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"You Can Learn How To Write"
© Bob McElwainWhile on the phone
with a fellow a while back, he mentioned he wanted to start a
business on the Web. When I asked what he planned to do, he had a
couple of good answers. But he qualified all by saying his writing
skills were not sufficient.
I hear this often. And it saddens me some way. This fellow had
demonstrated strong verbal skills. And that he is bright, with
solid values and attitudes in place. When I suggested he need only
write as he was speaking to me, I don't think he bought it.
Another fellow recently made the same claim, and felt he would
have to hire all the writing on his site. After a first glance at
his email, one might be inclined to agree.
But when I looked
closer, there were only three formatting problems. No
capitalization. No spaces between sentences. No returns at the end
of a line, so the wrap made it look awful. But upon a closer look,
the only significant problem came from the haste with which he
wrote.
The Secret To Writing On The Web
KISS! That is, keep it super simple. You are not trying to win the
Pulitzer Prize. You are simply trying to explain a point as to a
friend or customer. The only difference is you are making the
point with written, rather than spoken, words.
About Those Rules
The rules which govern proper use of English were important when
you were in school, trying to pass a course. In the world of the
Web, many do not matter much.
Sure, your site needs to be sharp. And the content must be well
written. But what does "well written" mean?
I always hesitate to say anything about how to write, for I have
forgotten most of the rules. And I frequently break those I do
remember.
Above, for example, the sentence which begins with "And I ..." is
incorrect because it begins with a conjunction. But if I leave it
out, the single sentence will be 26 words in length. Too long for
easy reading.
Besides, that's not the way I would make this point to a friend.
What I might say is something like. "I don't like to say things
about writing. There're too many rules I don't remember. And I
break a lot of 'em."
How Would You Put It?
It doesn't matter how you choose to make the point. Just write as
you would explain it to a friend or site visitor. So long as it is
acceptable English and the reader understands your point, that is
the end of it.
Hail To The Purest!
The above may bring comments. There are lots of people who expect
English to be used correctly. They object when it is not. This
point of view is valid. And the need for well written content is
overlooked or ignored on far too many websites. However, ...
Only Your Target Matters
To build a successful online business, all must be carefully
directed at your perfect customer. Every word on every page must
be directed specifically to your target.
If your target is serious students of psychology, your writing
skills must be strong. And the rules of English matter.
If your target is fly fisherman, there is a bit of a dilemma in
that they likely cover the spectrum in terms of careers, social
status, and so forth. Their definition of what writing level is
sufficient will vary enormously.
Yet when you speak to them, you will be talking about fly fishing.
Regardless of other interests, they will be interested in the
topic or they will not be on your site. They want to know which is
the best fly rod, and why. Where the fish are hiding. And more
about ways to hook one of these elusive creatures.
What matters is presenting the information your target wants in a
way in which they can easily grasp it. Against this need, the
rules of proper English matter hardly at all.
Ways To Make It Happen
A good point at which to begin the task of improving writing
skills is to study the way in which newspaper articles are
written. Give it some time, and you'll see all is written
simply. You may even discover that the reading level is about 8th
grade.
Why? Not because people are poor readers. Editors want people to
find it easy to read their content. This improves the chance that
they will. Both of these characteristics of news copy are perfect
for your website. Targeted, simple, easy to read page content
should be the goal on every site.
Search on "writing tutorials" and you'll find a bunch. And you may
find some quite helpful. But forget trying to remember all the
rules. Focus on ideas that will improve your writing. On my site,
click on Topics in the navigation bar to the left. Then on
Writing Skills. There are some good ideas and references here for
approaching this task.
How To Make It Happen
In the end, though, there is no better way to improve your writing
skills than to write. Edit, rewrite, and smooth as possible. Then
write something else. If you consistently seek to do a better job
with your next writing task, you will find improvement almost
immediately.
One good starting point is your email. Write each reply carefully.
Always reread and edit. Then seek to make your next reply
stronger. While practice will not bring perfection, it will bring
continuing improvement.
What Does "I Can't Write" Mean?
You may be fearful of putting your thoughts in front of others.
You may not want to accept the corresponding risk of criticism.
You may somehow feel you are not "good enough." That what you have
to offer is of little importance.
If you have concerns such as these, attempting to start a business
online or offline is a bad idea. They will severely limit your
success, far more than your writing skills level.
Often, however, such a statement means only that you are
uncomfortable putting your thoughts into words on paper. Not many
enjoyed their English classes in school. Or the predictable
assignment: "How I Spent My Summer Vacation. "If your resistance
to writing amounts to things of this sort, a bit of practice is
all you need. It is not a giant leap from speaking effectively to
your target to writing to them.
The two examples mentioned above of people who felt their writing
skills were not sufficient are representative of many. In very
short order, either of these two men could be writing effectively.
Not a novel, mind you. But content directed at a specific target
such as fisherman.
You can do the
same.
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