Ann Wylie’s blog of writing tips

67% skim vs. reading word-by-word

How do people read news online?

They don’t, according to the latest Harris Interactive poll.

Instead, they skim.

So stop writing solely for readers — a mere 19% if your audience, according to the Harris study.… Read the full article

Take a break and incubate

Novelist Agatha Christie thought the best time to write was while washing the dishes.

Harper Lee, author of To Kill a Mockingbird, did much of her creative thinking while golfing.… Read the full article

Stop doing everything everywhere all at once

Writing is hard because we weren’t taught how to write. Instead, we were taught how to edit: how to spell, punctuate and use the right grammar.… Read the full article

Don’t let your head get cut off

One quick way to write better headlines: Benchmark your headline length against your favorite media channels.

The New York Times headlines, for instance, average 8.6 words.… Read the full article

Not about the event

Friends!

I once helped an employee communicator edit an intranet article that started like this:

Put the audience first and more

Friends!

Want to reach reporters and other readers?

Here are three ways to write audience-focused messages — whether for media relations, marketing materials, internal comms, or other audiences or channels:

1.

Build a bridge, not a wall — and more

Friends!

Thanks for the great feedback on last week’s writing resolutions decisions. Here, thanks to popular demand, are three more:

1.

Make these your New Year’s writing resolutions decisions

Friends!

I started the New Year with a vision board workshop. (There’s something so soothing about cutting and pasting IRL.)… Read the full article