HarperCollins published Writing for Impact: 8 Secrets from Science That Will Fire Up Your Readers' Brains in 2023. Order the book, e-book, or audiobook from your favorite bookseller and Bill will send you a 40-page workbook!

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To celebrate the launch of Writing for Impact: 8 Secrets from Science That Will Fire Up Your Readers' Brains, Bill held a 45-minute webinar covering key messages and featuring examples from the book.

You can watch the webinar video for free online. Go to the Zoom link and use passcode p%%Rd8IW

Don't miss it!

Podcast interviews

“The Science of Effective Writing: Practical Writing Strategies to Go Beyond Clarity to Achieve Engagement, Interview by LumiQ's Continuing Professional Development expert Alex Eldridge, Spring 2022.

“8 Neuroscience-Based Techniques for Writing in Ways That Engage and Excite Your Readers with Author Bill Birchard.” Interview by science-writing authority Mark Bayer of “When Science Speaks,” March 31, 2023.

“Writing for Impact with Bill Birchard: 8 Scientific Secrets to More Compelling Writing,” Interview by copywriting guru Roy Furr, April 21, 2023. Or see YouTube.

“Bill Birchard on Writing for Impact, Clarifying Thinking, Better Comprehension, and the Power of Surprise,” Interview by world-renowned futurist Ross Dawson, May 10, 2023.

“Adapt and Fortify: Securing Your Copywriting Career Amidst ChatGPT Disruption.” Interview by career guide and coach Max Chan, June 27, 2023.

“8 Secrets From Science to Fire up Your Reader's Brain.” Interview by WriterSpark’s fiction-writing expert Melissa Bourbon, July 11, 2023. Or see YouTube.

Interview by Write Now's fiction-writing expert Kitty Bucholtz, in production.

Psychology Today posts

“How to Become More Engaging.” Psychology Today online, March 25, 2023. [Psychology and neuroscience reveal the basis for engaging readers: Appeal to the brain's "reward circuit."]

“Engage People by Keeping it Simple.” Psychology Today online, March 31, 2023. [The fastest  way to appeal to the reward circuit is to increase your writing's "processing fluency."]

“Engage People by Keeping it Specific.” Psychology Today online, April 8, 2023. [Writing that features action and details gives readers a rewarding brain buzz.]

“Engage People by Keeping it Surprising.” Psychology Today online, April 18, 2023 [People constantly predict your text's next words, which gives you the power to reward them with novelty.]

“Writing with Emotion to Engage Readers.” Psychology Today online, April 25, 2023 [When people process langauge, they process the emotion and logic together to come up with meaning.]

“Tapping the Power of ‘You’.” Psychology Today online, May 12, 2023. [Write with the second person, "you," to engage readers with a "participant" rather than "observer" perspective."

“How to Beat ChatGPT.” Psychology Today online, July 17, 2023. [You can't beat ChatGPT's speed, but you can beat it with a variety of human touches it will never have.]

"Stories: A Powerful Tool for Treating Unhealthy Behaviors." Psychology Today online, August 2, 2023. [Narratives persuade others by disarming their inner skeptic and transporting them with plot.]

"Flashes of Personality Reward Readers." Psychology Today online, October 30, 2023. [Revealing your ethos and personality in your writing will reward readers.]

"Want to be Persuasive? Find a Metaphor." Psychology Today online, November 6, 2023. [Metaphors mold your message in people's minds. Psychology and neuroscience help explain why.]

"Want to Change Minds? Frame Your Message with a Metaphor." Psychology Today online, November 13, 2023. [Experiments demonstrate how figures of speech sync people’s views with yours.]

"Want to Hear Your Muse? Tune into Your Reward Circuit." Psychology Today online, November 20, 2023. [Asking 8 questions can help you hear the inspiring voice of your reward system.]

"The Power of Patterns: A Little Repetition Goes a Long Way." Psychology Today online, January 3, 2024. [For better flow, prime your readers with parallel sentence structure.]

"The Seductive Sway of Sound: Why Your Patter Matters." Psychology Today online, January 17, 2024. [Want an easy way to sweeten what you say? Produce a parade of similar sounds.]

"Win People over with Genuine Style in Your Writing." Psychology Today online, March 13, 2024. [Display novelty, elicit emotion, and prompt insight for maximum impact.]

"Five Winning Plays to Say It with Style." Psychology Today online, April 5, 2024. [Hook people with diction, sensations, sound, repetition, and analogy.]

Harvard Business Review articles

"Simple Writing Pays Off (Literally)." Harvard Business Review (digital). October 11, 2022. [Research shows that simple business writing raises stock prices and reduces the cost of debt.]

"The Science of Strong Business Writing." Harvard Business Review. July-August 2021. [Learn from  decades of research that anyone can deploy 8 primal strategies to win over readers.]

"Write to Reward Your Reader." Harvard Business Review (digital). November 18, 2020. [You, too, can engage readers by tapping the eight desires of the brain's reward circuit.]