20 Rules for Writing So Crystal Clear Even Your Dumbest Relative Will Understand - 0 views
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2014 writing freelance copywriting tips list writer WriteLink
shared by John Lemke on 15 May 14
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Spreading an idea means getting it from your brain into someone else’s. It means putting together the essential facts, the logical arguments and your insightful conclusions together in exactly the right way to recreate your brilliant idea in the mind of your reader.
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Try to describe your audience with this simple formula: X who Y. For example: “Bloggers who want to get more traffic”.
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If you can’t explain what your post is about in one simple, short sentence, it’s probably too complex or unfocused.
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If a sentence, phrase or word is particularly important or significant, use bold or italics to add stress. But don’t overdo it.
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Only tell them what they need to know to follow your argument. Share the minimum you need to convey the desired message.
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Concrete language describes something detectable by the senses. Something you can see, feel, hear, smell or taste. Abstract concepts are much harder to imagine.
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When you provide specific detail in your writing, there’s less room for ambiguity. Your reader is far more likely to end up with the same idea in their head as you have in yours.
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Clarity does not tolerate “might,” “may” or “possibly.” If you can’t say something with certainty, perhaps you shouldn’t be writing about it at all.
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Bullets are a valuable tool, but you should never drop your reader into a list without first setting the scene.
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If you were giving your reader a list of steps, you’d present them in the order they needed doing, right? Obviously. But if the items in your list aren’t steps, they often still have a natural order – even if you didn’t have one in mind when you wrote them.
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You think you’re being generous but truthfully you’re being greedy. Greedy with your reader’s time, their attention, and their patience.