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Effective Writing Basics - Coggle Diagram
Effective Writing Basics
1. Create a great
opening Sentence
The opening (or first) sentence is the most important part of any copy. It must grab the reader's attention. It must make them want to read on. It must tell the reader the most dramatic, interesting and unusual aspect of the copy: the thing that sets this piece of copy apart from the rest (the angle)
A good opening sentence must be short: 18-25 words maximum. The first six or seven words should contain a key fact eg: "lucky residents are going to win thousands of pounds".
The sentence structure must be simple: no commas, no sub-clauses
Unless people's names, names of organisations etc are the most important part of the story (ie famous people or well-known organisations) they must be left out of the introduction and put lower down the copy.
Keep everything simple. Avoid using off-putting abbreviations, statistics etc.
2. Be fluent
Write as you speak
When you write your copy, imagine you are sitting talking to a friend, and use the same language. And, if you are struggling to write something fluently, say it out loud.
The best copy often has a kind of “you-and-me-talking” quality to it.
3. Be consistent
Be careful of using 'is' and 'was' an active tense sentence.
4. Keep it short and simple (kiss rule)
Try to ensure that about 60% of the words in your copy contain six letters or fewer.
Sentences should be under 25 words each. And, paragraphs should comprise a maximum of two sentences
Always use simple sentence constructions and avoid sub-clauses. (If you need add more info in a sentence, split into two sentences)
Avoid complicated statistics and figures. Simplify them. Use phrases like “up to 10%” or “two out of three”.
5. Cut the jargon
Examples:
A large number of Why not say
many
?
All of a sudden Why not say
suddenly
?
At this moment in time Why not say now?
During the course of Why not say
while
?
Give consideration to Why not say
consider
?
In spite of the fact that Why not say
despite
?
The majority of Why not say
most
?
A good writer should be on the watch for cumbersome phrases and jargonised words, and eliminate them every time.
Test your copy for jargon - [Drivel Defense for Text] (
http://www.plainenglish.co.uk/drivel-defence-text.html
m)
Use the SMOG test calculator. This stands for Simplified Measure of Gobbledygook.
http://www.wordscount.info/wc/jsp/clear/analyze_smog.jsp
Write scannable text
Modern readers tend to skim read. They only stop when something catches their eyes.
Sentences and words must be as short as possible.
Unfamiliar and complicated words should be avoided.
Capital letters should be kept to a minimum. They slow the reader down.
Avoid unnecessary punctuation. Just use the punctuation that is absolutely vital: full stops, apostrophes and speech marks.
Commas should be kept to a minimum by using simple sentence structures. And, semicolons should be eliminated altogether.
Try to make the subject of consecutive sentences the same.
7. Do not use too
many adjectives
Adjectives (descriptive words) should be used sparingly and only when they are justified by facts.
(Resist the temptation to use: sensational, brilliant, amazing, best ever)
Hot words to use:
Free, profit, new, now, secret, easy, save, guarantee, today
8. Be honest
9. Keep it flowing
- short sentences. Start sentences with And, But, So
10. Repeat yourself
- Tell them what you are going to tell them. Tell them again and then tell once more what you already told them. Then they will remember the key message