The Writer’s Craft

I believe in the power of words. The best words, in the best order — as one poet put it — have altered the course of history. Whether spoken or written, sung or imagined, well-chosen words have the capacity to inspire, educate, motivate, and elevate. Words can soften hearts, change minds, and touch our collective humanity.

The lexicon of finance often doesn’t attain such heights. A mutual fund prospectus, for example, would rarely be considered great prose. But while some financial publications must be dry and legalistic, most investment writing can seek loftier goals. In this turbulent era of asset bubbles and economic struggles, investors want information that is insightful and precise. To maintain customers, financial media and investment firms need to provide those qualities in their written communications.

I began investing in the eighth grade when I bought one share of Borden’s. My strategy? The company’s milk carton graced our breakfast table each morning. Before long, I was trading stocks and spending my days in brokerage offices. Though my academic and professional careers veered off into classical music, I never lost interest in economics or finance.

Writing about investments was a natural point of reentry after brief stints as a high school music teacher and investment broker. Music and writing have much in common; both belong to the fine arts and embody many of the same elements, including architecture, lyricism, and rhythm. People “hear” what they’re reading.

Good writing can make a difference. My job as a freelancer is to make that happen.