The 200

Writing Tips
that’ll get you writing like a pro!

by Good Copy, Bad Copy’s

Dr Clare Lynch
Contents
Connect with your reader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

– further reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Get it started. Get it written. Get sign-off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

– further reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Tell a story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

– further reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Keep it punchy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

– further reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Sharpen up your sentences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

– further reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Use certain words, ditch others . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

– further reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Get a grasp on grammar and punctuation . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

– further reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Proofread like a pro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

Pump up your persuasiveness with a rhetorical flourish . . . 24

– further reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

2
Connect with your reader
No one’s more important than your reader. After all, what’s
the point of writing if no one wants to read your stuff? Here’s
what you need to know to win ’em over.

 ach time you sit down to write, remind yourself of this

E
1
sobering fact: “nobody has to read this”.

 he most important skill in any writer? Empathy.

T
2
Writing’s all about meeting your reader’s needs.

I t’s easier to empathise with an individual than a group.

3
So write for one person at a time.

 ake headers as informative as possible. “What we

M
4
need to do next” is more useful to a reader than
“Strategic update”.

 lways ask how a normal person would say it.

A
5
“Exploiting cost and competency advantages”?
Or “doing more for less”?

I mportant message to get across? Read it out to your

6
mum/dad/a friend. Simplify if they can’t repeat what
you mean.

 emember: at least 10% of the population is dyslexic. All

R
7
the more reason to make life easy for your readers.

 aking it easy to read isn’t the same as dumbing down.

M
8
Is an iPad dumb because it’s easy to use?

 ever write for an “audience” – it implies they’re

N
9
captive (chances are you’re fighting for their attention).

Don’t tell people you want to “engage” them. Ask them

10 “what do you think?”

For an instant idea of how readable your writing is, use

11 the Gunning Fog Index http://gunning-fog-index.com/

3
 “The data are” or “the data is”? Just choose whatever you
12 think your reader would prefer.

Don’t call attention to the act of writing. “I hereby

13 inform you of our new address” = “We’re moving”.

Watch your tone: never say something in an email in a

14 way you wouldn’t say it to their face.

If you must use PowerPoint, stick to 4 or 5 bullets a slide

15 (and 4 or 5 words to a bullet).

Accept that your readers will scan. Make it easy for them
16 with headers and paragraph returns.

Whenever you sit down to write, keep in mind Billy

17 Wilder’s 1st rule of filmmaking: “Don’t be boring”.

Take a tip from Elmore Leonard: leave out the parts that
18 people skip.

As your teachers said at exam time: just answer the

19 question. What info is your reader asking for?

Overpoliteness can sound rude. Compare “at your

20 earliest convenience” with “as soon as you can”.

Address your reader directly: “download the guidelines

21 now” not “employees should download…”

Use “you” more than “we” and “I”. Count the instances
22 of each word and rewrite if necessary.

Using “you” in business writing isn’t “too salesy”. It’s a

23 sign you’re concentrating on your reader’s needs.

No one will ever complain that your writing is too easy

24 to read.

Try copying the style of your daily paper. It’s guaranteed

25 to be more readable than most business docs.

4
 Never assume your reader is as informed as you are.
26 Picture them as a Martian newly arrived on earth.

With every sentence, ask: is this interesting to my reader

27 or just to me? Delete if the latter.

Always ask “what do I want my reader to do/know/

28 think?”. The answer gives you your first line.

“Don’t” is friendlier than “do not”, though non-native

29 speakers may prefer it spelt out.

Important message to convey? Read your work to a

30 colleague then ask them to repeat its main point.

If you can’t imagine your dad saying it, it’s probably
31 corpspeak. Rewrite until you can.

Communicating a technical topic? Read your work to a

32 non-expert and ask them to explain what they’ve just heard.

Write for human beings, not Google. Google isn’t going

33 to buy your product.

Writing for others? Don’t call them “stakeholders”. Your

34 duty’s to your readers, not the person commissioning you.

Use a metaphor to explain a complex idea. To hone your

35 metaphor-making skills read The Tall Lady with the Iceberg.

Put the most important info first (how many stories in

36 this morning’s paper did you actually finish?)

Make life easy for your reader. Follow each thought with
37 “full stop, paragraph return”.

Remember: when it comes to explaining a tricky

38 concept, being an expert is a weakness, not a strength.

Stop thinking of your reader as an “audience”.

