WRITING IS AN ART #26

Improving your writing

If you are a reluctant writer – for instance, if you don’t particularly enjoy writing but you need to produce material as part of your Marketing role – how can you improve?

 

I can suggest three ways (other than reading my blog regularly – or better still, employing me to write the material for you!):

 

1)     Rewriting: Make a rough draft of what you want to say, take a break and then go back over it, refining it as you go. Then take another break and do the same again. And again if necessary. Make sure you’re using short sentences and paragraphs and that you’re not resorting to jargon. Avoid complicating things. Explain anything technical that the reader isn’t likely to understand.

 

2)     Reviewing: Ask a colleague or friend to look over what you’ve written. Choose someone who is likely to be honest rather than someone who will just say nice things to please you! You could try asking two people to review it – one who knows the subject matter well and one who doesn’t. That way, you’re likely to get a more balanced assessment.

 

3)     Reading: This is a long term approach. One of the best ways to improve your writing is to read a lot. Notice how different authors use words. If there are words you don’t understand, check their meaning and extend your vocabulary! Try reading both fiction and non-fiction books and seeing the differences and similarities in the approaches of the authors. If at work you’re writing about a particular service or product, take a look at any other literature about it (if there is any). This could give you a different and more informed perspective.

 

Have fun.

 

Phil

 

Freelance copywriter

 

Web: http://www.phila

Email: info@phila.co.uk

Follow me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/philallcock

WRITING IS AN ART #25

A FUNNY THING HAPPENED TO ME…

Humour can be a very powerful way of making a point that will be remembered by your readers. However, everyone knows that humour is a subjective thing – so it’s also a dangerous tool if used wrongly. One person might find something very funny whereas someone else will find it boring, distracting or even offensive.

 

You need to be aware of:

 

·      WHEN to use humour – for instance, it’s usually inappropriate in product brochures being sent to large corporates. They might take a dislike to anything flippant – and could therefore dismiss the rest of your brochure out of hand. However, puns can be used freely in most press release headings as they help to attract the reader’s attention and may encourage them to read further.

 

·      HOW to use humour – use it carefully and sparingly (unless you are writing, say, an informal article, where more humour may be acceptable). Use it to bring home a point that underlines one of your main messages. Just be careful that the humour doesn’t become the main thrust of your marketing item – because then the key message can sometimes be lost. As William Hazlitt once said (whoever he was!): “Wit is the salt of conversation, not the food”. Hmm.

 

·      WHERE to use humour – it doesn’t have to be restricted to paper-based or web-based material. For instance, one great way of using humour is during a speech or presentation. Use it at intervals to attract and keep people’s interest. If you’re writing a speech for someone else, however, you need to be more careful! I’ve written one or two speeches in the past for people I’ve never known. The use of humour here is very risky, as you know nothing about the person’s own sense of humour or their delivery or timing.

 

Have fun!

 

Phil

 

Freelance copywriter

 

Web: http://www.phila

Email: info@phila.co.uk

Follow me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/philallcock