Writing Tips

Article research involves a few components.  Along with researching the actual topic, sources must be managed effectively.  I was reminded of this recently in working on an article for Aviation Security International magazine for which I have made nearly 30 contacts with sources.  Not all of them will be in my article.  In fact, several of them referred me to other sources and others have not returned my messages.  However, I have to keep them organized.

While I have used spreadsheets to keep track of sources in the past, many times I end up going old school with a pencil and piece of paper to start with.  No matter what I use, I track the same information.

First I put the name of the source.  Usually this is the organization I am contacting.  For example, one contact made for the aforementioned article was the East West Institute.  So, I write East West Institute.  Beside that goes the URL for the group.

Below that I write the contact information that I found on their website.  Finding such contact information could be an entire other blog post!  When possible (and oftentimes it is possible), I look for a press room area on websites.  Then I keep track of e-mail addresses and phone numbers for media contacts.  Sometimes I find a specific contact, like in this example, and other times it is a general media inquiry e-mail address.

Finally, beneath that is where I start tracking when I’ve contacted the source and what happened.  For example, the first entry for my example of the East West Institute look like this:

• 6/14: E-mailed him at 3:05 p.m.

Simple enough, but then if I need to follow up, I can make sure to let enough time pass (they need time to respond) and I can also reference the date of my first message.  In certain situations, I’ll even go into my “Sent Items” folder and pull up the original message and forward it to the same person as a reference.

Finally, I also track what deadline I’ve given them to have the information completed by.  Usually this is the same for all sources I’m talking to.  Sometimes it can vary, though, if I am making a contact later in the writing process and need to offer the source more time to respond.

Tracking sources can get tedious, but not tracking sources just spells trouble.  For large articles, especially, knowing who you’ve contacted and when is the only way to stay organized.

Showing a point rather than just telling it is one of the characteristics of good writing — whether it be fiction or nonfiction.  This has come up recently with a client.  It has definitely come up in the past with students.

In journalism having facts to back up statements is what is important.  Those background facts are often what will show a point rather than just telling the writer that something is so.  Here’s an example:

Telling: More women have been diagnosed with interstitial cystitis than men.
Showing: Of the approximately 1 million Americans who have interstitial cystitis, 90 percent of them are female.

While both statements convey the same point, the second one is more effective.  It shows why the point is so.  It’s more specific.  It gives the reader more information.  It’s just better writing.

The same is true in fiction writing as well.  The best books I’ve read are by authors who are good at showing versus telling.  Off the top of my head, the best authors I think of who do this are R.A. Salvatore, J.K. Rowling, Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins.  They give us characters and story lines that we are drawn into because they show us what is happening.   Here’s an example:

Telling: Alana was nervous as she waited for her interview.
Showing: Alana had bitten her fingernails nearly to the nub as she sat, tapping her foot, waiting for her interview to begin.

Again, the same point is conveyed by the “showing” sentence paints a clearer picture for the reader.  We not only pick up on the fact that Alana is nervous, but we can better see her being nervous.

Think about the difference between showing and telling next time you pick up a book.  If you become enthralled with it and transported into that fictional world, I can almost guarantee you are reading an author who shows more than he or she tells.

I would daresay that nothing is more important to a sentence than its verb.  Verbs are what give a sentence action and propel a story forward.  The right verbs are what make good writing even better.  However, sometimes instead of using strong verbs, we use adverbs to make weaker verbs stronger.  Is that OK?  I would say sometimes, yes, but most of the time, look for adverbs and see if you can find a stronger verb to use instead.

Take a look at these two sentences and see what is stronger:

• The girl aimlessly walked down the hall.
• The girl wandered down the hall.

The first sentence uses an adverb.  While this sentence is not grammatically incorrect, the adverb/verb combination makes it weaker than the second sentence which uses a stronger, more descriptive verb.

Another bonus to replacing adverb/verb combinations with a stronger verb is the writing becomes more concise.  Word count is reduced.  Skilled writers can say more with less.  Minimizing adverb use is one way to do that.

More examples for you showing word count:

• John sipped his water.  (4)
• John slowly drank his water. (5)

• John purposefully walked into the room.  (6)
• John strode into the room. (5)

• She spoke quietly.  (3)
• She whispered.  (2)

Sure, this one has a punny title, but I couldn’t resist.  While the title may be punny (I won’t go as far as to say funny!), the topic is quite serious.  Changes in viewpoint are a pet peeve of mine and a mistake that many beginning writers can easily make without realizing it.

Before we can talk about changing viewpoint, we must first talk about the types of viewpoint out there.

