It's tempting to write what you need to say. That's good, if you're writing a book or a poem. That's bad, if you're writing a web page or any document that is supposed to be helpful or even useful to...
Blog: Content writing and content strategy insights
Posts tagged "Tips"
George Orwell father of plain language
Plain, yes. Boring, no. Barbarous, never. 2010 is a big George Orwell year: the 60th anniversary of his death occurred in January. John Rossi summarises Orwell's life work in the Philadelphia Inquirer. George Orwell's advice on writing style is recycled...
Tip: Use common words whenever possible
Whenever possible, use common words. Words that nearly every adult is likely to understand. Words that don't require a trip to the dictionary. Your aim in all business and professional writing is to get your message across quickly and clearly....
Tip: Check optional spellings in your style guide
Many words have optional spellings: several versions are correct. Which one will you use? Online or on-line? web or Web? realise or realize? In such cases, consistency rules. Your personal preference is irrelevant. Somewhere in your (client's) organisation is an...
Tip: Just say what you mean
This plain language writing tip needs no explanation: the meaning is obvious. The reason is pretty obvious too. And yet it bears constant repetition, because people forget. In a business or government office, meaningless jargon may become so common that...