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July 2010
Be appropriate: Write in the way you would like to be spoken to
Yes, “spoken to” —think of your writing as reflecting how you would like to treat your reader. Ask yourself, “Would I speak to them in-person this way?” If the target readers were sitting right there in front of you, would you talk to them the way you have written your information? Give this a whirl, try reading your writing out loud. What do you hear?
- Bossy?
- Formal?
- Legal mumbo-jumbo?
- Patronizing?
- Hostile?
- Confusing?
- Techno babble?
- Bureaucratic?
- Vague?
Now ask yourself, “Is this my intent?”
- If yes, then you are on the right track—keep writing (…although we are likely safe to assume that most would agree that there is rarely a place for any of the above list.)
- If no, circle all the areas that made you cringe when you heard it and start revising.
Re-think “distance”…
Writing in the third person, for instance, using “our customers” and &ldthe clients” and “our corporation” and “the organization” creates distance between you and your target reader. It usually creates a feeling of impersonal combined with authoritarian. It also often adds confusion because it is not clear “who” is saying what and to whom.
Try revising anything written in the third person to first or second-person. Now what do you hear? You might be pleasantly surprised at how more direct, personal, friendly—and just downright pleasant—your writing becomes.
When you “do unto readers the way you would like information to do unto you,”
you write in ways that engage, endear, and motivate your readers
rather than confuse, alienate, or frustrate.
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June 2010
Be concrete: Do the hard work so your readers don’t have to
Your readers may not be ‘getting it’ because they can’t understand it. This is often the case because your information includes too many vague concepts; or concepts that are so complex they seem abstract. To increase understanding, transform vague or overly complicated concepts into concrete, simple ones that the regular humanoid can easily grasp. Seems like mission impossible, right?
Dust off your superhero cape and give this a try...
Ask yourself, “When I say X, what do I mean? Can I see it, touch it, act on it?”
To your surprise, you may just find that you aren’t in fact quite sure what you mean—if you don’t ’get it’, neither will your readers.
Time to roll up your sleeves (maybe even take a quick diet coke run), and then get down to the hard work of transforming anything vague or overly complicated by adding descriptions. This will help your readers visualize what you are talking about.
Add the descriptions and then ask yourself again, “Can I see it, touch it, act on it?” In the reader’s mind, it is no longer vague if they can attach concrete characteristics to it and as a result, can see it, smell it, taste it, and so on. Until you think they can actually visualize what you are talking about, keep working, it will come.
Show it to them
In addition to adding descriptions, a great way to go from vague to concrete and from complex to clear is to also include an example. Presenting an example compliments your description by providing the reader with the “A-ha!” they may need to successfully connect the dots. Your example could literally be an image or diagram that visually shows what you are trying to convey, or it could be a written example.
Think back, way back (and, for some of us, way, way... way back) to your primary school textbooks. Remember those math equations? (me neither actually, that’s why I went into writing): seriously though, even if you shudder at the thought of trying to solve those math problems (even Grade 3 math), they are a good example of using examples. Typically, they include the question written out as clearly as possible, complimented by a picture or diagram, plus an additional written example to further bring the math concept to life. Follow this ‘math formula’ to see if it doesn’t also help solve some of your vagueness problems.
Even the most vague or highly complex topic can become concrete;
making them so is where sweat and tears come from.
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May 2010
"So what?"
This may be the most important question you ask yourself as you write or critique materials. Asking "So what?" helps confirm relevance—but here's the catch, the information must be relevant to your intended reader rather than just relevant to you or your organization. First put yourself in your intended reader's shoes and see the world through their eyes and then...
Do the "So what?" Test
Start channeling your intended reader; get into their headspace and then after each sentence ask yourself, " Is this information relevant to the intended reader?" It's easy to fool yourself, so ask again, " Is it really something they need or want to know?"
- If the answer is yes and it is relevant to your intended reader, as yourself, "Is it presented in a way they will understand and use/act on?" Again, just in case you are deluding yourself, put it another way, "If I were them, would I read it or would I find it boring, irritating, or worse?"
- If the answer is no and it is not relevant to your intended reader, cut it!
Honesty is the best policy here.
Ask yourself the hard questions and give yourself honest answers.
Your writing will thank you later in terms of a positive response from your intended reader.
