Avoid transitional clichés
Transitions can be hard to write. Maybe that’s why we keep turning back to these hackneyed transitions, listed in a Poynter Institute forum:
- “But then the dream became a nightmare.”
- “But then something went horribly wrong.”
- “But that was about to change.”
- “When he first … he never dreamed …”
- “But then something happened that would change her life forever.”
- “Then she experienced every parent’s worst nightmare.”
- “For now they can only watch and wait.”
- “What a difference a (day, week, month, year) makes.”
- “Now the victims are picking up the pieces of their shattered lives.”
- “At the end of the day …”
Fresh transitions drive readers further into the story. These clichés just cause readers to roll their eyes — and go back to sleep.
Go Beyond the Pyramid
The inverted pyramid reduces readership, understanding, engagement — even action, according to research by the Reuters Institute and others.
If the traditional news structure doesn’t work, how should we organize our messages?Master a structure that’s been proven in the lab to outperform the traditional news format at Catch Your Readers — our two-day persuasive-writing workshop on Oct. 14-15 in Salt Lake City.
There, you’ll learn an organizing scheme that grabs readers’ attention, keep it for the long haul and leaves a lasting impression.
Save up to $100 with our group discounts.
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