Ann Wylie’s blog of writing tips

Tell a story in your press release lead

Anecdotes are easier to believe, understand and remember

One way to pitch a story that reporters want to catch: Start with an anecdotal lead.

Anecdotes make your PR pieces easier to believe, understand and remember.… Read the full article

Get your story across in 120 seconds or less

5 steps to telling your story fast

Journalists spend, on average, less than a minute reading news releases, according to a study by Greentarget. You can reverse-engineer that to less than 200 words.… Read the full article

How to research for writing

3 ways to get good at getting the goods

You’ve heard the phrase “hog in, sausage out.”

To get good at getting the goods, conduct three kinds of research:

1.

… Read the full article

Use the active voice in writing

Write about people doing things

Which of these headlines is most likely to spur you to sign up for a webinar?

New webinar helps managers improve productivity

Or:

Get all your work done in half the time, be the office hero and go home early

The first focuses on the webinar.… Read the full article

What’s incubation in creative process?

Take a walk, take a nap, take a break in this 3rd step

Novelist Agatha Christie believed that the best time to write was while washing the dishes.… Read the full article

Foraging comes 1st in the 5-step creative process

Gather raw material for your project

The first of the five stages of the creative process is to forage, or stuff your brain with information and inspiration.… Read the full article

Why use short sentences in writing?

Because long ones reduce comprehension

Here’s the problem with long sentences: Every time you add a word, you reduce comprehension. Add another one, reduce it even further.… Read the full article