Have you suddenly found yourself having to write an article, a press release, Facebook ad or report without a clue about how to do it? You are not alone.
All of us can write – well in a fashion. But few of have been taught how to. You wouldn’t expect a pianist to be able to rattle out Beethoven sonatas without hours of lessons, or a runner to be able to perform at the Olympics without months of training. Yet some believe that writers are born not made, that they can produce the perfect sentence effortlessly.
Let me put you right. Many of the world’s finest writers – whether novelists, journalists, poets or playwrights – have spent years mastering their craft, yet still agonise over finding the exact words to convey meaning. Some admit to producing garbage in the early years of their career before they mastered their craft. A few have a natural gift for writing, but most have had a long apprenticeship. Even Shakespeare produced stuff of doubtful quality early in his career.
Writing is a craft that can be learned and there are plenty of books and articles that will help you to become a better writer. At the start of lockdown I decamped to my mother’s house taking with me a pile of books on writing that had been left gathering dust on my shelves for years with a resolve to finally read them.
These are my seven favourites. I have chosen books that focus mainly on non-fiction writing. Each one has a different approach. I haven’t included some of the classics such as The elements of style by Strunk and Wight because the basics, like sentence structure, vocabulary and punctuation are covered in most of these seven books already. What I wanted to avoid was becoming pedantic about ‘correct’ English, whether split infinitives are allowed and if you could start a sentence with ‘And’. (I believe you need to break the rules sometimes.)
Writing tools. 55 essential strategies for every writer by Roy Clark
Practical tools and strategies, from the nuts and bolts of style to habits of successful writers, by one on the world’s most experienced writing teachers.
Write to the point by Sam Leith
Good writing is all about how you get a voice down on paper. This book tells you how with an irreverent dismissal of the ‘prescriptivists’ who quibble over misplaced apostrophes.
Do I make myself clear? Why writing well matters by Sir Harold Evans
The ultimate book on clear writing and editing by the maestro of newspaper journalism.
Brilliant business writing by Neil Taylor
An insight into the art of the business copywriter with tips on how to use language to persuade and make your words leap off the page.
How to write edited by Philip Olterman
A series of edited articles covering journalism, screen writing, fiction and more, packed full of invaluable advice
Written around 80 years ago, Orwell berates the gobbledegook of bureaucrats and academics with six golden rules of clear writing that are still relevant today.
You can read my review of each of those books here in my article for the PR Insights website.
These are the seven lessons I have learned from each of them.
- Write with clarity. Avoid using florid or and academic language. Be economical with words but be precise with the ones you use. Words like “nice” and “people” are too vague. Find alternatives that convey your meaning with clarity. Use active verbs. Avoid too many adverbs and adjectives. Keep most sentences short (like this one). Don’t try to show off. Instead, write as you speak.
- Tell stories. A common fault of much academic writing and officialise is to use abstract language without examples. The result is text that is an effort to read. Use concrete examples instead of vague abstractions. Start your writing with a story or build examples in to illustrate what you want to get across.
- Think of your audience. This has to be your starting point. How on earth can you get your message across unless you understand who you are writing for and what floats their boat. You must understand what they need to know (not what you want to tell them) and what will inspire them. Write as if you are talking to just one person.
- Create a structure. Some people like to start with a structure and then write. Others work best by just getting words down paper in a jumble and then sort them into a coherent pattrern. Whatever approach suits you best learn how to juggle paragraphs and sentences so your writing flows and your text appears in a sequence.
- Break the rules. Don’t obsess over the use of a fronted adverbial or a split infinitive. Sure, you need to know the rules of grammar, but also how to and when to break them. And (there’s an example) remember that correct grammar alone will not make your writing stand out or come alive.
- Read and digest. You need to read widely and voraciously. Some things will sink in by osmosis, but you should be forensic in your analysis of news stories, features, speeches, advertising copy and much more. Ask yourself “How is this article structured? Does it start with a story or plunge straight into the who, what, why, when and where pattern? Who has been interviewed and how are the quotes used? What is the core message and how is it expressed?” Don’t just skim read. Look at text with the eyes of a detective.
- Just do it. Finally, you need to practice. Just get started. Take your pencil for a walk, or fingers for a stroll. In other words, just start writing, even if it turns out to be rubbish. Keep going. You can refine and edit later. Remember that writing is a craft that can be learned, not a gift that’s bestowed on the lucky few.
To read more visit my article on the PR Place Insights website.
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