• First person: This is an article or story written from one person’s point of view.  This blog is written in first person.  First person uses pronouns like “I,” “me,” “mine,” etc.  While first person is frequently used in casual writing, it is almost never used in news reporting.  In my years of writing professionally, I have only written from first person fewer than 10 times.  For articles, first person should generally only be used if the writer is an authority on the topic or if the writer is describing a situation or event the way he experienced it.
• Second person: This viewpoint is often overlooked.  Second person viewpoint addresses the reader directly.  Second person uses pronouns like “you” and “your.”  Of all the viewpoints, it can be most lenient and sometimes used in conjunction with first or third person, but that should be done sparingly.  Second person is most often found in how-to articles.  The trick with it is to avoid becoming preachy or condescending to the reader.
• Third person: This viewpoint does not involve the writer or the reader at all.  Third person pronouns include “he,” “she,” “they,” etc.  This is the most common viewpoint for news articles and is the viewpoint I use most of the time in my work for magazines, newspapers and even businesses.

Understanding the different viewpoints is crucial to use them correctly.  Most important is to NOT combine more than one viewpoint in the same article.  I don’t think I can preach consistency in writing enough.  In teaching, I tell my students that I’d rather them be consistently wrong in their article than to alternate back and forth.

Changes in viewpoint can sometimes slip into writing.  Most of the time with articles, readers really don’t care about the writer’s perspective.  First person is seldom used for that very reason.  If first person is used, then it should be used consistently, not just in a lead and forgotten about.  A writer should never interject himself in the article without a compelling reason to do so.

Second person can sometimes be used in a lead to draw a reader in and then switch to third person for the rest of the article, but this should be done sparingly and only when absolutely necessary.  One common lead is reader commonality, which starts with something like: “Don’t you just hate when X happens?”  This can work, but it isn’t the strongest type of lead and certainly shouldn’t be overdone.  Be aware that indirect commands count as second person as well (this sentence is an example).  These are sentences that address the reader directly and give a command without using the pronoun “you.”

Third person is the best viewpoint for new writers.  And it’s the most common for news articles in general.

Since changes in viewpoint can slip into articles, editing for viewpoint is important.  When I edit my work, I look at everything: grammar, punctuation, style, viewpoint, flow, etc.  Look for direct commands that slip into second person.  Look for spots where the writer has been drawn in to the story directly.  Ask other people to read the artilce and give their feedback on viewpoint — whatever it takes.   Don’t be a viewpoint switcher!

Perhaps no punctuation is misused more in writing than commas.  Semi-colons run a close second.  In the writing classes I’ve taught, many students struggle with when to use commas and semi-colons.  Some use commas way too often while others seldom use them.  Everyone can use a refresher on commas and semi-colons from time to time.  I know I do.

Let’s take a look at an example sentence punctuated three different ways.  Two of the three are correct.  Which ones?

• The man walked briskly down the sidewalk, he was running late for work.
• The man walked briskly down the sidewalk; he was running late for work.
• The man walked briskly down the sidewalk, because he was running late for work.

The last two are correct.  The first one is incorrect because it’s a run-on sentence.  You cannot separate two sentences with only a comma.  The second one is correct because a semi-colon serves to separate two sentences (or independent clauses), yet still ties similar ideas together.  The third one is also correct.  When you use a conjunction (because, and, or, etc.) to separate two complete sentences, then you must use a comma before the conjunction.

Remember that commas are used to separate two sentences tied together with a conjunction that can stand alone.  They are NOT used to separate a dependent and independent clause.  Which of the following is correct?

• The dog barked loudly, and wagged his tail.
• The dog barked loudly and wagged his tail.

The second one is correct.  “Wagged his tail” is a dependent clause (it doesn’t have a subject and verb and cannot stand on its own), so a comma would not be used.  If we changed the sentence to read: “The dog barked loudly, and he wagged his tail,” then we would use a comma.  The second half of the sentence is now independent because it has a subject.

I know grammar and punctuation aren’t the funniest of topics, but they really do help improve writing and communication.  Whether you’re a writer by trade or not having good written communication is important.

What punctuation problems do you encounter most?

If you do any sort of writing with any sort of regularity, at some point you are going to have to deal with gender.  I’m referring to unknown gender.  Of course when I’m writing about specific people, then I know their gender. However, I’m talking about generalizations — like in the previous sentence.

Gender is something to be dealt with and seriously considered.  Unfortunately it is also often misused.  I offer my tips for writing easily with gender. These are tips that I use myself and have taught a few classrooms of writing students.

Decide where  you stand on the he/she debate. For years the rule was that if you don’t know the gender, then use masculine pronouns.  Like: “Everyone should read his book.”  Then we came across using both.  Like: “Everyone should read his or her book.”  These days I read quite a few articles that pick one and stick with it or alternate between the masculine and feminine pronouns.  I have one e-newsletter I receive that refers to gender one week as male and one week as female.  No matter what you decide, be consistent.  Admittedly, I’m still a bit old school and tend to use “he” when in doubt.

