Too many of the bloggers of the world either think no one is reading their blog or everyone is. If you're journaling for yourself, okay, but if you want to share you thoughts, you need to be clear.
Besides the grammar, spelling and sentence structure mistakes that confuse readers, too many bloggers assume the reader knows what they are talking about. Not so.
When many of us pull up a blog we're lost. There isn't any background or context to give meaning to what's newly written.
Bloggers need to find a few words to explain why the reader should be reading this post, what's new about this information, how does it relate to what's been said before and how/why it matters.
Before hitting the send button, you, the blogger, need to ask yourself if what you've written can stand alone. Would someone who's finding your blog for the first time understand your latest entry? (Hint: if a reader needs to read all entries to understand your latest, you'll likely lose them.)
Yours,
WMW
Monday, June 1, 2009
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Let Me Help You
Beyond my tips, please consider hiring me to help you communicate better through your writing, whether in your workplace or your everyday life. I want to help.
If you don't want to hire me, cool, but keep reading the blog and offer suggestions on what you'd like me to write about.
Yours in Waste Management,
Christia
christia@writeimage.org
If you don't want to hire me, cool, but keep reading the blog and offer suggestions on what you'd like me to write about.
Yours in Waste Management,
Christia
christia@writeimage.org
Saturday, February 21, 2009
That's It -- Period
I've recently been thinking there really are just two little things that would improve any kind of writing from e-mails to business letters to letters to insurance companies to whatever it is you need to write.
Don't bother with colons and semi colons, stick to periods. And, divide your writing into shorter paragraphs.
Keeping it simple means keeping things more understandable.
Take the first graph above. Here's how it could be better:
I've recently been thinking there really are just two little things that would improve any kind of writing.
They work well whether you're writing e-mails, business letters, letters to insurance companies or whatever it is you need to write.
See what I mean? There's beauty in simplicity.
Yours in waste management, WMW
Don't bother with colons and semi colons, stick to periods. And, divide your writing into shorter paragraphs.
Keeping it simple means keeping things more understandable.
Take the first graph above. Here's how it could be better:
I've recently been thinking there really are just two little things that would improve any kind of writing.
They work well whether you're writing e-mails, business letters, letters to insurance companies or whatever it is you need to write.
See what I mean? There's beauty in simplicity.
Yours in waste management, WMW
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Spell it wrong at your peril
Words have power; misspelled words have the powere to make you look stupid. Texting aside, you need to spell correctly. It’s a competitive world out there. Somebody else can … spell correctly, that is.
I recently received some writing in which quizzes was spelled quizes and knowledgeable was spelled knowledgable. Misspelling undercuts your message. It’s difficult to take the poor speller seriously.
It’s never been easier to spell correctly. Use spell check – although pay attention to too, to, two; their, there, they’re; and your, you’re.
Buy a dictionary. There is a ton of good information in the book and everything is spelled right.
Yours in waste management, WMW
I recently received some writing in which quizzes was spelled quizes and knowledgeable was spelled knowledgable. Misspelling undercuts your message. It’s difficult to take the poor speller seriously.
It’s never been easier to spell correctly. Use spell check – although pay attention to too, to, two; their, there, they’re; and your, you’re.
Buy a dictionary. There is a ton of good information in the book and everything is spelled right.
Yours in waste management, WMW
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Road Signs: Trouble ahead.
Tell your reader what to expect. It keeps them engaged and appreciative that you’re not wasting their time. Who wants to get to the end of a letter, policy, e-mail, memo, whatever only to realize there is nothing that truly interests or pertains to them?
Lay it out pretty high in whatever you’re writing.
I got a Christmas letter this season that teaches the lesson well.
The daughter-in-law of one of my best friends charmingly warns to expect Smiley faces and exclamation points as she tells the tale of her family’s year. (Knowing this up front greatly reduces how annoying they can be.)
She goes a step further and lets the letter reader know there will be headings in case one wants to skim to the parts he or she is most interested in.
We can all learn from her thoughtfulness and respect for her reader.
Yours in waste management, WMW
Lay it out pretty high in whatever you’re writing.
I got a Christmas letter this season that teaches the lesson well.
The daughter-in-law of one of my best friends charmingly warns to expect Smiley faces and exclamation points as she tells the tale of her family’s year. (Knowing this up front greatly reduces how annoying they can be.)
She goes a step further and lets the letter reader know there will be headings in case one wants to skim to the parts he or she is most interested in.
We can all learn from her thoughtfulness and respect for her reader.
Yours in waste management, WMW
Friday, October 24, 2008
Who cares? What does it mean? So What?
These questions are the beginning of writing. In finding the answers to them, you've found something worth saying. Every story, e-mail, policy statement, brief, letter to a client, blog entry, memo to staff, report and note to a friend has an audience and to keep that audience, tell them something worthwhile. Don't waste their time.
Who cares? Consider whether what you're writing is going to the right person. Consider why that person should read what you have to say. Find the words to make your reader care. If you can't, maybe you don't have enough to say at this particular time to this particular reader.
What does it mean? This is a two-prong question. First, your message needs to have some substance. Secondly, it needs to be written carefully and clearly so it can be understood easily and fully.
So What? The answer, or lack of answer, to this question sets the course of when and what you write. Don't waste someone's time if what you have to say doesn't really matter.
Yours in waste management, WMW
Who cares? Consider whether what you're writing is going to the right person. Consider why that person should read what you have to say. Find the words to make your reader care. If you can't, maybe you don't have enough to say at this particular time to this particular reader.
What does it mean? This is a two-prong question. First, your message needs to have some substance. Secondly, it needs to be written carefully and clearly so it can be understood easily and fully.
So What? The answer, or lack of answer, to this question sets the course of when and what you write. Don't waste someone's time if what you have to say doesn't really matter.
Yours in waste management, WMW
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