Earning a journalism degree was one of the best decisions I ever made.  Learning how to communicate effectively through written word has served every area of my life.  To keep my skills sharp, I am an avid reader of Copyblogger and Pro Copy Tips.  Some recent posts on both of these blogs reminded me of some of the most important writing tips that will help you kick your writing up a notch.  Let’s explore:

  • Have something to say – Do you have solid news to communicate or are you trying to make something out of nothing?  People see through the latter.  Better to hold off and wait until you have something juicy that will serve your reader rather than bombarding them with fluff.

 

  • Plan your writing – Let me repeat…PLAN YOUR WRITING.  Insert a brief bulleted outline at the top of the document that lists the points you want to cover and the order they should follow.  Then, start writing, referring to the outline as needed. Trust me, this simple action will keep your writing organized and on topic.  (For more details on this process, see my post from August 2009)

 

  • Write for your audience – It’s not about you; it’s about your reader.  What do they want, need, care about and value?  THAT’s what your writing needs to address.  Put yourself in their shoes.  What do they gain by reading your brochure, press release or Web site?  Have you provided them with knowledge and insight that is going to make them seek you out for more information?  Have you given them a clear call to action to immediately follow?

 

  • Be specific – Be descriptive in your writing.  Take the time to punch up a dull sentence (i.e., “The garden is filled with bright flowers.”) with something that really paints a picture for your reader (i.e., “The garden bloomed with peach roses, red tulips and giant sunflowers.”).  Also,   avoid lazy adjectives such as “very.”  They don’t add anything to your writing.

 

  • Use active voice – Can’t stress this one enough.  Follow the traditional subject-verb-object structure for strong writing.  Example … The boy (subject) tossed (verb) the ball (object). People often fall prey to passive voice … The ball (object) was tossed (verb) by the boy (subject).

 

  • Edit and edit some more – Seth Godin made a statement in a recent blog post that struck me…people like to be done!  Are you being repetitive or rambling in your piece?  If so, edit.  Just because you can write more doesn’t mean you should.  Cut to the chase, and your readers will thank you.

There are tons of additional writing tips, and I hope to share more in the future.  But, if you can follow these few rules, your writing will improve dramatically.  Good luck!

Brooke Crawford, Senior Editor at Griffin Communications Group

Advertisement