Hello, Writing Friends!
Welcome to my new series, Text Tips! This series will focus on the “nuts and bolts” of crafting your text. There are lots of topics to discuss, but for the first installment of the series, I wanted to start with the foundation of effective writing: The Writing Triangle.
Many people have the impression that good writing is the same thing as putting together grammatically-correct sentences. While good grammar is important for your reader’s understanding, structure and content are equally important in creating compelling texts. Without each fundamental supporting the other two, a text cannot communicate effectively. It may be helpful to think of this triangle as lying on its side rather than as a pyramid because each item is on the same level of importance.
Consider the following statements:
· Without good ideas, professional sentences and logical structure alone cannot save a meaningless text.
· Without logical structure, clear language and brilliant ideas can still be confusing to the reader.
· Without clear language, the reader can’t absorb the text’s excellent contents, even with effective organization.
As an undergrad, I wrote beautiful, complex sentences that sounded impressive, but I had a much harder time being precise with my meaning and organizing my ideas. Once the reader looked past the prose, there wasn’t much left. For that reason, my papers were less effective at communicating my ideas than when I explained them verbally. (It’s true, I struggled with writing as a college student, but I improved my skills and eventually wrote an entire dissertation. I know first-hand how much time it can take to improve your writing, so keep up the good work!)
Which of these fundamentals have you mastered? Ideally, all three should be very strong, but if not, consider investing time to improve the other two. Here are some suggestions to get you started:
Structure— Imagine you are the tour guide of the content you are sharing. If you were addressing “tourists” (readers), which pieces do they need first? Which “sights” (key ideas) should you point out to them when structuring their “tour” through your subject? Which ideas build organically from each other? Are similar ideas grouped together, so the material is presented appropriately for the audience? Are there any examples of a similar text you can use as a pattern for your work? Are there any texts you don’t like so you know what not to do?
Ideas— Develop your ideas through researching, pre-writing activities like brainstorming, or explaining your content to a friend. Ask yourself the following questions: Is there enough detail here? Do I need research to locate more ideas? Do I have enough examples to make my point? Have I fully covered the topic? Have I convinced the reader this material will be useful/fulfilling/empowering, etc. to them?
Language— Is your language as clear as it could be? If not, maybe you should spend time with a thesaurus. Does your language fit your intended audience? (Not every audience will respond to complicated, professional language.) Do you need to brush up on your grammar? Maybe a quick check of your text through Grammarly (https://www.grammarly.com/) would be worth your time. Is your sentence structure clear, with complete sentences, and a variety of constructions? Do you need to brush up on the specific vocabulary needed for your subject matter?
Remember, each text is different, and we humans feel different from day to day, so even if you are a strong writer, it’s a good idea to check in to make sure your current project is using each of these fundamentals in the clearest way.
I “play requests”! If there are any text issues you would like me to discuss, please drop me a line at dr.zhenya@empowerugroup.com.
Until next time, Friends, keep sharing your magic with the world, and keep on writing!
Dr. Zhenya