39 Traditional audiences don’t usually talk back. They do in
today’s social media world.

5
 Taking minutes? Record important points, decisions
40 and “to dos”, not “he said then she said” etc.

One request per email. More than that and you’ll have
41 to chase even the conscientious people for something.

Explain something well and your reader feels smart.

42 When they feel smart, they like you. When they like
you, they’re persuadable.

Avoid emoticons in business emails (unless you really

43 do want to sound like a pre-teen).

Be active, not passive: “we will send you the document”,
44 not “the document will be sent to you

Want to get more clicks on Twitter? Research shows the

45 secret is to use more verbs (action words).

Never open with “As you know”. Lead with the news and
46 then provide the context.

Using “the above” or “the below” in your copy makes

47 you sound instantly officious. Remove and reorder.

Circle every word/phrase/allusion your mum wouldn’t

48 understand. Rewrite so she would.

Made a mistake? “I’m sorry” is much more powerful

49 than “we regret that”. Which would you rather hear?

Never write an apology without saying how you plan

50 to fix the problem.

Communicating bad news? Don’t hide behind corpspeak.

51 Everyone knows “rightsizing” means “job cuts”.

52 Email marketing? Spam! PR? Spin! Internal comms?

Management spin/HR spam! See how hard you have to
work to win them over?

6
Further reading
The sobering truth about how your “readers” really see you

Communicating bad news – some dos and don’ts

Need to say sorry? Here’s the one word you must never use

Now here’s how you write an apology . . .

We’re sorry we’re sorry

Seven ways to connect with your readers by writing like

you speak

Why you should write for grandmothers and Martians

Does your writing pass the “mum” test?

Writing for your boss? Just begin with “Dear Doris and Bertie”

7
Get started. Get it written.
Get sign-off.
Writing can be hard - especially if you’re collaborating with
others. Here’s how you get something down, knock it into
shape and avoid the pitfalls of ‘writing by committee’.

Struggling to identify your key message? Ask yourself:

53 “If I only had 140 characters, what would I say?”

Estimating the length and cost of a writing job? ALWAYS

54 ask how many people will be “signing-off”.

Need the legal team to approve your comms? Bring

55 them in after your writer, not before.

Don’t worry about how well you write. It’s how well you
56 edit that makes the difference.

Is your writing flabby or fit? This free tool tells you what
57 you need to hear: www.writersdiet.com

Remember, there’s nothing clever about complexity for

58 the sake of it. Clear writing’s a sign of clear thinking.

Boost your creative thinking by setting limits – like

59 writing with only the 1,000 most common words. http://
splasho.com/upgoer5/

Read more to write better.

60
Professional writers know writing is hard work. That’s
61 why they never write for free.

Force yourself to write every day for an hour. It’s like

62 exercise: the more you do it, the easier it gets.

8
 To quote Hemmingway, “every first draft is s**t”. Always
63 go back and edit.

For good working relationships, get or give feedback on

64 writing by phone or in person, not email.

Write your headline first - it will help crystallise your

65 main point.

Need feedback on your writing? The more senior they

66 are, the less they’ll rewrite for the sake of it.

When researching a piece, pick up the phone. You’re

67 guaranteed to get better results than by emailing.

68 Avoid tracked changes. They make work hard to proof

and they’re terrible for working relationships.

Rewriting your work isn’t a sign of failure - it’s an

69 essential part of the process.

Never ask for “approval” or “sign-off”. Ask for fact-

70 checking and lock the doc so others can’t edit it.

Get a writing buddy. Find a friendly colleague and agree

71 to review each other’s work.

Always read your work aloud. Edit anything that trips

72 you up or leaves you gasping for breath.

Blank page? Don’t get it right - get it written. Then go

73 back and edit, edit, edit.

Written a sentence you’re particularly proud of? That’s

74 probably the one you most need to rework.

When you reach the point you’re happy with your work,
75 go back and cut 20%.

9
 A camel is a horse designed by committee. For copy
76 without lumps and bumps, give one person final say.

Always ask: “What happens if we don’t publish?”. If they

77 can’t articulate a business case, spike.

Spend as much time on your headline as you do on the

78 rest of your text.

Further reading
Five essential questions to ask before you even start writing

Five business writing tips from a best-selling author

Stop sweating over structure with this 5-minute technique

Six vital things you missed in your last comms audit

The single most important thing you need to do to make

your next piece of writing more readable

13 arguments to try next time someone accuses you of

dumbing down (and 1 you should avoid)

Six more sneaky ways to make them write it your way

Ten ways to stop that verbose exec from mangling your copy

10
Tell a great story
We’re all hot-wired to tell and listen to stories. Here are some of
the techniques great story tellers use to win over their readers.

