I was reading the May 14, 2007 issue of DM News the other day and happened upon an article by Dean Rieck. The article is called “A Copywriter’s spin on ‘The Elements of Style’” (Dean is a copywriter by trade, you see). Since I’m interested in good writing, I decided to take a look and found that what he preached was not only useful to the DM copywriter, but also the the account person.

So here are his tips, with my editorial thrown in. By the way, the article really should have been called “A Copywriter’s Spin on The Elements of Style” since, as everyone knows, book titles should be set in italics. But I digress.

1. Put The Reader First. This tip simply reminds the writer to mind his or her reader. Focus on what you want to communicate and to whom, then do so clearly. Overall, you should ask yourself if the writing clearly communicated to the intended audience in the most relevant, clear, and effective way possible.
2. Organize Your Thoughts. This is a no-brainer, of course, but so often forgotten. I’ve seen many people at all levels just start writing. Some start up PowerPoint and start drafting a deck, for example. You should have (at least in your head) at least an outline of what you’re going to communicate and arrange your thoughts accordingly before you put fingers to keyboard.
3. Use Short Paragraphs. This also is not that difficult and it’s related to the one preceding it. Shorter paragraphs, driven by good organization, are easier to consume and understand. They also force you to be efficient with your writing. Try to keep your prose chunked to small paragraphs.
4. Use Short Sentences. Same as above. Try to keep sentences short and tight, with one clear thought. It will make it easier for your readers to follow your writing.
5. Be Specific. Why say the shoot will take several days when you know it will take four days? Why quote the client “about $10M” if you know it’s actually $9,765? If you know the specifics, use them (you know you’ll have to do it later anyway).
6. Be Clear. I know this sounds redundant, but it deserves its own point. If what you’re thinking in your head doesn’t make it unscathed into your reader’s head, you have not achieved your objective. Look critically at what you write (before pressing “Send”) and edit yourself ruthlessly. If it’s not as clear as it can possibly be, rework it.

A very good and short book on writing that everyone should own is The Elements of Style by Strunk and White and it’s available from Amazon here for under ten bucks, last time I checked.