Write Anything Better with Nick Warren

WRITE ANYTHING BETTER

By Nick Warren

Inspired by: "On Writing Well" William Zinsser Brilliantly Communicate Anything to Anyone in Any Medium

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W R I T E ANYTHING B E T T E R

00

BEGINNINGS

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W R I T E ANYTHING B E T T E R

01

START STRONG

Good writing hits home without first rolling its shoulders.

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W R I T E ANYTHING B E T T E R

02

AT HELLO

Start with what it's about and why it should be read.

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W R I T E ANYTHING B E T T E R

03

BE PROVOCATIVE

Make every piece of writing inspire one new thought.

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W R I T E ANYTHING B E T T E R

04

GRAB IT

Great narrative demands respect and compels focused attention.

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W R I T E ANYTHING B E T T E R

05

MIND YOUR TONE

Any tone of voice will work if it's consistent.

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W R I T E ANYTHING B E T T E R

06

WHY WE NEEDS I

Think in the first person to write for business as a human.

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07

GO WILD THEN GO HOME

Let ideas run random in early drafts, and reign them in later. www.creativeclarity.co.za

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08

STAY IN CHARGE Only controlled ideas become great writing.

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W R I T E ANYTHING B E T T E R

09

GET LOST OR FOUND

Know where you’re going and share that certainty with your reader.

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W R I T E ANYTHING B E T T E R

10

THE ORGANISING PRINCIPLE

Thematic unity is the core of great body copy.

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11

SCREW THE MAP

Change the plan if the writing moves in a better direction.

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12

50% OFF ALL WRITING NOW!

Any first draft can be slashed without losing meaning, personality or impact. www.creativeclarity.co.za

W R I T E ANYTHING B E T T E R

00

MUDDLES

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13

NO CLEAR SENTENCE IS ACCIDENTAL

Good writing is simple to read, but not easy to produce.

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W R I T E ANYTHING B E T T E R

14

BETTER WRITING MAKES BETTER READERS

The more effort a writer puts in the more value a reader gets out.

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15

SMALL WORDS ROCK THE WORLD

They’re more dynamic than big words trying harder to say the same thing.

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W R I T E ANYTHING B E T T E R

16

KEEP OUT CLUTTER

Rewrite a sentence with fewer, smaller words to make it better.

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17

FIT WORDS BEAT FAT PHRASES

Due to the fact that (because) we lack the ability to (we can’t) summon up the will to (be bothered) until such time as (until) prevailing circumstances dictate the necessity to (we must).

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18

KILL ZOMBIES

Deadening jargon can infect a sentence and suck the life from a paragraph.

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W R I T E ANYTHING B E T T E R

19

BE GENEROUS

Share ideas, inspirations, paradoxes, surprises, provocations, humour or interesting facts.

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20

PRUNE FAT PHRASES Delete phrases that lack meaning or entertainment.

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21

MOVE IT!

Strong verbs push a sentence into action and keep it going.

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22

BE SUPPORTIVE

Each paragraph should hook to the next and support the one before.

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23

NO ADDITIVES

A powerful verb doesn’t need an adverb for back-up.

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24

SAY NO TO LIPSTICK

A natural sentence is alive with intelligence and personality.

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25

TALK ON PAPER

If you wouldn’t say it in conversation, don’t put it in writing.

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00

ENDS

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26

BE PUSHY

If the first sentence doesn’t push a reader into the second, the third is lost.

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27

LIKE IT OR NOT

Not all content is welcome, but good writing is always appreciated.

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27

MAKE THINGS BETTER

Good writing solves a problem, bad writing makes things worse.

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28

ADD HUMAN INTEREST

Writing that lacks a human perspective will lose a reader.

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W R I T E ANYTHING B E T T E R

29

WIN WITH WORDS

An original idea, well-articulated, can win hearts, minds and awards.

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W R I T E ANYTHING B E T T E R

30

STOP ALREADY!

A tired writer will exhaust their reader.

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31

IT’S OVER?

The best ending is somewhat surprising but exactly right.

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P.S.

CONTENT IS KING, FORMAT IS QUEEN United they turn a demanding audience into a dedicated advocate.

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W R I T E ANYTHING B E T T E R

P.P.S.

GET REAL

To look at some practical examples from your world contact nick@creativeclarity.co.za.

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