The other day I had to think about what I offered to people as part of my brand. I think it was an exercise in one of Tea Silvestre’s newsletters. I came up with these two statements.
- I help writers earn more money by providing sustainable solutions for building writing careers (that’s what this blog is about).
- I help clients reach their customers with excellent writing tailored to their needs and chosen media.
But then as part of this month’s Word Carnival, the idea was to reveal our quirks. When I started thinking about this I realized that I am really lucky – and maybe many other writers are too. All the quirks and weird interests that made me a girly swot in school, to use Enid Blyton’s terminology, have turned out to be positives for my current writing career. Let me give you a few examples.
The Grammar Gunslinger
I can spot a grammatical error at a thousand paces – don’t ask me why, that’s just the way I’m wired. Blame it on years and years of reading voraciously – not to mention learning grammar in several languages (English, of course, but also French, Spanish, German and even Latin). And I loved it. That translates (get it?) into being able to identify and eliminate weaknesses in my clients’ source copy and into being able to write clearly understandable copy of my own. That ear for language also comes in handy when switching between varieties of English – that’s why many of my American clients are surprised to find out I’m a Brit by birth.
Nerdy – and Lovin’ It
I’m a word nerd. I read books about language for fun and I find the origins of words fascinating. I love learning new ones and I love sneaking them into client copy even more. That means my clients are likely to get copy that’s fresh and new (don’t worry, I also know when clichés are appropriate, not that I’d recommend them). That, along with my language background, usually means I’m great at sniffing out nuances – useful when you’re trying to work out what clients really want.
Proof Positive
Know what else I can spot a mile off? A misplaced comma or apostrophe. That makes me a pretty good proofreader. Although I don’t usually offer this as a stand alone skill, it comes in handy for editing ebooks and the like. I still occasionally get someone to read over my work, especially if I’ve been staring at it for a long time. But luckily this runs in the family – my go-to person for this is my sister, who is an excellent copywriter for a national health store chain in the US and is one of the few I trust to check my work (she’s just as ruthless as I am).
Deadlines Rule
From an early age, I’ve been uptight about punctuality. Someone said to me the other day: “You’re like me: 5 minutes early is on time, and on time is late”. That’s pretty much true. My clients benefit because they all get their work on time and if there’s ever a change to the schedule they know about it early – ask them and they’ll say I don’t miss deadlines. But I also don’t like to rush good writing, so I usually build in a couple of days between the drafting and polishing stages so I can approach my writing with fresh eyes.
Professional Eclectic
And here’s the biggest one – and it’s why I remain pretty much a generalist. I’m a polymath or multipotentialite – that means I love learning about and tackling new topics. I’m a voracious reader of an eclectic bunch of stuff. I learn something from all of it – or at least get new questions to ask. This helped me a lot as an academic and as a journalist – and it helps me now as a professional writer and blogger. I love spending time on research and making sure the information is verifiable from multiple sources – triangulation should be my middle name. And of course, I love asking questions – ask anyone I’ve interviewed recently. (By the way, I stole that last subhead from my friend Rebecca Leaman). 
Beyond the Quirks
So these are my quirks. I’m sure I share at least some of those with other writers but they make me the person – and writer – that I am. And there’s one final thing. It’s not so much a quirk as the way I like to live both my personal life and my professional life. I believe that my word is my bond – I don’t make promises that I know I can’t keep. That means my friends know they can trust me – and my clients do too. I will never sell them a service they don’t need or knowingly let them go down the wrong path – and I can sleep at night.
What trait that people considered weird or nerdy in your youth is part of your brand today?
This post is part of the May 2012 Word Carnival — a monthly group blogging event specifically for small business owners started by Tea Silvestre, the Word Chef. Check out the rest of this month’s excellent lineup here. (Image: Paul Downey/Flickr)
About Sharon Hurley Hall
Sharon, I know you better now, quirks and all. Your attributes do lend to your profession. Do you have anything about you that is counterintuitive to freelancing?
