What are your tips for writing better at work?

Clément Rog
7 replies
I'm not a copywriting or creative writing guru, just a guy who tries to get better at writing. Because it's the default tool to communicate with my (remote) team. Here are 7 tips to help you make writing your best instrument, and I'd love to hear from yours. *** #1 - Be your own audience If it's interesting for you, it'll be interesting for them. #2 - Idioms make people go bananas We're all remote now, we're located around the world. Not everyone commands the English language like native speakers do. Throwing idioms out from your toolbox will make you more relatable and easier to understand to everyone. #3 - It's you, not me A good "you" will send a little alert in the reader's mind that they need to pay attention. And in writing, your one and only job is to move those eyes to the next line, one micro-moment at a time. #4 - Actively delete adverbs Adverbs are empty, kill the -ly. Instead, use a more in-depth description of what you’re trying to say. #5 - Get it on the page, don't get it right First, empty your mind about the topic you'd like to write about. Don't pay attention to form, syntax, or audience. Just get it out, no need to worry about getting it right. #6 - Edit with a sword The real process of writing is in the editing. And when in doubt over a certain word or passage, chop it from the text. #7 - Read it loud This is the magic sauce to good writing. Because your ear will pick up things that your eyes cannot.

Replies

Graeme O’Connor
Mixing sentence length. Below is an example by the writer Gary Provost “This sentence has five words. Here are five more words. Five-word sentences are fine. But several together become monotonous. Listen to what is happening. The writing is getting boring. The sound of it drones. It’s like a stuck record. The ear demands some variety. Now listen. I vary the sentence length, and I create music. Music. The writing sings. It has a pleasant rhythm, a lilt, a harmony. I use short sentences. And I use sentences of medium length. And sometimes, when I am certain the reader is rested, I will engage him with a sentence of considerable length, a sentence that burns with energy and builds with all the impetus of a crescendo, the roll of the drums, the crash of the cymbals–sounds that say listen to this, it is important.”
@iamgoconnor Provost's example is a fantastic way to see that sentence length can make or break a text in a lot of ways. It's important to vary the sentence length, just as much as being precise or descriptive
Clément Rog
@iamgoconnor this one's very good - I saw an illustration lately and it was super educational! On books, I recommend "Several Short Sentences About Writing" by Verlyn Klinkenborg
Christophe Pasquier
Good writing and conciseness are managers' superpowers
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