Be positive! Research shows feel-good stories that

79 arouse the emotions are the most likely to go viral.

Show, don’t tell. Any business can claim to be “world

80 class”. Explain why yours is.

Likewise, anyone can say they’re “creative”/“passionate”/

81 “dynamic”/”world-class” etc. Give examples!

Ditch what you learned at school. Yes, an essay should

82 be impersonal and abstract, but the best business
writing is human and concrete.

Write about the stories that illustrate what you want to

83 say, not the strategy behind it.

Use words that stimulate the five senses. The brain

84 responds as if you’re actually tasting, hearing, seeing,
smelling or touching!

Quoting someone in a press release/staff mag? Always

85 use “said”, not “commented”, “observed” etc.

Interviewing someone? Avoid questions requiring a yes

86 or no answer. Instead, ask how, what, why etc.

Writing quotes for someone else but struggling to

87 capture their voice? Get out that Dictaphone!

11
Further reading
Business writers: show, don’t tell

Story first, strategy second

How not to quote someone in an article

In praise of the simple word “said”

Lessons in powerful writing (from a lawyer, of all people!)

Writing about diversity? Then keep it real

Ditch your communications strategy and just talk

12
Keep it punchy
The secret to winning over your reader? Giving them
maximum value with the minimum of demands on their
time. Here’s how to get straight to the point.

Remember the three “Cs” of great business writing: it’s

88 clear, concise and conversational.

Never start writing without a tight word count. We all

89 need an incentive to use fewer words.

Ditch repetitive business phrases like transformational

90 change/new innovation/worldwide global firm.

Only one word in the phrase “in order to” is necessary.

91
Ditch the corporate throat clearing: go back and see if
92 you can cut your first paragraph.

Never choose a long word when a short one will do.

93
Ditch “there is/there are”. “We won for two reasons” is
94 punchier than “there are two reasons we won”.

Cut adverbs (the words that describe doing words).

95 The Hemingway App will show you how. http://www.
hemingwayapp.com.

Writing a poster? Picture your reader riding past it on a

96 motorbike. Now go grab their attention.

Edit with a knife, not a pen. Only add words if they’re

97 absolutely necessary.

98 Ruthlessly delete everything that’s not important to

your reader (even if it’s important to you or the person
who briefed you).

13
 As Orwell said, if it’s possible to cut a word, do. A phrase
99 like “by means of” is 2 words too long.

As Mervin Block says, if it’s not necessary to leave a

100 word in, it’s necessary to leave it out.

Further reading
Write with a knife for more powerful prose

If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out

14
Sharpen up your sentences
The single thing you can do to boost your power as a writer?
Keep your sentences easy to read. Here’s how.

Never write a sentence longer than 24 words. That’s the

101 point they get hard to follow.

Yes, it is OK to start sentences with ‘and’, ‘because’, ‘or’

102 and ‘but’.

Far better to start a sentence with “and” than to ever use

103 the word “additionally”.

If you can’t read a sentence without taking a breath, it’s

104 too long.

For writing that’s easy to read, make friends with the

105 full stop.

Overlong sentence? Cut through complexity by

106 breaking it up into separate ideas. Use a red pen or
carriage returns.

107 Instantly spot long sentences with Drivel Defence,

a free online tool: www.plainenglish.co.uk/drivel-
defence-text.html

Begin or end with a fragment or short sentence to create

108 emphasis. And drama.

Don’t start sentences with words like although/while/

109 despite/given. Lead with your main point.

Further reading
Readability: it’s not just about sentence length

15
Use certain words, ditch others
Jargon, buzzwords and pretentious vocab are serious
turn-offs for most readers. Here are some words to avoid.
Oh, and a smattering of tips on tricky words that many misuse.

Never use a word you wouldn’t say outside the office. Do

110 you align/integrate/leverage things at home?

111 Never use the word “regarding” when “about” will do.

Unless you aspire to be White Van Man, stop “driving”.

112 Driving improvements = improving.

Not a postman or a midwife? Then find a stronger verb

113 than “deliver”. Deliver service = serve.

Commitment: two “m”s and one “t”. Or avoid the brain

114 ache by ditching this overused word.

