Tight writing
Cut Through the Clutter
Why cut clutter
- Make your copy easy to read: More people will read it
Literacy
- Can you read me now? 21% of U.S. adults have trouble using a street map
Story length
- Write for the ear: Read your copy aloud
- Hit your word count: Three ways to write to length
- Find your focus: Tighten your angle
- Help readers choose: Avoid option overload
- Don’t practice AKK: ‘All known knowledge’ obscures rather than reveals
- Say no more: Write a message statement in 23 words or less
Paragraph length
- Polish your paragraphs: Encourage readership by making them tight
Sentence length
- Get to the verb faster: Avoid long parenthetical phrases
- Use more periods: Three ways to shorten your sentences
- Pleading for shorter sentences: Sentence length one of top 2 predictors of readable copy
- Snip your sentences: How long is too long?
Word length
- Don’t commit verbicide: Streamline syllables with action words
Jargon
- ‘Solution’ strikes again: ‘Pet waste removal service’ scoops up worst buzzword
Adjectives & adverbs
- As good as your word: ‘Applewood-smoked bacon’ just tastes better
Passive voice
- ‘By my grandma’: How to identify the passive voice
