Sharper Image: Classic Rock KLOS/Los Angeles Dir./Production Stew Herrera and voiceover pros Lloyd Sherr and Jeffrey Hedquist joined moderator Lon Helton for today's (2/27) "Imaging From Both Sides Of The Mic" session sponsored by ReelWorld. Panelists discussed effective engagement and strong copywriting and imaging. "Great copy engages your audience and tells a story," noted Hedquist, who urged the audience to focus on the listener, not the station. Other takeaways:

• Write from a peer perspective, not an authoritative one.
• Good writing is good editing and there's always room to edit further.
• Write in the present tense (think "right now"; drop suffixes such as "ing.")
• Don't be afraid to self-deprecate, even with position statements.

On maximizing impact while exercising brevity, Hedquist recalled a six-word story often attributed to novelist Ernest Hemingway. The account suggests a bet between Hemingway and other writers to craft a story in six words. The result? "For sale: Baby shoes, never worn." "When the listener thinks 'This station knows me,' then you've got something," noted Hedquist.