Go plural and avoid gender all together. Even once you know where you stand on the gender debate, your best bet is to go plural as often as possible and not have to deal with it at all.  Sometimes plural doesn’t make sense, but often it does.  Take the example in the previous point.  Change it to: “People should read their books.”  Now that it’s plural, gender isn’t an issue.    One major caveat here is make sure your pronouns match.  Had I said, “Everyone should read their book,” I would have been grammatically incorrect.  “Everyone” is singular and deserves a matching singular pronoun.  “Each” is another singular example that often gets “their” incorrectly used with it.

Direct quotes can make a mediocre article even snazzier.  They can also spice up press releases and other marketing material.  But, they have to be used properly.  And you have to pick the best quotes.

I think most writers struggle with direct quotes early on in their careers.  I did.  I know that most of my students have.  While no hard and fast rules exist concerning using direct quotes, a few guidelines can make knowing when to use them a bit easier.

First, direct quotes are great when someone says something unique.  For example, I recently wrote an article for aviation security professionals about behavioral analysis.  Former FBI profile, Gene Rugala, said this to me during the interview: “We have to be right every time.  The terrorists only have to be right once.”  That’s unique.  It’s a strong statement that stands out and makes a good point.

Second, direct quotes should be used when someone says something uniquely.    In general, you should not use direct quotes when you can say what the person said better — meaning more concise and clear.  However, sometimes sources present information in a unique manner.  Including such quotations makes for a stronger article.  Including quotations that show a person’s character or are different than would be expected for the person also fall into this category.

Third, use direct quotes when someone important says something important.  Someone important means whoever is important to the subject at hand and to the audience the piece is intended for.  In that same article on behavior analysis that I wrote for aviation security professionals, I utilized a variety of important sources.  Beacuse it was for an international magazine, the sources came from all over the world.  One source was Dr. Paul Ekman who has been researching micro-expressions for years and been highly involved with training aviation security professionals in the United States.  During the interview, he said this to me: “The most accurate tool we have is the well-trained observer.  The Israelis give us the data because, in terms of airport security, they haven’t had a problem in a long time.  We know how to train people now, and that’s what we need to do.”  I could have worked that information in as a paraphrase, but he is well-known and important in the aviation security community, so it worked better to come directly from him.

With all that said, another tip that I must include is to never use direct quotes that don’t stand out or give basic information.  Irecently wrote a series of 15 profile articles for The (Muncie) Star Press about people nominated for healthcare awards.  While each article included background information on the person, such as education, that information was always paraphrased.  Wasting word count and space on putting it into a direct quote would not be effective.  The same is true for general statements, such as “I was scared.”  If it’s not a quote that stands out to you and gets your attention, then paraphrase.  Never use direct quotes just for the sake of using them.

While some companies have clearly identified target audiences or target markets, others struggle.  For some companies identifying a target audience can be tricky for marketing material simply because the company appeals to such a wide variety of customers.

But, in order for marketing material and other communications to be effective, knowing the target audience is vital.  Often that target audience overlaps with the target market, but not necessarily.  A target audience is who the marketing material is geared toward.  The target market is who the product or service is geared toward.  A nursing home, for example, may serve an older adult population.  But, it may gear its marketing material to the younger generation making the decision of where to place a beloved parent.  Figuring out a company’s target audience may take some work.

Start by asking. If you are already working with the company, then ask them who the target audience for the project is.  You can outright ask about the target audience or you can get there in a more general way by starting with questions such as “What do you want the focus for this piece to be?”

Help them determine the target audience if they don’t know. Perhaps your contact can’t easily define his or her target audience.  Or perhaps you get general answers.  You then are tasked with the job of helping them determine the target audience.  And while you may argue that this isn’t your job, it is indeed.  Part of being a writer is understanding your audience and writing for them.  It may take some time, but in the end, your client will be happier and his or her message will be more effective.   Here are some tips for determining target audience:

• Look at their former marketing pieces.  Who would these appeal to?
• If they don’t have any previous marketing pieces, then get to know their business service and/or product.  Who do you think would need this service?  Ask if they agree with you.
• Look at the marketing pieces of their direct competitors.  Who would these appeal to?  You certainly don’t want to copy information, but another part of effective marketing is knowing what is out there so you can stand apart.
• Ask about their regular customers.  What is the age range?  Gender?  What do the customers say drew them in and keeps them coming back?

