Step 1 for concise copy: Find your focus
My favorite scene in “Planes, Trains and Automobiles” is when Steve Martin finally blows his stack at John Candy’s irritating character.… Read the full article
clear writing
Information overload by the numbers
Are your readers drowning in the deluge?
Talk about TMI.
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[1] Richard Alleyne, “Welcome to the information age – 174 newspapers a day,” The Telegraph, Feb.… Read the full article
Turn numbers into people
When writing about humans, use whole numbers, not percentages
Which is more dangerous? A disease that kills 1,286 out of every 10,000 people it strikes? Or one that kills 12.86% of its victims?… Read the full article
Add words, paralyze readers
More information = poorer decisions
One of the most complex decisions we ask consumers to make is to choose among health insurance plans.
It’s not uncommon for consumers to have to compare more than 15 plans on each of 10 to 12 factors.… Read the full article
Elements of readability
The writing and the reader determine reading ease
Two elements contribute to reading ease, according to readability expert William H. DuBay, in Smart Language: the reader and the writing.… Read the full article
Little Red Schoolhouse school of readability
3 ways to reduce syllables per word
“It is good to write clearly,” wrote Joseph M. Williams, “and anyone can.”
Williams developed “The Little Red Schoolhouse” (LRS) writing course at the University of Chicago.… Read the full article
CLEAR it up for readability
5 steps to simplifying your message
How can you clarify your message?
The authors of “Complex to Clear: Managing Clarity in Corporate Communication” developed this CLEAR mnemonic for simplifying your subject:
1.
… Read the full articleReaders multiply reading ease
Measure and manage readability
So your copy is too tough for even the most literate among us to read?
You can measure and manage readability by using readability indexes like the Flesch-Kincaid grade level.… Read the full article
Write to fit
Hit your word count the first time
Remember the old saw: “After you’ve written your first draft, rewrite it as if you have a rule that it can’t be printed until it’s cut by one-third”?… Read the full article