Have you ever wondered, “Who reads this stuff?” Or how about, “Who wrote this awful copy!”

I have to admit that MOST of what I read literally bores me to death (my 1-second attention span doesn’t help!).

However, every once in a great while, I happen across something that grabs me by the eyeballs and won’t let go.

Here’s a few thoughts on why most content is rotten and the elements of engaging writing:

First let’s talk about the rubbish. Here’s what’s wrong:

• Immediate sale: Bad writing gives me no reason to stay engaged. Rather than easing into a topic, it simply assumes the reader is ‘up to speed’ on the topic at hand. “Get the Remco hair remover now by calling 800-We-Need-Your-Money.”
• Long winded: Remember those boring textbooks that had paragraphs that spanned multiple pages. The brain is wired for breaks and that’s why we have a carriage return on our keyboards. Try having a conversation with someone who can’t get to the point and you’ll understand why long paragraphs are boring!
• No logical flow: This may seem simple, but a story has a beginning, middle and an end. Too often poor writing is missing one of more of these basic elements. If you are selling video software, begin with the challenges faced by video folks, talk about how to solve the problem (the middle) and then tell reader’s where to buy the product (the end).

Here’s what is present in great writing:

• Stories: Trends, problems, history, examples and scenarios all help people understand and relate to your writing. Try and weave these throughout your work to keep people engaged.
• Lists: Especially in business writing, a list or bulleted sentences are very easy to read, create lots of white space and help organize complex thoughts.
• A tease: How about opening your work with a compelling statement or a few questions that bring the reader into your document. Works every time for me!
• Shorter paragraphs: Even a single sentence can become a paragraph. Try mixing up the length of your paragraphs, helping the reader speed through your work.
• Simplicity: Saying it with less words is always harder yet appreciated by readers. “She glared at him and said, ‘This is the last time I ask you!’ Little Johnny swallowed hard as the cold rice cereal began disappearing from his bowl.”

Let’s hear from you? What makes writing wretched? What are elements of eloquent writing?

This entry was posted on Monday, March 10th, 2008 at 9:43 pm and is filed under Writing White Papers. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.