Writing Effectively

When communicating through the written word, it is important to remember to keep the message you want to convey simple. But while the message must be clear, concise, simple, be sure to include the complete information needed by the audience. An easy way to double-check material, such as press releases, for sufficient information is to make certain to answer – who, what, where, why, when, and how? Not all answers to these questions necessarily have to be in a lead sentence, but somewhere in the message each of the above interrogatives should be answered if appropriate. Writing for readership in the print media means making the reader want to continue reading. Pull the reader along by making the writing come alive by highlighting the main points, crafting good lead sentences, using interesting illustrations, writing with action words, and including fascinating facts. A mistake-plagued work that is poorly written, that is too long with missing information, and that has undated material will soon end up in the recycling bin. Make readers glad they picked up the message.

It is helpful to start by outlining what you want to convey. Start by stating your theme in one sentence and then form an outline to organize your more specific points. If it helps, you can think about designing your outline in way that represents a spool of thread:

  1. Hook: Grab the Reader
  2. Introduction: List Topics
  3. Transition: Flow into Body
    • Point One
    • Point Two
    • Point Three
    • Point Four
  1. Summary: General Statement
  2. Theme Sentence: Restatement
  3. Ending: Make it Strong

In this format the beginning and end sections hold the article together and give it structure, while the bullet points constitute the main content, or thread, of the piece.  After you have your outline, you can start to write your article. Turn off the critical side of your brain and turn on the creative side. Let the words flow onto the paper. Don’t get hung up on spelling, punctuation, or phraseology; just write whatever comes into your mind. Of course you will want to edit your work before distributing it to correct any mistakes and ensure that your message is clear and concise.