Archive for 'Writing'
Ask yourself this one question before you write web copy
Posted on17. Mar, 2010 by Melanie.
Have you ever wondered why novels, nonfiction articles, and newspapers don’t have usability experts working on them? Websites are different. Before you begin writing for the web, you must ask yourself one foundational question.
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Improve your writing by eliminating weak verbs
Posted on13. Mar, 2010 by Melanie.
When you can, avoid using boring verbs like “is” and “has” in your writing. Using more active verbs forces you to be specific and descriptive.
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“Krazy kontent” — you’re doing it right
Posted on22. Feb, 2010 by Melanie.
I like crazy. But I’m not particularly keen on giving my money (either willingly or compelled by federal law) to an entity that likes to joke about … my money. Business is business, and I trust organizations that recognize that.
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Passive aggression
Posted on08. Feb, 2010 by Melanie.
The passive voice sucks all the life right out of your writing, especially marketing copy and narrative writing. Technical and academic audiences are often more accepting of the passive voice — but that doesn’t make it a good idea.
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Making every word count
Posted on01. Feb, 2010 by Melanie.
Every unnecessary word you trim from your drafts saves your audience time. It spares them some boring detail they didn’t need. It adds force to your writing.
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What the Twitviewer worm can teach us about web content
Posted on25. Jan, 2010 by Melanie.
Its shoddy content led me to surmise (rightly) that the “app” was, in reality, a hastily thrown together hack.