Make Your Copy More Creative

Getting (and using) stellar quotations

by Ann Wylie, president, Wylie Communications Inc.

"A good quote is when someone says something fascinating. Unfortunately, far too often, quotes are the most boring — not the most interesting — parts of the story."

— Ann Wylie, president, Wylie Communications Inc.

In "The Art of Quoting: There's a Ring to It" (Folio:, April 2001), editor Bob Mosely covers Ann Wylie's system for generating fascinating quotes. Among the points:

"Work hard enough in the interview to bring back stellar quotes. Writers who defend bad quotes by saying the source was boring need a refresher course on interviewing."

"Don't use overly long quotes. Usually, one sentence is enough, two are OK and three are too many."

"Don't use too many quotes. It's hard to maintain a narrative flow if you're constantly trying to squeeze in one more good quote."

Need more techniques for creating a structure that makes your copy easier to read and write? Check out Ann's workshops and learning tools.

About the author

Ann Wylie runs a company called Wylie Communications Inc. Ann works with communicators who want to reach more readers and with organizations that want to get the word out. To learn more about her training, consulting or writing and editing services, call Ann at 816/997-8753 or e-mail her at ann@wyliecomm.com. Get a FREE subscription to Ann's e-mail newsletter at http://www.wyliecomm.com/newsletter_signup.shtml.

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