02CICYM
14/1/07
6:32 pm
Page 137
And now I come to think about it, I find that I have just two simple (some might say simplistic) suggestions relating to the style you should adopt when writing persuasively: • Forget about style, remember the reader. • Be yourself. Let’s take them one at a time. When I write, I never consciously think about style. (Pause for sarcastic gibes to the effect that maybe I should give it a try.) What I do think about – as you’ll know, unless you’ve just parachuted in – is my reader. Who is this person whose thoughts, feelings or actions I want to influence? Is she knowledgeable about the subject? Sceptical, or even hostile? Does she have entrenched views? Is she reading because she needs to or because she wants to? Is she standing on a railway platform? Is she six years old? Everything I know – or deduce or guess to be true – about my reader will help me shape the content of the story I’m going to tell; where to begin; what to include and what to leave out. Equally, my understanding of the reader will very largely dictate the way I write. (No need to be over-explicit with a knowledgeable reader; not a good idea to be over-familiar with a sceptic; try to entertain her if she’s waiting for a train; steer clear of words with more than two syllables if she’s six; and so on.)
STYLE 137