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April 2010
The logic behind being logical
Especially where written materials are concerned, being logical literally 'makes sense'—by ensuring the information makes sense for the reader. As a result, the reader is able to quickly find and understand the information they need.
Ultimately, reading information that is written logically makes readers happy. Happy readers translate into happy customers or happy informed people who follow through on the information you provided. If we put the above logic to the test, writing logically makes everyone happy—both writer and reader.
Easier said than done...
Why not just do it? Why not just write logically? Logical writing is definitely a skill, however, just like any other skill, with some help and practice, we can all create information that flows logically—and makes everyone happy. Try these steps to tackle the 'logical flow beast':
Organize your thoughts from your target reader's perspective: determine a sequencing that best suits your target reader's needs by asking yourself: Would it most appeal to my target reader to flow from...
- most important to the reader to least important?
- easier information followed by more complex?
- things that affect many before those that affect few?
- the general to the specific?
Guide your target reader through the information: once you have determined a logical sequence, break up the information into 'manageable chunks'—so that it isn't too daunting to read and guides the reader to focus on whatever messages or conclusion you want them to receive. For example, try using:
- sub-headings
- bullets
- checklists
- charts
Check that the information is 'all inclusive': whether just a brief paragraph or a full sub-section of your information, make sure you don't leave the reader hanging. Incomplete or missing information adds confusion.
Creating a logical organization and using clear, informative headings means no
connecting the dots for the reader—it creates clarity, not confusion.
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March 2010
Don't write, draw
—your outline that is
As described in the January 2010 Tip of the Month (check the archives if you missed that one), as cliché as it may sound, your objective is your guiding star. If you follow it, your writing will take readers down a clear path. If you don't, you will lose them on what can often become a very windy road. But that's not where the story ends in terms of guiding your reader. In fact, you can think of the objective as your guiding star and the outline as your road map.
"What outline?"
A common question indeed. Similar to having no objective, it is also common not to have a real plan before you start writing. However, as also mentioned in the January 2010 Tip of the Month, if you don't know where you are headed, it's hard to get there—so after developing an objective, creating an outline is the next part of the clear language equation.
Plan before you write
Read over your objective: Does it make sense? Will it guide you? Writing is a work in progress so maybe your objective will evolve, maybe not—either way, at some point you have to commit to a single, clear objective.
Map out the topic: Ask yourself overlapping questions like:
- What should the main points of this communication be?
- What steps do they need to follow to understand this topic?
- After reading the information, what do you want them to do?
Get out the drawing board—yes, drawing board. One of the best ways to develop an outline is to sketch it. Start scribbling a free-flow of ideas—you will be amazed at how this helps bring your ideas together.
Tape your sketched outline to the edge of your computer screen: angle it so that it is in clear view. It should be right there beside your objective and your literacy profile—See the January and February 2010 tips.
Although you need an objective as your guiding star
—you are only part way there without a road map.
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February 2010
'Guesstimate' your target reader's literacy level
—they may be able to read it, but can they understand it?
Of course, Plain English writing is preferable regardless of literacy level. However, for low literacy readers, it is critical.
- If your target reader's literacy level is high, they appreciate clearly written information because it is quickly engaging and makes it easy for them to take from it what they need.
- If your target reader's literacy level is low, they need clearly written information so they are not only able to read it, but also understand it. This is why it is important when field testing to ask for the reader's interpretation of the information, not just 'regurgitation'
Often a 'guesstimate' of your target reader's literacy level is the best you can do because getting a precise determination can be time consuming and require additional budget, yet even a guesstimate goes a long way in helping you create information that your target reader can read and understand.
Ask yourself overlapping questions like:
- Is English their first language?
- What level of education do they have?
- Do they have any other issues that may influence literacy? (e.g., physical, psychological, perceptual issues, etc.)
- In general, how would you describe their reading skills? For example:
| Poor Readers |
Basic or Narrow
Readers |
Mid-level Readers |
High-level Readers |
- May possibly read simple instructions on an aspirin bottle
- Have not completed primary school
- Hard to reach with any kind of print
- Rely on others to function in society
|
- Can fill out a simple job application
- Have some secondary education
|
- Read well depending on the context (e.g., possibly can read and use an owner's manual)
- May be college graduates
- Room for improvement through skills upgrading
|
- Can process more complex materials requiring specialized knowledge
- Probably university graduates
|
Try to position your target reader on an established framework.
