Writing endings

Often we concentrate on openings and fizzle out at the end, forgetting that some people read beginnings and endings first, and the final note is sometimes what sticks in the mind. With reports, I don't think it matters if a section ends abruptly, but with media articles and blogs, it does.

A clever ending
An example of a clever ending is quoted in Writing for Journalists by Sally Adams and Harriet Gilbert, Routledge, 1999. This article was written for Observer years ago, but the topic still has relevance today.

'BT is tightening up its telephone security system after its confidential list of ex-directory numbers was penetrated – by a woman from Ruslip.'

[She sold this data to newspapers and was eventually caught and convicted.]

'Last night the Observer was unable to contact [X] by telephone. She is ex-directory.

Writing tips

• Echo your introduction, but don't repeat it word for word.
• Make a strong, not a timid, statement – it can be positive or negative.
• Put the powerful words at the end in the 'punch' position.
   'It was my mother, cold and dead.' Dickens.

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Online apostrophe program launch

Online Writing Training has just launched its new apostrophe program – the fifth in the series. You only have to think back to Myer’s post-Christmas sale mistake last year to realise the importance of this little punctuation mark when it comes to reputation and credibility.

Nothing says more about a brand than correct spelling, grammar and punctuation!

To celebrate the launch of this succinct and easy-to-use (and possibly long-overdue) program, we’re offering it to you at the special price of $9.95 GST incl (RRP $19.95).

Visit www.onlinewritingtraining.com.au to register (if you aren’t already registered), and use the promotional code ‘owt010dbi’ to receive your discount when buying the program. The discount will show on the PayPal payment page.

And, as always, all feedback most welcome!

The power of headings and subheadings

Good layout improves readability. A dense, difficult to read piece can be simply and easily improved by the use of white spaces. You can gain white space by using headings and subheadings, short paragraphs and bulleted lists.

Placing subheadings through your work has the added bonus of communicating your messages at a glance. This is particularly important if you're writing for people who skimread on a tablet.

Do questions work as subheadings?
Some people use questions as subheadings. This technique is powerful if your question is specific and you ask a question which readers would like an answer to.

     Do you close the bathroom door even when you're the only one home?
     Psychology Today

On the other hand, poorly worded questions which are general and vague do not inspire people to read on.

     What do you do if you have a problem?

Statements as subheadings
Brief statements that sum up what the following paragraphs are about also make effective subheadings because the reader can tell at a glance what the section is about. Ideally, subheadings should be descriptive phrases using key terms, rather than bland single word subheadings that don't mean much.

Compare:

• Curfew
• Curfew imposed after unrest

Cater for different types of readers. Some people skimread headings first and others skip them completely. So don't treat your subheadings as part of your text. It's OK to repeat the subheading's message in the following sentence.

One-or-two word headings
Short phrases with specific words are usually better than one-or-two word subheadings, but many templates have one-or-two-word headings to break documents into major sections. These headings are often mandatory (e.g. Background, Recommendations).

Read your subheadings separately
Once you have finished writing, read your subheadings separately and see if they are telling your key messages. If they are, then your subheadings are doing a good job.

 

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Writing executive summaries

An executive summary gives you the guts of a document and makes you want to read the rest of the document to find out the detail. It is not an introduction so should not include much background information. Background can be referred to, but not covered in detail.

Writing an effective executive summary is a synthesising, rather than a writing, skill. Most people write the executive summary at the end when they have finished writing their document, some writers compile it as they are writing, and a few write it at the beginning to clarify their thinking.

If you write your executive summary first, you must refine it at the end to make sure your document flows and in case your thinking has changed slightly during the writing process.

One way of writing or rewriting an executive summary is to read through the document again and underline or highlight key words and phrases. There is nothing wrong with copying and pasting words into the executive summary for a first draft, but you must then paraphrase the copy.

Once you have finished writing and before the paper goes up the management chain, you should ask a subject-matter expert and someone who knows nothing about the topic to read your summary.

Having someone who knows nothing about the topic read a document is helpful because we have the ‘curse of knowledge’ about topics we are familiar with. For instance, a board paper I read recently asked the board to support a voluntary program, but did not describe the program, making the assumption that all directors would have heard of it.

Jargon is always an interesting question. All organisational guidelines I have ever read say ‘don’t use jargon’, but I seldom read reports with no jargon. Having acknowledged that, jargon should still be kept to a minimum in an executive summary and acronyms spelt out with the abbreviation in brackets – Australian Taxation Office (ATO).

Many reports are written in the third person, which automatically makes them more formal than other types of writing. The challenge is to find the right balance. Most writers find this tone intuitively, but some make the mistake of thinking that big words and abstract terms make them sound more intelligent. The reverse is true; all readers respect concise, direct language.

Writing tips

• Write one sentence stating the main message you wish to convey.
• Read through your paper and highlight all the key words and phrases.
• Group your ideas in logical order from the readers’ point of view.
• Summarise any material you have copied and pasted.
• Write in plain English — even for technical papers.
• Delete any superfluous information.
• Put yourself in the readers' shoes to see if the executive summary anticipates and answers the readers' questions.

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