Back Off or Show Off

When the news or topic is most serious, understate. When the topic is least serious, exaggerate.

Clark, Roy Peter. Poynter Online (2004). Articles>Writing>Journalism

Beware of Adverbs

Beware of adverbs. They can dilute the meaning of the verb or repeat it.

Clark, Roy Peter. Poynter Online (2004). Articles>Writing>Diction>Rhetoric

Branch to the Right

Begin sentences with subjects and verbs, letting subordinate elements branch to the right. Even a long, long sentence can be clear and powerful when the subject and verb make meaning early.

Clark, Roy Peter. Poynter Online (2004). Articles>Writing>Rhetoric

Color Forecasting

Every year I look forward to the Communication Arts issue that has the color predictions for the coming year. Mostly because I'm fascinated with the subject, but also because I want to see the funny color names they come up with.

Poynter Online (2004). Design>Publishing>Prepress>Color

Control the Pace

Control the pace of the story by varying sentence length.

Clark, Roy Peter. Poynter Online (2004). Articles>Writing>Grammar>Rhetoric

Cut Big, Then Small

Precise and concise writing comes from disciplined cutting.

Clark, Roy Peter. Poynter Online (2004). Articles>Writing>Rhetoric

Dig for the Concrete and Specific

The good writer uses telling details, not only to inform but to persuade. Dig for the concrete and specific.

Clark, Roy Peter. Poynter Online (2004). Articles>Writing>Journalism

Doing Illustrations: A Question of Accuracy and Fairness

Does the illustration I'm creating, or using, depict that person's race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, abilities, etc. accurately?

Colon, Aly. Poynter Online (2004). Design>Graphic Design>Technical Illustration

Fear Not the Long Sentence

Everyone fears the long sentence. Editors fear it. Readers fear it. Most of all, writers fear it. Even I fear it. But...

Clark, Roy Peter. Poynter Online (2004). Articles>Writing>Grammar>Rhetoric

The Fine Art of Kerning

Kerning is the art of adjusting (usually tightening) the space between individual letter pairs. This selective, manual spacing is done to eliminate awkward spaces and to make words easy to recognize. Kerning is also known as letterspacing.

Conneen, Anne. Poynter Online (2003). Design>Typography

Interesting Names

Remember that writers are, by training and disposition, attracted to people and places with interesting names.

Clark, Roy Peter. Poynter Online (2004). Articles>Writing>Rhetoric

Internal Cliffhangers

What makes a page-turner, an irresistible read, a story or book that you can't put down? Well, lots of things. But one indispensable tool seems to be the internal cliffhanger.

Clark, Roy Peter. Poynter Online (2004). Articles>Writing>Rhetoric

Let It Flow

To become a more fluent writer, try these strategies.

Poynter Online (2004). Articles>Writing>Rhetoric

Name the Big Parts

Seeing the structure of a story is easier if you can identify the main parts.

Clark, Roy Peter. Poynter Online (2004). Articles>Writing>Rhetoric

Narrative Opportunities

Take advantage of narrative opportunities.

Clark, Roy Peter. Poynter Online (2004). Articles>Writing>Rhetoric

The Number of Elements

The number of examples you use in a sentence or a story has meaning.

Clark, Roy Peter. Poynter Online (2004). Articles>Writing>Journalism

Observe Word Territory

Observe 'word territory.' Give key words their space. Do not repeat a distinctive word unless you intend a specific effect.

Clark, Roy Peter. Poynter Online (2004). Articles>Writing>Rhetoric

The Ockham's Razor Principle of Content Management Systems

Unless we manage to make Drupal more accessible to new users and to get back to the basics, we'll find the ground shifting beneath our feet.

Buytaert, Dries. Poynter Online (2004). Articles>Content Management>Software>Drupal

Odd and Interesting Things

Put odd and interesting things next to each other.

Clark, Roy Peter. Poynter Online (2004). Articles>Writing>Rhetoric

Parallel Lines

Writers shape up their writing by paying attention to parallel structures in their words, phrases, and sentences.

Clark, Roy Peter. Poynter Online (2004). Articles>Writing>Rhetoric

Period As a Stop Sign

Place strong words at the beginning of sentences and paragraphs, and at the end. The period acts as a stop sign. Any word next to the period says, 'Look at me.'

Clark, Roy Peter. Poynter Online (2004). Articles>Writing>Grammar>Rhetoric

Place Gold Coins Along the Path

Learn how to keep your readers interested by placing gold coins throughout your story.

Clark, Roy Peter. Poynter Online (2004). Articles>Writing>Rhetoric

Play with Words

Play with words, even in serious stories. Choose words the average writer avoids but the average reader understands.

Clark, Roy Peter. Poynter Online (2004). Articles>Writing>Diction>Rhetoric

Prefer Simple to Technical

Prefer the simple to the technical: shorter words and paragraphs at the points of greatest complexity.

Clark, Roy Peter. Poynter Online (2004). Articles>Writing>Diction>Rhetoric

Recognize the Roots of Stories

Recognize the mythic, symbolic, and poetic. Be aware (and beware) that common themes of news writing have deep roots in the culture of storytelling.

Clark, Roy Peter. Poynter Online (2004). Articles>Writing>Journalism