Fewer than 12% of adults are competent at math
Nope, this isn’t a joke about writers’ math skills: Just 12% of adults around the world are numerically literate, according to an enormous global literacy study.… Read the full article
Paragraph length
Avoid the suitcase lead
Try a bikini lead instead
Some folks write “suitcase leads”: They try to cram all of the story elements into the top. Instead, make yours a bikini lead, and cover just the most interesting essentials.… Read the full article
Paragraph length: Shorter is better
Hit return more often
Believe it or not, this is an actual paragraph that appeared in an actual publication:
It weighs in at 465 words. It’s the first paragraph in the story.… Read the full article
Made you look
Want to keep readers reading? Keep paragraphs short
Quick! Which of these paragraphs would you rather read?
This 105-word paragraph?
Dr. Wolfgang Neubauer, a professor of archaeology at the University of Vienna, said that Mr.
… Read the full article Hit Return more often
People skip long paragraphs
Readers take measure of — and make decisions about — your copy based on how it looks. One of the most important visual cues is paragraph length.… Read the full article
Polish your paragraphs
Encourage readership by making them tight
When researchers for The Poynter Institute looked into what makes people read online, they found that one key predictor of attention was paragraph length.