A stocking-stuffer for the Twitter-and-texting crowd (bloggers too)…
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Adapted from\u00a0Forbes<\/em> Magazine, and Brett Nelson<\/b><\/p>\n Tip #1:\u00a0 A Point<\/b><\/p>\n Like any worthwhile pursuit, all good writing begins with a goal. If you don\u2019t know yours, rest assured readers won\u2019t, either. Before you begin, ask: \u201cWhat do I aim to accomplish? What specific service am I providing?\u201d That simple exercise will save a lot of time and thousands of wasted words.<\/p>\n Tip # 2:\u00a0 Logical Structure<\/b><\/p>\n Many readers have short attention spans. That\u2019s why having a logical structure is so important. The backbone of anything longer than a Tweet or short blog entry consists of three parts: intro, body, conclusion. In other words: 1) say what you\u2019re going to say, 2) say it, 3) summarize what you said. Boring, perhaps, but effective.<\/p>\n Tip #3:\u00a0 Clarity<\/b><\/p>\n If you think what you\u2019ve written is remotely vague or unclear, it\u2019s probably incomprehensible. Keep things simple by breaking complex concepts into logical steps. Four short, clear sentences are better than one long, convoluted one.<\/p>\n Tip #4: \u00a0Reading\u00a0Aloud<\/strong><\/p>\n This trick helps with clarity and rhythm. Read your words aloud and the rough patches will stand out.<\/p>\n Tip #5:\u00a0 Context<\/strong><\/p>\n A fact without context is useless. Numbers help a lot, if used correctly. Example: The federal debt is $16 trillion. Is that big or small? The reader has no idea without context. Better to say the debt is nearly as big as America\u2019s annual GDP\u2014and better still to say the debt, as a percentage of GDP, is the highest it\u2019s been since World War II.<\/p>\n When using numbers to make your point, ask these basic questions:<\/p>\n \u2014Is the number remotely plausible?<\/p>\n \u2014Is it (like any other fact) adding meaningful value to the story, or just slowing down the proceedings?<\/p>\n \u2014Is it critical to building your case?<\/p>\n \u2014Does it conflict with, or even refute, a previous number or conclusion?<\/p>\n \u2014Is it helping explain a complicated concept?<\/p>\n \u2014Is the source of the number credible, or does he\/she have an obvious agenda?<\/p>\n Tip #6:\u00a0 Audience Alignment<\/strong><\/p>\n Know your reader and gear the material accordingly. When in doubt, a little extra hand-holding is always appreciated.<\/p>\n Tip #7:\u00a0 Tangible Examples<\/strong><\/p>\n The mantra \u201cShow, don\u2019t tell\u201d has been around awhile but folks still have trouble with it. Here\u2019s some turgid copy pulled directly from the homepage of a top 100 [best] tech firm:<\/p>\n \u201c[Company name] provides a broad range of IT consulting, systems implementation and application outsourcing services through an optimized global delivery model. Through our industry leading platforming process, [Company name] focuses on delivering business results by modernizing, rationalizing and consolidating the critical applications that support our clients\u2019 core business processes. We employ advanced processes like Agile to insure the right system is delivered the first time. This approach enables [Company name] to serve industry leaders as they seek to improve their customers\u2019 experience, expand market reach, improve time to market and lower costs.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Need some Excedrin? Delve further into the site and the torture continues, with some excruciating flow charts to boot.<\/p>\n Whatever you\u2019re writing, don\u2019t fall into this trap. If you offer \u201ctechnology solutions\u201d or \u201cadvisory services\u201d\u2014and thousands of companies do\u2014strut your stuff by providing specific, tangible examples that potential customers can understand\u00a0in a hurry<\/em>. Same goes if you\u2019re preparing a Power Point presentation, sharing instructions with your team, or writing an editorial for a publication. One more time:\u00a0\u201cShow, don\u2019t tell.\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Tip #8:\u00a0 Well-Defined Assumptions<\/strong><\/p>\n Credibility is crucial. Whatever case you\u2019re making, clearly state the assumptions and the logic behind them.<\/p>\n Tip #9:\u00a0 Charts That Pay Off<\/strong><\/p>\n Charts and graphs are powerful tools\u2014again, if used correctly. Do your best to tell a story\u00a0within the chart itself<\/em>\u00a0by writing meaningful labels, titles and captions.<\/p>\n This subject deserves considerably more attention, but the bottom line is this: If readers have to spend more than 5 seconds understanding the point of a chart or graph, you\u2019ve made them work too hard.<\/p>\n Tip #10:\u00a0 Active Verbs<\/strong><\/p>\n Passive verbs are the province of dissemblers. (That\u2019s why lawyers love them!) Stick with the active variety. Example:\u00a0Joe hit Bob with a stick.<\/em><\/p>\n Tip #11:\u00a0 Straight Talk<\/strong><\/p>\n Jargon and clich\u00e9s are poison. For a reminder see the next post on markkirkwood.com.<\/p>\n Tip #12:\u00a0 New Start<\/strong><\/p>\n If you\u2019re stuck, it\u2019s for good reason. (See Tip #1 and recall the point you wanted to make.) Don\u2019t \u201cwrite around\u201d roadblocks\u2014it never works. Instead, go back and take a different route.<\/p>\n Tip #13:\u00a0 Fresh Eyes<\/strong><\/p>\n Anything worth printing is worth an extra look in the morning\u2014or at least in an hour or two after you think you\u2019re done.<\/p>\n Tip #14:\u00a0 Practice<\/strong><\/p>\n Good writing comes with practice, and practice includes reading good writing\u2014any good writing, from short stories to research reports.<\/p>\n If you want to learn more about topics that touch your wallet\u2014and become a better writer in the process\u2014start here:<\/p>\n \u2014Jill Lepore,\u00a0The New Yorker<\/em> Tip #15:\u00a0 Patience<\/strong><\/p>\n Writing is a process. Let it happen.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A stocking-stuffer for the Twitter-and-texting crowd (bloggers too)… Adapted from\u00a0Forbes Magazine, and Brett Nelson Tip #1:\u00a0 A Point Like any worthwhile pursuit, all good writing begins with a goal. If you don\u2019t know yours, rest assured readers won\u2019t, either. Before you begin, ask: \u201cWhat do I aim to accomplish? What specific service am I providing?\u201d […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-636","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.markkirkwood.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/636","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.markkirkwood.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.markkirkwood.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.markkirkwood.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.markkirkwood.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=636"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blog.markkirkwood.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/636\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.markkirkwood.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=636"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.markkirkwood.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=636"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.markkirkwood.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=636"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n\u2014James Surowiecki,\u00a0The New Yorker<\/em>
\n\u2014Michael Lewis,\u00a0Vanity Fair<\/em>
\n\u2014Roger Lowenstein,\u00a0BloombergBusinessweek<\/em>\u00a0(and others)
\n\u2014Allan Sloan,\u00a0Fortune<\/em>
\n\u2014Gretchen Morgenson,\u00a0The New York\u00a0Times<\/em>
\n\u2014William Baldwin, former editor of\u00a0Forbes<\/em><\/p>\n