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Make the active voice your first choice
The active voice is usually better than the passive voice because it is direct. This makes it easier to understand and unambiguous. With the active voice a subject does something to an object: Andy kicked the ball. In the passive voice the object is acted on by the subject: The ball was kicked by Andy. An active voice makes for tighter writing and easier reading. It is more personal and less formal. Continue reading →
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Why short words are the best words
Winston Churchill said: “Broadly speaking, the short words are the best, and the old words best of all.” He was right. Short words are best because they don’t get in the reader’s way. They are familiar. This makes them easy to understand and easy to spell. They are also easier to pronounce. Most short words in modern English come from Anglo-Saxon, not Latin, roots. They mainly describe real world objects and actions, not abstract concepts. Continue reading →
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Let concrete nouns pin down your writing
Good writing is direct, clear and precise. It gives readers direct insight into your thoughts and ideas. Concrete nouns keep your writing on track. They are unambiguous and specific. Use concrete nouns when you need to pin down facts and inform readers. We describe nouns as concrete when they refer to something you can touch, smell, see, taste or hear. They are all things you sense directly. Banana, chair, piston engine, trumpet, pterodactyl are all concrete nouns. Continue reading →
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Can you start sentence with “And”?
At school we were taught never to start sentences with “And”. And yet newspaper journalists do it all the time. Not starting a sentence with “and” is one of the first so-called rules professional writers learn to break. There’s nothing wrong with using “and” to begin a sentence or a paragraph. It is a great way to smooth the flow when you have a series of short sentences that would otherwise be too staccato for comfortable reading. Continue reading →
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The term “content” is a barbarism that bit by bit devalues what journalists do.
- Jay Rosen, Chair of Journalism at New York University
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Short, snappy writing works best online.
Snappy writing works best online First, people are less ready to read long pieces online than short articles. Second, people read online material about 25 per cent slower than print. Jakob Nielsen explains why in In defence of print. Nielsen wrote his article in 1996, but things haven’t changed. Countering distraction Third, people get distracted easily online. There are advertisements and links to other websites as well as bleeping notification of incoming emails, tweets and instant messages. Continue reading →
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A Mac user's guide to word processors and other writing apps
Mac owners have a wide range of great writing apps to choose from. Here’s how to find the one that best suits your needs. billbennett.co.nz/macos-gui… Continue reading →
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Guidelines for writing better headlines
Short – cram the maximum amount of meaning into the minimum number of words. There’s no strict guide to ideal word length, but search engines only care about the first 64 characters. Make every word count. Clear – good headline are unambiguous. They must be immediately understandable in any context. Not everyone reading your writing will be a native English speaker. Keep this in mind. Straightforward – use mainly nouns and verbs. Continue reading →
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Go easy on adjectives
As old school journalists, we were taught to write mainly with nouns and verbs. Editors let us use adjectives only if they make the meaning more precise. And even then, subeditors would remove them as they tightened copy. In Daily Mirror Style Keith Waterhouse describes the old school journalist’s view. He says: Adjectives should not be allowed in newspapers unless they have something to say. Writers think adjectives add colour to their words. Continue reading →
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Murder your darlings
“Whenever you feel an impulse to perpetrate a piece of exceptionally fine writing, obey it — whole-heartedly — and delete it before sending your manuscript to press: Murder your darlings.” Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch This quote, or a version of it, has been attributed to many writers Quiller-Couch was the original source. It’s unlikely you’ve ever heard of him, so this Wikipedia page will help. The key point here is that often when you think you’ve written something brilliant, you probably haven’t. Continue reading →
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Posted a massive update to my Guide to writing on an iPad - billbennett.co.nz/ipad-pro-…
It covers most of the bases, but if you find something I’ve missed get in touch.
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Exclamation marks: Caution!
Exclamation marks, some people call them bangs, have almost no place in serious writing. Tabloids use them in headlines. You may use exclamation marks in reported speech or where they form part of a name or title. And that’s it. It’s no accident many newspapers and publishing companies ban exclamation marks. They don’t add drama. They don’t improve poor writing. Like laughing at your own jokes Exclamation marks don’t tell readers a sentence was funny. Continue reading →
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Orwell on language
Everyone who thinks at all has noticed that our language is practically useless for describing anything that goes on inside the brain.
– George Orwell
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David Ogilvy: How to write
“Never use jargon words like reconceptualize, demassification, attitudinally, judgmentally. They are hallmarks of a pretentious ass.”
From a memo advertising man David Ogilvy sent to employees at his agency in 1982, titled: “How to Write”.
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The verb of attribution
Earlier I wrote that most of the time you should use said when reporting someone’s words. Said is the best verb of attribution.
Said is a wise choice of word for journalists. It is neutral and judgement free. This makes it a safe and accurate choice.
A simple word like said is readily understood and unambiguous — that’s always a sign of good writing.
You might choose something else if you’re writing poetry, literature or fiction. Yet for everyday writing use the simplest option. Your readers will thank you.
The boring trap
Don’t let anyone tell you that sticking with said makes your writing boring. Nor should you listen to those who tell you the word is overused.
It is less boring than sitting through a defamation action because someone misinterpreted an alternative word.
It is less boring than expecting your reader to look up the meaning of an alternative word.
Readers can misunderstand almost every alternative to said.
This is just between us
The term ‘verb of attribution’ is correct. Yet, outside of academic discussions about language, it is not the best phrase to use in your writing.
‘Verb of attribution’ is the kind of formal, technical language that puts readers off, even when they know what it means.
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First, second, third
Remember when list posts were all the rage?
There’s nothing wrong with writing lists – especially when publishing online – so long as you don’t overdo it.
When the list items are short, you can use bullet points. Or, if the order is important, choose numbered bullets.
Both options make text easy to scan and read quickly.
Another, more elegant, approach is to write out your list using a variation on the following theme:
First, something happened. Second, something else. Next, we used a little elegant variation to make things more interesting. Then, we did this. Last, we finished up.
Use sparingly
Ideally a list written this way should have only a few points. Keep it to four or five at most. Six is pushing it. Seven is far too many.
When writing numbers this way you should spell out the words from first to ninth1 then write 10th, 15th, hundredth. You should never get as far as ninth.
Some people use firstly, secondly, thirdly and so on. While strictly speaking both approaches are grammatically correct, adding -ly is old-fashioned and unnecessarily fussy.
What’s more, you’ll end up looking silly if you want to deal with lots of items and reach eleventhly or even millionthly.
So, stick with the simpler format.
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or perhaps tenth. This depends on your taste or if you have one, your house style guide, but remember to stay consistent. ↩︎
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It's best to use said when reporting someone's words
When reporting someone’s words, it’s best to use said in most cases. Newspaper and other style guides disagree over whether to use past tense (said) or present tense (says). It doesn’t matter which. Pick one and stick with it. At times you may need to write someone says this now, but said something different in the past. While you can use said even with written words - if you are quoting what someone wrote in a mail or in tweet - it is better to make it clear the person wasn’t talking at the time. Continue reading →
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10 million words
I’m a journalist. Writing for newspapers and magazines has been my main job for almost 40 years. For most of the past decade, I’ve worked seven days a week, 50 weeks of the year. Earlier in my life I had regular jobs which had paid holiday and I didn’t always need to work through the weekend. But still long hours. I estimate that over the long haul I’ve written an average of 5,000 words a week. Continue reading →