Run it by them one more time. It may sound like I’m harping here, and I may be just a bit, but once you determine the target audience, run it by the client once again.  Throughout the entire process of working together, you want to make sure you’re on the same page.  Ocassionally going back over this with a client will spark new thoughts or ideas that they’d really like to incorporate.  No matter what, you’ll know whether you’re on the right track to making your client happy.

As I discussed on Tuesday, my best tip for effective writing is knowing your target audience.  While this may be relatively easy to identify in some well-established publications, it can be difficult in newer publications.

One of the best ways to figure out a target audience of a publication is to check out the publication’s writer’s guidelines.  Many publications post these on their Web sites these days.  You can also find abbreviated versions of them in “Writer’s Market.”  Looking at a publication’s press or media kit (also usually available online) can help determine target audience as well.  Many times the writer’s guidelines, “Writer’s Market” blurb and press kit will say specifically who the publication is targeting.  Some publications are very specific giving an age range, gender, typical life experiences, etc.  Others are a little more vague, but still give you an idea of target audience.

And, sometimes, writer’s guidelines are vague and press kits are nowhere to be found.  In this instance, read through the writer’s guidelines to deduce who would read what the publication is looking for.  For example, if they are looking for time-saving articles for families, you might deduce that the target audience is maybe 20 to 45 and perhaps primarily women.

No matter what you find — specific or vague writer’s guidelines — the best way to really understand what a publication wants for its target readers is by looking over the publication.

• Read the articles.  Who would be interested in them?  What sort of tone is used?  What sort of information is presented?
• Pay attention to the layout.  What sort of demographic would most like this type of layout?  Who would like the photos that have been used?
• Especially pay attention to the ads.  Who buys the products advertised?  How are the ads designed to appeal to a specific demographic?  For example, a women’s magazine might advertise a car showing a mom with her kids happily driving along.  A men’s magazine might advertise the same car going fast with perhaps a beautiful woman somewhere in the photo.  Ads are great at giving indications for target audience.
• Read any writer biographies.  Who is writing for the publication?  Knowing which “experts” readers relate to most will help you identify them.  For example, a Christian publication might refer to Dave Ramsey’s “Financial Peace University” program in discussing finances.  A general interest, secular publication might appeal to readers with another expert like Suze Orman.
• Read the letter from the editor or publisher.  What is he or she focusing on?  Who is he or she addressing?  Take note of what the letter highlights to find out what is important to the publication’s readers and then think about who those subjects would be important to.

Following these tips can lead to more effective writing for publications — meaning writing that will be published, read and enjoyed.  Knowing your target audience is important.  Check back next Tuesday for tips on how to identify a target market for a company.

My number one writing tip is “know your audience.”  In fact, this is so often my sermon that I can’t believe I haven’t written about it sooner!  I preach it from the beginning of any class I teach.  I go over it with clients.  It is the key to successful writing.  Here’s why.

Before putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard as is most likely these days), before beginning to research, before even developing a solid focus for a piece, you must know who will be reading it.  For example, I may have a general topic idea I find interesting.  Let’s use dog training for this scenario.  Before I get too far and figure out how I want to cover dog training, I must determine who will be reading it.  I pull out the old Writer’s Market (a listing of nearly every magazine in print) and come up with a target magazine.  For this, I’ll pick a women’s magazine geared to working mothers ages 25 to 45.   With that in mind, I can now pick a focus for the article.  This audience wouldn’t be as interested in the history of dog training.  They don’t have time for that.  They want helpful tips for how to manage their dogs behavior alongside their children.  They need quick tips that can be done over the course of a couple of nights a week for a month rather than more involved tips that take hours a day to perfect.

It’s all about knowing the audience.  If I take that same dog training idea and apply it to a magazine geared to people raising service animals, I’ll use totally different tips, different sources and a different angle completely.  It’s all about who is reading the article.

The same is true for any other written word.  If I’m putting together a press release for a client, I need to know what sort of publications the client wants to reach.  If the client is looking at traditional, daily newspapers, I will write the release in a traditional journalism style in strict Associated Press style.  If the client wants to target alternative weekly magazines, I’ll change the tone to be a bit more laidback.  You’ve got to give the people what they want.

And, because I could really go on about this for days, let me summarize a few key reasons why knowing your audience is so important:

• Today’s readers are busier than ever.  They don’t waste time reading something that doesn’t pertain to or interest them.
• Editors will only publish material that relates to their readers.  A men’s magazine doesn’t run general press releases about a new lipstick color being released.
• Advertising material or business letters are only effective if they are read.  They are only read if they are appealing and of interest to the target audience.  Otherwise, you’ve wasted time and money.
• Today’s readers are bombarded with things vying for their attention.  Knowing what they’re looking for gives your message a better chance of getting through the clutter.