WRITE ANYTHING BETTER By Nick Warren
Inspired by: "On Writing Well" William Zinsser Brilliantly Communicate Anything to Anyone in Any Medium
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W R I T E ANYTHING B E T T E R
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BEGINNINGS
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START STRONG
Good writing hits home without first rolling its shoulders.
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AT HELLO
Start with what it's about and why it should be read.
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BE PROVOCATIVE
Make every piece of writing inspire one new thought.
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GRAB IT
Great narrative demands respect and compels focused attention.
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MIND YOUR TONE
Any tone of voice will work if it's consistent.
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WHY WE NEEDS I
Think in the first person to write for business as a human.
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GO WILD THEN GO HOME
Let ideas run random in early drafts, and reign them in later. www.creativeclarity.co.za
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STAY IN CHARGE Only controlled ideas become great writing.
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GET LOST OR FOUND
Know where you’re going and share that certainty with your reader.
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THE ORGANISING PRINCIPLE
Thematic unity is the core of great body copy.
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SCREW THE MAP
Change the plan if the writing moves in a better direction.
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50% OFF ALL WRITING NOW!
Any first draft can be slashed without losing meaning, personality or impact. www.creativeclarity.co.za
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MUDDLES
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NO CLEAR SENTENCE IS ACCIDENTAL
Good writing is simple to read, but not easy to produce.
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BETTER WRITING MAKES BETTER READERS
The more effort a writer puts in the more value a reader gets out.
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SMALL WORDS ROCK THE WORLD
They’re more dynamic than big words trying harder to say the same thing.
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KEEP OUT CLUTTER
Rewrite a sentence with fewer, smaller words to make it better.
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FIT WORDS BEAT FAT PHRASES
Due to the fact that (because) we lack the ability to (we can’t) summon up the will to (be bothered) until such time as (until) prevailing circumstances dictate the necessity to (we must).
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KILL ZOMBIES
Deadening jargon can infect a sentence and suck the life from a paragraph.
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BE GENEROUS
Share ideas, inspirations, paradoxes, surprises, provocations, humour or interesting facts.
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PRUNE FAT PHRASES Delete phrases that lack meaning or entertainment.
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MOVE IT!
Strong verbs push a sentence into action and keep it going.
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BE SUPPORTIVE
Each paragraph should hook to the next and support the one before.
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NO ADDITIVES
A powerful verb doesn’t need an adverb for back-up.
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SAY NO TO LIPSTICK
A natural sentence is alive with intelligence and personality.
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TALK ON PAPER
If you wouldn’t say it in conversation, don’t put it in writing.
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ENDS
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BE PUSHY
If the first sentence doesn’t push a reader into the second, the third is lost.
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LIKE IT OR NOT
Not all content is welcome, but good writing is always appreciated.
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MAKE THINGS BETTER
Good writing solves a problem, bad writing makes things worse.
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ADD HUMAN INTEREST
Writing that lacks a human perspective will lose a reader.
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WIN WITH WORDS
An original idea, well-articulated, can win hearts, minds and awards.
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STOP ALREADY!
A tired writer will exhaust their reader.
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IT’S OVER?
The best ending is somewhat surprising but exactly right.
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W R I T E ANYTHING B E T T E R
P.S.
CONTENT IS KING, FORMAT IS QUEEN United they turn a demanding audience into a dedicated advocate.
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P.P.S.
GET REAL
To look at some practical examples from your world contact nick@creativeclarity.co.za.
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