For instance, where do you think your reader falls within the following Canadian literacy-level chart?
| Literacy Level |
Description |
| 1 |
- Persons with very poor skills, where the individual may, for example, be unable to determine the correct amount of medicine to give a child from information printed on the package.
|
| 2 |
- People can only deal with material that is simple, clearly laid out, and in which the tasks involved are not too complex. It denotes a weak level of skill, but more hidden than Level 1. It identifies people who can read but test poorly. They may have developed coping skills to manage everyday literacy demands but their low level of proficiency makes it difficult for them to face novel demands, such as learning new job skills.
|
| 3 |
- The minimum skills level suitable for coping with the demands of everyday life and work in a complex, advanced society. It denotes roughly the skill level required for successful secondary school competition and college entry. Like higher levels, it requires the ability to integrate several sources of information and solve more complex problems.
|
| 4 & 5 |
- People demonstrate a command of higher-order information-processing skills.
|
| International Adult Literacy and Skills Survey (Statistics Canada, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, US National Centre for Education Statistics, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2005) |
Post the target reader's literacy level profile on your computer screen: write it on a post-it note and hang it in clear view. It should be right there beside your objective (see the Tip of the Month for January 2010).
Literacy level is king—if the reader can't understand it, then why bother write it?
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January 2010
Get to the point, but first make sure you have a point...
To start 2010, let's start at the beginning.
This month's tip is about developing an objective before you start writing or critiquing. It sounds so basic, yet it is often the number one issue that sends writing down either a good or bad path.
If you don't know where you are headed, it's hard to get there; the same is true of writing. For instance, next time you are reading something and you notice its messages start going in all directions, try to determine the objective. Often you will find yourself coming up with all kinds of possibilities. IF you're confused as the reader, so too was the writer.
Try these steps to develop an objective before you start writing or critiquing:
Be clear on the W5: Who, What, Where, When, Why (and How)
Taken from Journalism 101: By first getting a handle on the W5, you start collecting the type of background information you will need to nail down an effective objective. To gather information from different perspectives, ask yourself overlapping questions like:
- What specifically do you want to write about?
- Who do you want to write this communication piece for?
- Who needs to know this information? Is there more than one intended type of reader?
- What's in it for them?
- What is their demographic profile? (i.e., age, income, gender, etc.)
- What is their psychographic profile? (i.e., needs, values, wants)
- What is their current knowledge regarding the topic?
- What is their current interest level in the topic? Are they motivated?
- Where/how will they access the communication piece?
- When do they need to know it? When is your completion date?
- Why should they care? Why do they need to know it? Why will they consider it valuable?
- Why are you bothering to write this communication piece?
- How do you want them to use the information? What do you want them to do?
- How will the information meet their needs?
Determine your target reader's literacy profile:
As with (i) above, ask yourself overlapping questions like:
- Is English their first language?
- What level of education do they have?
- Do they have any other issues that may influence literacy? (e.g., physical, psychological, perceptual issues, etc.)
- In general, how would you describe their reading skills?
- Poor readers?
- Basic or narrow readers?
- Mid-level readers?
- High-level readers?
Draft your objective by trying to replace the capital letters in this statement with your specific information:
The objective of this (TYPE OF COMMUNICATION PIECE e.g., article, pamphlet, report, case study) is to (VERB: e.g., inform, explain, describe, raise awareness, etc.) to (TARGET READER: e.g., nurses, general public, financial analysts, engineers, etc.) about (TOPIC: e.g., steroids, mosquitoes, international stock exchange rates, industry standards) to motivate them to (ACTION: e.g., use these strategies to help patients stop taking steroids; use bug spray; monitor world markets; go to the website and regularly download updates of standards).
For example, The objective of the January 2010 Tip of the Month is to explain to writers and critiquers the importance of developing an objective, as well as to provide them with tips about how to develop one.
Now critique, revise, and re-write until you get it just right.
Post your objective on your computer screen:
Write your objective on a post-it note and hang it in clear view. Whenever you think you may be veering off track, take a look at it.
As cliché as it may sound, your objective is your guiding star.
If you follow it, your writing will take readers down a clear path.
If you don't, you will lose them on what can often become a very windy road.
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