12 Tips for Compelling Writing   (Back to Table of Contents)

1. Be brief. Keep content—and titles—as short as possible to catch and hold readers’ attention. Use bulleted lists instead of paragraphs where possible.
   
   
2. Be specific. For powerful, precise communication, get right to the point and say just what you mean. Instead of Next we’ll discuss sales. An improvement in sales was recently seen, write We sold 12 percent more software last quarter.
   
   
3. Limit pronouns as sentence subjects. Where possible, use nouns instead as the subjects of sentences. It and they can be ambiguous. The dog chased the cat. It ran very fast. Which is the speedy one?
   
   
4. Use simple sentences. Readers get lost in long sentences. To keep your message strong, try to limit each sentence to a single concept. Instead of connecting new thoughts with words like however and whereas, use a period and start a new sentence.
   
   
5. Put important content first. To catch your readers’ attention, lead with your core conclusions; then show how you reached them.
   
   
6. Stick to a single topic. Try to discuss just one thing per article, memo, letter, or e-mail. Your point stands out when it stands alone.
   
   
7. Know and target your audience. Tailor your message to the knowledge and needs of your readers. Remember to define terms for those not familiar with them.
   
   
8. Include a “call to action.” If you seek a specific result, spell it out. The next time your phone rings, start keeping a phone log.
   
   
9. Address the reader with you. Involve your readers by speaking to them directly. When you plant a tree, you must water it.
   
   
10. Make it active, not passive. Focus on who’s doing it, not on what’s done. Write He called her, not She was called by him. Unless the “doer” really doesn’t matter, you’ll save words and keep your readers awake.
    
    
11. Be respectful. Take care to avoid unintended insults and slights. Be alert to racial, ethnic, or gender bias in your words. He or she and him or her are here to stay. They and their (with a singular antecedent) are taking up residence, too.
    
    
12. Use positives, not negatives. Tell readers what they should do, not what they shouldn’t do. Write Please be prompt instead of Don’t be late. It’s powerful psychology—one stresses the desired outcome, the other its opposite.