Perhaps, Wade. I can be a bit impatient to get things done – the flip side of the deadlines trait – but I’ve had to learn to take my time when it’s warranted (having a child has helped with that).
Sharon, how lovely to think that being a girly swot could turn you into a first rate, efficient, trustworthy copywriter. You should do a tour of schools telling them that as I am sure they (and you perhaps) get no end of stick from the cool gang. My husband, also a copywriter has many of your quirks, especially punctuality. Do you think there are generic wordsmith quirks? I wonder if the designers or marketers among us could identify similar quirkology. We may be on to a whole new area of research here! Thanks for an intriguing post.
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SandyMc wants you to read Quirkology. Separating the cream from the wishy-washy-whey.
Oh, I was – and still am – hopelessly uncool, Sandy, but I don’t mind. I am sure that there’s a reason many writers choose the profession we do – and those quirks have a lot to do with it.
I’m totally stealing “girly swot.” I’m not even sure what it means but I love it without limitation. I also am reminded of the writing advice, “Write what you know” – which most of us now realize is all wrong, TOTALLY wrong, and should be “Write what you LOVE.” In other words, let your quirks inform your writing!
Annie Sisk (Stage Presence) wants you to read It’s the Quirks That Make You Irresistible: Three Case Studies in Quirkology
And if you love it and also know it, then that’s a recipe for the perfect writing career, Annie. (I don’t know if there’s an exact US equivalent for ‘girly swot’ – what do you call the kind of girl who always has her nose in a book and actually enjoys schoolwork?)
Um … nerd. LOL (which is a label I wear with pride!)
Annie Sisk (Stage Presence) wants you to read It’s the Quirks That Make You Irresistible: Three Case Studies in Quirkology
Flying the Quirk Flag…nerdy girls unite!
Sandi Amorim wants you to read For the Love of Silence
I agree with Annie – whatever a girly swot is, I want to be it! Sharon, I totally see myself in a lot of what you said (except for loving grammar in multiple languages… egad!) When I want to be, I can be a pretty mean language artist and often drive people nuts with my obsession over comma usage. On the other hand I take vast liberties with language, grammar and punctuation (that’s where the “art” comes in, I suppose) but I love it and it’s one of tho most fun things I can do in a day.
I think it’s awesome that you can find and use unique words instead of the same old boring cliches. That makes you a super-copywriter and you should probably wear a cape. Most “good” copywriting is just “not horrible” copywriting but it isn’t particularly interesting or unique.
I love your little language quirks and at least now I know where to go when I have a confused apostrophe!
Carol Lynn wants you to read Hack Your Marketing: Turn Tiny Details Into Big Results By Tapping Into This One Overlooked, Underused And Uniquely Quirky Resource
Thanks, Carol Lynn. The language thing must be part of my DNA – both my parents were language buffs too. Yes, send me those confused apostrophes – I’ll soon set them straight!
Hi Sharon,
Well, I have read other posts of yours where you talk about being a multipotentialite. But just now I followed the link to read more about it….whew! I think I share some of those traits, tho maybe not to the degree that you do. I just thought interest in a lot of things and getting bored once I mastered something was part of being a Gemini.
Whatever you call yourself, I can see why you want to freelance! And I don’t agree that you are at all uncool!
Terri
Terri, one of the members of my awesome mastermind group introduced me to Emilie Wapnick’s site and I instantly recognized myself. Glad to hear you did too.
From one word nerd to another, I say “Where’s my dictionary?”
When I was a kid my brother and I would play this game with the encyclopedia (way back in the olden days!). We’d crack open a book, read up on some far away place or other cool info and then share it. Inevitably there’d be words we didn’t know, so we’d have to look those up too!
When I see kids of today, I actually feel sad that they don’t have this experience. As much as I love the online world, the richness of that childhood memory is priceless to me.
Thanks for sharing your quirks. It’s nice to know there are other word nerds out there
Sandi Amorim wants you to read For the Love of Silence
Even though I can now look things up online, I keep a huge dictionary on my office shelf, Sandi. There is hope for kids, though – my daughter asked to play with my phone the other day and when I asked what she was doing, she was looking up words in the dictionary. A word nerd in the making, I think.
