  Start mixing the Business which remains with other more interesting themes. <\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Politics<\/font>, news<\/font>, movies<\/font>, books<\/font>, current events<\/font>, music<\/font> and nature<\/font>. Inject some Agatha Christie<\/font>, Robert Ludlum<\/font>, John Coltraine<\/font>, AC\/DC<\/font>, Jim Carrey <\/font>and <\/font>Charlie Brown<\/font>. Find an excuse to throw in some Obama<\/font>, marital relations<\/font>, stories and episodes from your childhood<\/font> and history<\/font>. Quote Aristotle<\/font>, The Rambam<\/font> and JFK<\/font>.<\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n

Tell folks what you’ve learned from your dog<\/font>. Give tips<\/font> and advice<\/font>. Play<\/font> around. Use metaphors<\/font>,<\/font> satire<\/font> and similes<\/font>. Make people laugh<\/font>. Make them cry<\/font>. Make them think<\/font>.<\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Most importantly: become a story-teller! Readers love a good tale!<\/font><\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Two things will happen when you start doing these things. You will make your Business blog a much more enjoyable<\/font> and entertaining<\/font> reading experience for your visitors…<\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n

…and you’ll start having a whole lot more fun writing!<\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n

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This post was written under somewhat trying circumstances. My thanks to everyone (Ofira, Rivkah and Rochelle) who assisted in getting it ready for publication!<\/font><\/p>\n

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Image Credits: Orient Express: ameinfo.com; Blood: newscientist.com; Laptop: images02.olx.in; Coffe Mug: rlv.zcache.com; 2: 2.bp.blogspot.com<\/font><\/p>\n

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Tweet<\/strong><\/a>.<\/font>