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Battling Internet ADHD: Ten Tips for WritersWrite for a reasonGet to the point. One of the basic references for Web design is Steve Krug's, Don't Make Me Think. My book for Web writers (not yet available in stores) will be called, Don't Make Me Yawn. The Great Democracy that is the Web has spawned far more spam and yammer than thoughtful prose. Don't fall in love with your own voice. Make sure every word supports the message. Write for “scanners” The five-second rule applies, only make it shorter. Visitors look at a Web page, then they read it. Think of your page as the cover of a magazine. A visitor will first absorb the total picture, then kick into reading mode and skip tra-la from headline to headline until they find, a) what they're looking for, or, b) something better. Don't lose the scanners with deathless prose. Get engaged Lively writing will draw visitors to your message. I know you're trying to be precise. I know you're trying to be complete. I know you need to get the whole message across. I know. Believe me. I'm reading it and trying to...zzzz. Compartmentalize Give long content a good home. Okay, sometimes content gets long. Sometimes it is supposed to be long. Sometimes it even has to be long. Understood. When that is the case, tease it up front, and put the long content where the long content goes. People who want to read it will follow the trail, and the rest of us will be spared. Above the fold Sorry, guys, page length matters. Newspaper page, Web site, or on the street, real estate is real estate. And in real estate, location rules. If I have to scroll down the page to find your content, I know it's not the good stuff, because you told me so. Most of the time, I won't even bother. So keep your key messages Top, Center. Grammar kind of counts Complete thoughts...less important...key words...phrases. Just kidding, ha ha. The point is, this may not be advertising writing, it may not be headline writing, and it had better not be bad writing. But in most cases it also is not pure narrative. Sentences, loaded with subordinate clauses, clogged with interesting but unnecessary detail, need not begin slowly, gain traction, and rise to a crescendo before a graceful, gradual, inevitable descent to a complete, satisfying end. Just say it, and get out. Hyper about links Use them as aids to navigation, but do not overuse. Hyperlinks are the fundaments of the Web, after all. They are the codex, why it's a web, so that you can follow links from place to place to place to place, all interwoven. Okay. Just don't overdo it. Too many links are like too much caffeine. You get the jitters, it's hard to keep your mind on point, and all that bouncing makes your stomach a little woozy. Use links to enhance, not scatter, the experience. Smooth or Extra Chunky Just enough information makes visitors feel refreshed! Chunk your content into easily digestible portions. My brother-in-law-the-restaurateur talks about "plate coverage," making sure the beans and the catfish and the French fries coexist in harmony and balance. Portion control for your visitors comes from teasers and intro paragraphs and "Learn more…" and "Read article…". Chunking your content gives visitors a taste, rather than a force-feeding. Think with your eyes Use visual cues and graphical elements to strengthen content. Graphics happen. White space happens. It's okay. Work with your designers to bring (even more) life to your words. And as important, make sure that your words fit with the other elements of the page. You're not writing your novel here. A Web page is a collaborative effort. Tighten it up When I was in grade school, my newspaper editor father reviewed my papers for me. He never understood why I cried when my three-page report on Chile became a two-paragraph brief under the machete slash of his red pencil. But he was right. I didn't need that word. I didn't need that paragraph. I had said the same thing on the previous page. I did need to revise and rewrite and cut and cut some more. I did, and I still do, and so do you. Writer, edit thyself. About the author: David Beveridge is a Project Manager at Brook Group, a Web site design firm near Washington, DC. For more articles by this author, visit http://www.brookgroup.comor http://www.usabilityandbranding.com. Circulated by Article Emporium 35 Quick Tips for Writing A Press Release Quick Tips for Writing A Press Release... Layout 1. 1-2 pages in length. 2. Double-space. 3. 1.5 to 2 inch margins. 4. Use company stationary with logo and slogan. 5. Avoid bright or dark-colored paper. 6. Center "News Release" at top. <... Battling Internet ADHD: Ten Tips for Writers Write for a reason Get to the point. One of the basic references for Web design is Steve Krug's, Don't Make Me Think. My book for Web writers (not yet available in stores) will be called, Don't Make Me Yawn. The Great Democracy that is the Web has spawned far more spam and... Where Can I Publish My Book? "If you write without getting published, then there is no use in writing at all.” Those are words of wisdom from someone who wants you to seriously consider publishing your book. But before you really do so, you will do well to consider these questions: ... Writing Good Screenplays (Part Two) Last week we reviewed the three basic elements to apply in order to become a successful screenwriter. The first was discipline which revolved mainly around sitting down everyday for an hour or less and write anything. Research has shown that a habit is picked up or broken after 21 ... Searching for the best sourced assistance with reference to sportswear. When you are looking for high-class information about sportswear, it'll be complex unscrambling quality advice from reckless sportswear suggestions and advice so it's astute to know ways of moderating the information offered to you. Branders.com: Promotional Apparel... Online Poetry Community Begins Topic Slam Competitions www.urbanlivez.com, underground hip hop poetry forum is looking for poets, rappers and lyricists. Atlanta, GA, July 20, 2004 — The Urbanlivez.com online urban poetry community has jumped on to the band wagon of the popular hip-hop, rap battle forum trend. But with a twist... Writing Tip - Have You Established The Conflict In Your Story Immediately? In essence, your story will be about the conflict¡¦s history. Where it began, how it began, how it will unravel, how it will end. And because the conflict is our story, it will need to be established pretty much in the beginning. You probably would¡¦ve gathered by now tha... Ad Copy Tips What percentage of prospects come your way as a result of your ad copy? What percentage of sales do you close because of your ads? Well, increase both percentages with some of our tips, tailored to your own ad campaigns. 1. ERRORS – It's tough to have 100 percent perfect ... Your Book and a Great Website Build a great Website. I can't state this often enough or strongly enough: you must have an attractive, easy to use Website that lets your visitors do four things: a. Buy your book. b. Register and download sample chapters or get your e-newsletter. c. E-mail friend... Seven Secrets of Writing a Book that Sells It's one thing to write a book, it's an entirely different thing to write one that's a saleable, viable, marketable product. Ensuring the success of a book is something even the biggest publishers have never been able to guarantee. Mitigating circumstances, flash trends, and world ... Finish Your Book Already! I owe the completion and success of my book to a big cardboard box that saw me through the entire process. I found this box and filled it with any and all information I could find on my topic ‘advanced presentation skills for speakers and business presenters.' I printed out article... If you are chasing the most up-to-date opinion pertaining to love poetry. If you are chasing the most up-to-date opinion pertaining to love poetry. When you're seeking the best information about love poetry, you'll find it hard unscrambling quality advice from inexpert love poetry proposals and directions so it is wise to know how to moderate the in... How to Create a Media Frenzy for Your Book Prepare talking points before making media appearances. Many new authors spend so much time and energy trying to get in the newspaper or on radio that when they get there, they don't know what to say. But if you take an hour to prepare concise, compelling comments about yo... Writing For The Web: Where To Get Article Ideas A friend and I were talking the other day about writing. He liked to write, but even so his biggest problem was finding things to write about. My friend was astounded at the volume of writing that I do - at least one article and something as many as six, per day... The 10 Laws for Writing Letters that Get Results The following is a letter in response to a question about how to write sales letters. This is something you could model in layout, tone, and ideas, to write your own letters. By the way, this is where your letterhead should go. Dear Fellow Chicago Seminar Attendees, <...
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