|
|
 |
Writing Well for the Web
Here are a few pointers for achieving a comfortable, easy-to-read writing
style:
- Be Yourself. Write Conversationally. It's the most natural way to
write -- try writing the same way you speak to a friend. You'll end up being
more concise, clearer, and more engaging. Use You
instead of I or We
or They.
- Write Short, Tight Paragraphs. OK, so you wrote naturally. Great.
Now go back and edit your work so it says what you want using the fewest words
possible (i.e. without changing the original meaning). It's not as easy as it
sounds, but it's a good technique to use when publishing on the web.
- Chunk the Information Into Bite-sized Bits. This one's really
important when writing for the web. People don't read -- they skim. Nobody
likes to scroll through a long narrative looking for the "good stuff."
Take a look at what you just wrote. Draw a line between each unique "thought."
Write a headline for each thought (even if the thought
is just one paragraph).
Better yet, avoid narrative paragraphs whenever possible. Look at what you
wrote again -- are you listing or comparing information? Try using a bulleted
list or a table instead. It's a lot easier on the eye.
  
|
