| |
| |
|
Writing Information |
|
|
|
Nobody Likes A Rambler
We all know people who ramble. They include every boring and insignificant detail, speak in five-minute-long sentences and take forever to get to the point. When they finally reach the end of their story, most people have either walked away or lost interest. If you were reading their words, would you read right to the end? Or would you find something more informative, less boring and shorter to read? We all have a tendency to ramble. It's natural. And the more excited we are about a subject, the more likely we are to ramble. Unfortunately, if we ramble in writing, our readers may not get to the "good stuff." And if that "good stuff" is your website, your byline or a product you wish to promote, your rambling has just cost you money. Now, I certainly don't want to curb your excitement, and I don't even want to thwart your tendency to ramble. Instead, I want you to get wildly excited about your topic. I want you to ramble as much as you like. Then I want you to edit. When you edit, try to cut as many words from your article as possible. The number of words cut depends on the length of your first draft and the desired length of your finished article. That said, you should usually try to cut your word count by at least 20 percent - and the more words cut, the better. If that leaves your article too short, try rambling on for even longer before you get to the editing stage. I don't have the room here to list everything that helps cut down the words in your article, but I will share some key points: These items won't cover everything you need to look at when reducing your word count, but they do provide a good starting base. If you want to remember them, just think of the biggest rambler you know and the things you would like to say to him: "You already said that." "Is the weather important?" "Get to the point." "I have to go soon. Can we hurry this up?" Readers won't wish they could say these things to you. They'll just find something else to read. Keep your word count low and you'll keep your readers with you right to the end. About The Author Liz Palmer is a freelance copywriter and editor, based in Australia. She works with businesses and writers, offering a range of proofreading, editing and copywriting services.
MORE RESOURCES:
Writing - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Business Letter Etiquette Business etiquette is fundamentally concerned with building relationships founded upon courtesy and politeness between business personnel. Etiquette, and especially business etiquette, is a means of maximising your potential by presenting yourself positively. COULD YOU (not) REPEAT THAT PLEASE? I recently read a book where everything was akimbo. Arms were akimbo, legs were akimbo. How to Break In and Succeed as a Screenwriter Screenwriting is a competitive trade. To distinguish yourself as a prize-winning writer you need to master organizational skills, take creative risks, and learn how best to present your final product. Writing Is Not Life-threatening Some writers complain that writing is arduous work requiring long hours and little pay, which is often true especially for freelance fiction writers. Today, everyone wants to be a writer and with word processors and computers it is easy to put thoughts down, but it is not always effortless to be published unless one self-publishes or uses a vanity press. Writing - Copyrights and Trademarks Protect You When most people consider writing a book, they don't think about Trademarks. However, I highly recommend that you leverage your writing for multiple purposes, and that's why registering a Trademark for your concept is a good idea. Writing Query Letters A QUERY LETTER is written to an editor or agent to describe a piece of writing to ask if they'd like to see it. It is sent in lieu of an unsolicited (unasked for) manuscript. Going On A Word Diet There are three ways to write a first draft. One is to ink whatever surfaces, in whatever order without regard to grammar, spelling or staying on topic. Write That Down! Compulsively Collecting Content for Your Writing Have you ever read someone else's writing and thought one of the following things:Where did he get such great stories? Why can't I think of examples like that? How does she always develop amazing illustrations?The answer is: content.In writing, content is KING. The Top Five Mistakes That Companies Make with Regard to Technical Documentation I've seen it time and again. One of the most common weaknesses that I've seen in engineering companies-indeed, an almost universal fault-is the lack of proper technical documentation. Five EASY Ways to Improve Your Business Writing Have you ever wondered why some people can make millions writing books, and others (maybe you) can't even complete a simple business letter worth reading? Sure, natural talent probably accounts for some of their writing success. But really the best-selling authors achieved that level of success by devoting serious time and effort to perfecting their craft. In Your Own Words More Tips For New Writers (Part I)Explain in your own wordsFamiliar phrase? Yes, we have all heard it many times in many different situations. This little phrase is used to convey subtly different meanings depending upon the circumstances in which it is used. Top Ten Tips (Part 1) The following rules are essential if you want people to take you seriously.Be yourself Know your subject Be interested Punctuate proudly Respect the apostrophe Get great grammar Spell well Keep to the point Read and revise Sleep on it Pay attention to detailBe yourselfWrite from the heart or the head or the gut, depending upon the type of writing you are doing. 7 Reference Books for Your Desk I hate to admit this, but I rarely get an original idea. That's bad for a writer. The Power of Punctuation Punctuation, when used creatively, is powerful. Note, however, that when I say 'when used creatively', I don't mean that you can make up the rules. How To Write Your Book Within A Week Everyone has a book inside them, or so the saying goes. But few people get that book out. The Run-on Sentence: From Here To Eternity If you find your sentences filled with commas, and they wend from one topic to another, then you, like many people, may be guilty of writing run-on sentences.The run-on sentence is annoying. Writing HI-LO Material (High Interest, Low Ability) for Slow Readers To write books for readers at an elementary reading level (for either adults or children) you start off exactly the same way as you do any other book: you work out a strong plot and people it with interesting characters.Your primary concerns: To write a story that will seize the interest of the reader immediately (reluctant or emergent readers aren't going to waste time on a story that doesn't look interesting)To try to stick to one idea per sentence. The Writing Life In the 7th grade I wanted to be an architect but it turns out math is involved. Who knew? My 8th grade English teacher talked me into working on the school newspaper and I was hooked. Rules for Getting the Story Down 1. Write it fast, fix it later. New Year Resolutions for Writers - The Best Kind to Make and How to Keep Them On the first day of a bright and shiny new year, stretching out ahead of us full of possibilities, it's so easy to feel a sense of determination. ("This year I'm DOING it! I'm going to write a book / lose weight / take more time for myself.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
