Writing is Reading
The rules of grammar are set out in guides, spelling is set out in dictionaries, but how do you learn the craft of writing?
?The internet is full of articles and lists of ‘rules’ for writing product descriptions, emails, website copy, sales messages, and so on. In fact, there is so much practical advice out there (and some of it is really out there!), that if you don’t like what one person writes, you’ll be able to find more palatable guidance very easily. I’m not saying don’t read any of it – quite the contrary, but here are my top five ‘rules’ for what to use and what to ignore:
?1)?????Is the author talking about what you are writing? If you’re writing a product brochure, advice about how to craft a sales EDM may not apply.
2)?????Does it make sense? Some ‘hacks’ are counter-intuitive, but generally, if you are open-minded, good advice will induce a lightbulb moment.
3)?????How credible is the author? If they have spent years successfully doing this, ignore at your peril.
4)?????Is the advice culturally neutral? Some approaches work better in certain countries.
5)?????Is it applicable to your target audience? Talking to fashion-conscious teens is different from heavy machinery purchasers…probably.
?Having trawled through oceans of advice and caught the good stuff, now what? Well, if you use a formula, it will look like a formula, and audiences are better at spotting this than most writers think…and it rarely plays well. So. Do your own thing. What? Ignore the advice? Disregard the wisdom of experts? NO. Take it all on board, digest and use it, but…write for your audience, allow your personality to shine through, and then - then you start a conversation rather than shout a message.
?I have one more piece of advice, that I have not found in any of these articles or lists: READ.
?If you’ll be writing a product brochure, read all the product brochures you can get your hands on. You’ll soon get the hang of the conventions, which ones engage – and why, which ones are easy to use - and why, and which ones rise above the ordinary – and why.
?Lastly, have fun.
?What writing advice changed your approach – and what was so wide of the mark that you ignored it? ??
Public Speaker| Global B2B Conference Organizer of our flagship event | Management Consultant | Corporate Strategy | Solution Provider | Business Process Enthusiast
2 年Clive, thanks for sharing!
Senior Lecturer at Nanyang Polytechnic
3 年Like this advice - start a conversation rather than shout a message.
I agree with the title - writing is first of all reading. Read more, and read again. Read what you wrote.
Global Marketing Manager/Inclusivity Ambassador
3 年Ditto! training a report in copywriting and that is her first assignment! READ
Logical in my outlook to problems and understand that all problems have solutions.
3 年The first sentence or paragraph should captivate your target audience.