Word nerdiness must be genetic
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Sandi Amorim wants you to read How to Embrace Your Quirky Bits
Thank goodness for that, Sandi.
“Birds of a feather…” Your word nerdiness MUST be what attracted me to you in the first place, Sharon. Love how you’ve shown that your quirks are actually strengths that make you the awesome writer you are today.
I’d love to know more about your other quirks now — the ones that have absolutely no bearing on your abilities to write or run a business.
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Tea Silvestre wants you to read Quirky Much? How Your Oddities, Flaws and Peculiar Habits Help Build a Stronger Brand
When I started thinking about the topic, I realized that those quirks actually spill over into my personal life, Tea. Among my friends I am both the person most likely to know or guess the meaning of an obscure word and the person most likely to be annoyed that others are late.
But then there are the other things, like loving to read science fiction (mostly alternate reality) and thrillers and my not so secret sweet tooth (especially if chocolate is involved). Not particularly quirky quirks, but there they are. 
Sharon,
I’m not sure if I’m a word nerd, but I’m definitely a “lover of words,” which is why I stop by your blog often. Great post!
Thanks, Janet.
First, I also want to thank you for introducing me to Puttylike just now. You have no idea how much I’ve been looking for a community like that. Multipotentiality will now be a much-beloved word in my lexicon.
To answer your question, I guess my quirkiest traits that are brand-related would be my tenacity and my love of the arts. Those are two characteristics most people wouldn’t think would meld too well, but as a creative professional (I prefer that over “freelancer” cuz I’m high-falutin’ and uppity like that!), I think it’s a wonderful combination.
Sometimes I have trouble convincing people to pay me to tap into both quirks, so I often have to keep them separated … for now.
Candace Nicholson wants you to read “Ravel”ing in Shostakovich’s Re-awakening
But I’m guessing you’ll find a way, Candace.
I felt the same way when I found the Puttylike site – a home away from home. I also just noticed your Twitter handle – are you a Latin scholar too?
Sharon, my Words With Friends buddy, a quirk is merely a trait with personality. It’s what makes other people turn to your channel!
Carry on, Queen Eclectic.
Cheers,
Mitch
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Mitchell Allen wants you to read Broken Bench
“a trait with personality”, Mitch – I like that. Tune in next time … lol
Sharon, great post…I love the positive framing on those quirks that could be cast in different lights as obsessive or nit-picky. (and if you couldn’t tell, I loved your format so much that I structured my post similarly!)
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evan austin wants you to read Coming Out: Embracing Your Quirks Can Help Your Business
Thanks, Evan. I’ve been called obsessive and nit-picky before, but I choose to rise above it.
And I’m flattered that you used a similar post structure. 
Once again, Sharon, I find so many ways we are similar. Sadly, I have lost some of my quirks. Like you, I could spot a grammatical error or typo from a mile off. My corporate colleagues marveled at how I missed nothing when it came to proofreading. I rarely left mistakes in even my own work (even though it’s supposed to be harder to detect) – Ha! Not the case anymore.
And I am definitely a word nerd – love, love, love words. I love playing with them more and am more prone to bending the rules. If this is an age thing, Sharon, you only have to look at me to see what your future holds
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Cathy Miller wants you to read Peeking Inside the Techie Folder
P.S. Reaaaally have the on-time bug, but oddly do not have a problem (in a non-business setting) with friends who don’t.
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Cathy Miller wants you to read Peeking Inside the Techie Folder
I can think of worse examples, Cathy.
And bending the rules is part of being creative, which is definitely an asset in our business.
As for the on-time thin, my friends and I eventually had to meet in the middle to save our friendship. They let me know if they’re going to be late; I grit my teeth while giving them 10 minutes’ grace.
I’m so excited you shared such goodies about you! I also have a passion for learning new things, and truly appreciate that my work allows me to live that passion. Yay nerds! My sister has been calling me one for years, so now I own it.