Can’t distinguish between “historic” and “historical”?

115 Then use “past”. It’s probably what you mean.

Going forward adds nothing that the future tense

116 doesn’t say. “Going forward we will” = “We will”.

Beware billing something as “exciting” unless your

117 reader really will be trembling in anticipation.

Save time and pixels by ditching “in the event that” for
118 the simple word “if”.

The pompous word “facilitate” is never necessary. Use

119 do/make/help.

Don’t know the difference between “anticipate” and

120 “expect”? Use “expect”: it’s probably what you mean.

16
 Google finds 1,460,000 uses of “thought leader”. Claim
121 to be one and you’re just following the crowd.

“Unprecedented” is not synonymous with “excellent”.

122 Save it for something that’s never happened before.

Don’t say “following” when you mean “after”.

123
Nobody’s taken in by corporate euphemisms like
124 “rightsizing”. Dare to be honest.

Use “use”, not “utilise”.

125
Learn to spot and simplify Latinate words (usually
126 longer and more abstract - eg, residence v house).

The phrase “in excess of” is pompous and long-winded.

127 Use “more than” or “over” instead.

Affect or effect? Most times, the mnemonic RAVEN

128 applies: Remember, Affect = Verb, Effect = Noun.

There’s a reason your spellchecker underlines

129 “learnings”. Replace this non-word with “lessons”.

Is there any more meaningless adjective than

130 “meaningful”? Avoid. Avoid. Avoid.

Say “based on”, not “based around”. Think about it: bases
131 sit below things, not around them.

Pin a list of banned words on your wall. It forces you to

132 rethink whenever you’re tempted by jargon.

Add clichés to your list of banned words – it’ll keep your

133 writing fresh.

Use “people”, not “persons” (unless you really do want to

134 sound like you’re arresting said “persons”).

17
 Tempted to use the phrase “due to the fact that”? Why
135 not simply say “as”?

Never use “myself” when you mean “I” or “me”. It’s not
136 more polite - just grammatically wrong.

The word “solutions” is usually redundant. “Building

137 solutions” v “building”: what’s the difference?

Save keystrokes by ditching “nevertheless” for “but”.

138
Drop the overused adjective “key” - it invariably attracts
139 other jargon (“stakeholders”, “learnings”).

Save “takeaway” for that kebab you had on the way

140 home last night. “Point” or “lesson” are better.

“Imply” and “infer” mean different things: if you imply

141 something, I might infer it.

There’s no need for the jargon “best of breed” - “best” is

142 enough.

The word “currently” is often redundant, as here: “We

143 are currently updating our website”.

It’s either “just as” or “equally” - never the horrible

144 hybrid “equally as”.

“Momentarily” means “for a moment”, not “in a

145 moment”.

Be concrete, not abstract. Call a hose a hose, not a fluid

146 transfer solution.

“Now” is more powerful than wordy alternatives like “at

147 this moment in time”.

Both “under” and “way” are in the dictionary.

148 “Underway”, however, is not.

18
 To paraphrase Twain, substitute “damn” every time you
149 want to write “meaningful” or “significant”.

“Geography” is an uncountable noun so please don’t

150 pluralise it to “geographies”. You mean “regions”.

Don’t follow “we’re different because…” with clichés

151 about “adding value” and “innovative solutions”.

If you must use the word “sustainable”, don’t add

152 tautology to cliché by pairing it with “long-term”.

Never use the jargon “revert” for “reply” – especially if

153 you work with non-native speakers.

Use “comprises of” to sound like an illiterate estate

154 agent. Otherwise, just “comprises”.

Avoid Latinisms like “per annum” and “per capita”.

155 Friendlier to say “a year” and “a person”.

Be yourself when you write. If you found it in a

156 thesaurus, it’s probably the wrong word.

If you do decide to use a thesaurus, make it Words That

157 Sell by Richard Bayan.

“Don’t use a five-dollar word when a fifty-cent word will

158 do.” - Mark Twain

Is it “owing to” or “due to”? Fudge it and use “because

159 of” (less poncey, too).

Avoid using the word “basis” - eg, on a timely and

160 efficient basis = quickly and efficiently.

Avoid turning nouns into verbs - actioned/tasked/

161 impacted etc are horrible!

19
 Ban -ing words from headlines in your staff mag.
162 “Achieving success”? “Delivering excellence”? Ugh.

Search for ion/ment/ence to ditch clunky abstract

163 nouns (eg, driving improvement = improving).

