Designing Words is came from responses to my book, Architect + Action = Result, which is very specific to architects and, especially, members of the American Institute of Architects. Friends and artists (or artist friends) who read the AAR book encouraged me to consolidate my writing advice into a smaller volume. Thus, Designing Words was born.

Here’s my little marketing writeup on it:

Concise writing advice for artists, writers, designers, and architects seeking clarity and purpose in narrative development with writing tips and dos and don’ts. A guide for focusing on intention, action, and result with lists on redundancy, biased words and phrases, wordiness, and other common problems. A must read for creative people interested in honing and perfecting their writing.

Once again, Michael A. LeFevre assisted me in the volume. It’s an honor to read his words on the volume:

“…there are plenty of legendary texts on writing available from Strunk and White, William Zinsser, Hemingway, et al., you say. Agreed. I have loaned or given Steven King’s On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft to dozens of colleagues. Fine resources all. Get them and read them. But know this: despite these storied references’ persistence in time, not a one is written by an architect for architects and other creative types who focus more on the creative process and result than on how to communicate about it.”

These last years, I’ve become a bit of an evangelist for writing. I’ve spoken, and continue to speak, locally, regionally and nationally on the value of learning to tell stories about their creative work and process. This book is part of that mission. I don’t expect ChatGPT to replace the emotion, passion and intention of the individual voice. Even if you don’t like writing, learning how to use words is essential to living creatively in this world.