6 words about writing

Readers offer super-short tips

Last month, in honor of Students First’s six-word essay contest to best describe what it means to be a great teacher, we asked readers to send us their writing tips in six words.

Here are the best of the bunch.

“Dump. Cut. Cut. Cut. Cut. Enjoy.”

— Ned Mann, Media Relations professional
at Chubb Executive Risk Inc.

“Long, dangly sentences are usually DOA.”

— Anita Allen, Ascend contributor at Sabre

“DOA copy is Daunting, Overwritten, Agonizing.”

— Anita Allen

“Marshal muscular verbs. Launch soaring sentences.”

— Dana Van Allen, communications specialist at Siemens Milltronics

“Sometimes, grammar police: look away.”

— Alejandro (Alex) Morones, technical writer and editor
at the University of Texas at San Antonio

“To become a better writer, read.”

— Christel K. Hall, APR CBC,
principal at PRowrite Public Relations Services

“Writer’s block cured by writing anything.”

— Andy DiOrio, director of internal communications, AMC Theatres

“Just write; keep typing; edit later.”

— Laura Temple

“Edit. Edit again. Once more. Polished.”

— Jo Lynn Deal, business management consultant

“Tell a story, don’t report it.”

— Jef White, managing editor, National Business Media

“Mesmerize with moonlight thru looking glass.”

— Susan Parson, operations manager, Business Education Compact

One more tip …

One participant pandered to the judge. He knows the judge personally and correctly assumed that she’d appreciate the pandering:

“Favorite writing tip: Read Ann Wylie”

— Barry Schneider, product communications manager at Waddell & Reed

And the winner is …

My favorite tip, both for the topic (feature leads) and imagery, is:

“Make your lead really sing – loud.”

— Mary Lisa Russell, communication specialist
at Community Medical Centers

Mary, look for one of my favorite things from my new hometown — Portland, Ore. — in your mailbox soon. And thanks to everyone who played.

Be heard

My husband likes to quote “anonymous”:

“If a man speaks in the forest,
and no woman is there to hear him,
is he still wrong?”

For communicators, the question is a little different. David Murray, editor of ContentWise, says:

“If nobody hears your strategic messaging,
does it make a sound?”

The biggest risk in communications is not that we might offend someone or write something that’s eye-rollingly goofy. The biggest risk communicators face is that we never get heard at all.