You go, girl! Quirky nerds rule!
We need to delve into some genealogy, Sharon …
I think we may be sisters!
By the way, my father’s side of the family is British.
I’ve had a love affair with words since first grade. Paper and pencil became my BEST friends throughout life. I remember some of the very first sentences I constructed. What a thrill to take a group of words and attach some meaning to them and use those verbs to create some action!
I’m relentless when it comes to using proper grammar and punctuation and I’ve got an eagle eye, like you, for spotting errors. Proofreading is my pal. LOL
Wonderfully quirky post!
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Melanie
Fellow Carney
Melanie Kissell wants you to read I Have That Face
Yes, getting the words right is still a thrill, Melanie, and I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of it.
I’m guessing you get British humor, then? Any favorite shows?
As a fellow Enid Blyton fan, I know exactly what you mean when you say ‘girly swot’. Hehe.
And I’m a word nut too. The first application I install on a new gadget of mine is the dictionary. Then an ebook reader.
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Samar wants you to read Why You’re Not ‘Just’ a Freelance Blogger
Enid Blyton knew how to tell a story, didn’t she, Samar? It may have been basically one of half a dozen plots, but they were good plots. Something I usually install is a word game – usually Scrabble or a clone of it.
You so inspire me to read…I just cannot seem to make time for it. Now you added the word addiction. I loved spelling bees growing up and lost that love somehow along the way…it wasn’t about learning new words, but more of making sure they are spelled correctly. You are truly gifted.
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Michelle wants you to read Coming Out Secretly…Shhh Don’t Tell
Oooh, spelling; I totally forgot about that, Michelle. I have always liked being able to spell complicated words (and use them correctly, of course). Re the reading – I guess you will get there one day, especially as you start to reorganize. I cannot imagine not doing it, though, even if it’s only for 10 minutes before bedtime. I’m pretty sure I’ve read practically every day of my life since I learned how to do it.
Good morning Sharon!
Thought you were writing about me for a minute there – except you missed out one quotient of quirkiness that I think you have too… a love of alliteration!
It’s why we ‘Nottinghamshire Nerds’ write well…
Alliteration, assonance, palindromes – any form of word play, Linda. Thanks for reminding me about that, fellow Nottinghamshire Nerd.
SWOT GIRLS UNITE! I need a T-shirt that says Proud Swot Girl. That was definitely me, and like you I now see how it makes my life and my business richer. I have to say the whole British / American English thing really impresses me. I roomed with a Brit in Hong Kong and still struggle with that.
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Nicole Fende wants you to read For More Profit, Just Add Quirks
Actually, I roomed with an American for a year while living in France, so that’s probably helped me, Nicole.
“From an early age, I’ve been uptight about punctuality. Someone said to me the other day: ‘You’re like me: 5 minutes early is on time, and on time is late’ ”
Oh how I envy this trait of yours. I’ve never been on time on a consistent basis – not that I haven’t tried. Back in high school, I was consistently 45 minutes late, so much so that my friends told me to arrive an HOUR EARLIER than they wanted me to arrive some place. These days I’ve gotten it down to about 15 minutes, but even when I try to be on-time (and leave with plenty of time to spare) the universe usually decides to interviene.
From trains to accidents to un-ignorable business opportunities, I’ve had the gamut of “yeah right”-style events occur *right* as I needed to leave somewhere.
So now, I only schedule meetings on days when I know for SURE I’m going to be someplace, and I don’t leave that spot until all those meetings are done. It seems to work.
And I’m right there with you on being a Professional Eclectic… however, I (and many in the science community) call that Interdisciplinary Thinking. And it saves lives, time, money, resources, and solves problems a lot faster than the more confined “specialist” thinking.
Great post!
Well, at least you’ve developed a coping mechanism, Nick. I’m the opposite – when it comes to personal arrangements, I try not to be the first to arrive and even if I set off later than I’m comfortable with, somehow the universe smooths my path and I still get there early.
I love the phrase ‘interdisciplinary thinking’ – I think I’ll add that to my list of labels.