Become a better writer overnight: A guide to perfecting media writing
Author: Richard Rotman
I am almost finished with a book about writing. It’s called “Of, Is and By, a guide to perfecting media writing.” It will help readers become better communicators overnight. Based on my encounters with Humber College students and a lifetime editing copy, it should be finished soon and will be free to Humber students. Here is what it’s about.
Communications writing is different. Learning it is similar to mastering a foreign language but much simpler. Its basic tenets are simplicity, compression, plain language and reading speed. It was developed to save space or time in publications or broadcasts with limited amounts of it. Today, with short attention spans in the video and Twitter age, it’s even more important. It communicates the greatest amount of information in the shortest time.
No one wants to read extensive websites or blogs; Twitter proved this with its wildly successful 140-character limit. Online writing and journalism are primarily information vehicles although there are wonderful practicing writers in the field. Novels are for literature classes and bedtime reading’s sheer pleasure. Academic papers are written for professors who generally know nothing of smooth, lean prose, with few space limitations. Students must write numerous university papers to graduate and believe this confers a degree and an ability to write, which it might for those never intending to work in media’s many branches. On arrival at Humber they are often shocked that much of what was learned about writing at Western, Guelph, Queens and U of T must now be erased.
In a few easy lessons, students of journalism, public relations, marketing and advertising can become better media writers. In fact, if they just master the book’s three watchwords — of, is and by — their writing can improve overnight. Yes, overnight. I mean it. Writing with flair and style can then become your key to career success. It attracts positive attention from supervisors and managers who recommend promotions and salary increases.
You only receive the audience’s attention momentarily; take advantage of that. Shorten, prune, edit, always eliminate unnecessary words: these are time-honoured lessons that the great E.B. White pioneered in the still worthwhile Elements of Style.
How to become a better writer
Improving writing is like the old New York joke, where the tourist asks, “How do you get to Carnegie Hall?” and the street-smart Brooklynite says, “Practice!” There is no substitute for writing whatever you can, whenever you can. Treat every writing occasion as practice: don’t let emails be less than excellent. They represent you as a brand. Malcolm Gladwell’s 10,000 hours rule, as explained in his excellent Outliers, applies. Those who master their craft, from the Beatles playing nine hours a day in Hamburg dives to Bill Gates taking over his prep school’s computer, must do so for at least 10,000 hours. Improving writing is less about mastering forms like the news release, pitch letter or memo and more about specific words and constructions used every day. Good luck. I look forward to your comments about the book even if you are not a #humberpr grad.
About the author:
Currently an instructor at Humber College, Richard has worked in journalism and PR in Canada and the U.S. His widely published PR writing includes content in the Globe and Mail, Chicago Tribune, National Post, PR News. Follow his musings on PR and writing here.