The word “focus” makes you sound, er, unfocused. Don’t

164 “focus your efforts on” something. Just do it!

Diversity officers, please don’t use “female” as a noun.

165 We’re women. Females belong in a zoo.

“While” sounds less pretentious than “whilst”.

166
Everyday (1 word) = “ordinary”. Every day (2 words) =
167 Mon, Tue, Wed, Thur, Fri, Sat and Sun.

Tempted to use the cliché “ultimate”? Your more literal-

168 minded readers will interpret it as “last ever”.

Further reading
Speak English, why don’t you?

20
Get a grasp on grammar and
punctuation
If there’s one thing people will judge you for, it’s sloppy
grammar and punctuation. So don’t feed the pedants,
starting with these tips.

Yes, you can split an infinitive. Trust your ears, not rules
169 invented by 18th-century grammarians.

Companies usually take a single verb – so “Marks and

170 Spencer *is* open”. Counterintuitive, but true!

“However”: if in doubt, punctuate with full stop, cap,

171 comma. However, there are exceptions.

Pluralising abbreviations? No apostrophe required:

172 20 CDs, 12 TVs etc.

You don’t need a hyphen with adverbs ending in “ly”: a

173 “happily married couple”.

Look! No apostrophe: 1980s, 1990s, 2000s etc.

174
Hyphens aren’t optional. Consider the difference
175 between “extra-marital sex” and “extra marital sex”.

Not sure whether to use a colon or a semicolon? Stop

176 fretting and use a dash instead.

Don’t overuse “scare quotes” – they make you look like

177 you lack “conviction”. See?

Don’t capitalise a phrase just because it’s often

178 abbreviated. CSR = corporate social responsibility.

You wouldn’t capitalise ‘plumber’ or ‘builder’, so why

179 treat white-collar job titles any differently?

21
 Only capitalise a word if it’s the name of a particular
180 person/place/org.

Capitalising job titles? One writer I know was taught to

181 save caps for “God, the Queen and the Editor”.

It’s OK to break the “rules” of grammar – as long as you

182 understand them and know why you’re breaking them.

It may look odd, but there’s only one apostrophe in the
183 phrase “Dos and Don’ts”.

Remember to use an apostrophe in phrases like “one

184 week’s notice” and “ten years’ experience”.

Further reading
Grammar brush-up: Rules for indicating possession with an
apostrophe

Apostrophe rule: 100s or 100’s?

The apostrophe: a friend for life

The punctuation mistake you never knew you were making

Why I hate the comma splice

Capitalist society

Splitting headaches

The rules you follow that make smart people think less of you

22
Proofread like a pro
Ready to hit publish? Here’s a handful of things to check first.
Oh, and some hints for maximising your chances of spotting
that excruciating typo.

Let it sit for a while before you proofread it. With a bit
185 of distance, you’ll spot more errors.

Always proof on paper – you’ll catch more mistakes

186 than when you read your work on screen.

Finding it hard to proofread your work? Get your

187 computer to do it for you! Here’s how.

It’s impossible to proofread your own work –

188 always enlist a second or third pair of eyes.

Check headers, footers, captions etc both separately and

189 as part of the whole.

If your wife compares you “to” George Clooney, be

190 flattered. If she compares you “with” him, be worried.

Watch out: “loose” rhymes with “goose”, “lose” rhymes

191 with “choose”.

The past tense of “lead” is “led”, not “lead”.

192
Never assume an abbreviation will be understood (www.
193 acronymfinder.com lists 126 definitions for “CRM”).

Numerals: spell out “one” to “ten”. Use figures for “11” or

194 more.

Remember: “e.g.” = “for example”; “i.e.” = “that is”. They

195 aren’t interchangeable.

23
Pump up your persuasiveness with
a rhetorical flourish
Advanced tips for writers who are serious about winning over
their readers.

Don’t fear repetition – it can be extremely powerful.

196 Google Churchill’s “we shall fight on the beaches”
speech for an example.

“Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”; “I came,

197 I saw I conquered”. The human brain likes things in
threes.

In a list, it sounds better if you save the longest item till
198 last – as in 
”Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”.

In music, the silences are as important as the notes. The

199 equivalent in writing is the paragraph return.

Take Orwell’s advice: never use a figure of speech you’re

200 used to seeing in print.

Further reading
Five Churchillian tips for writing like a leader

Fight on the beaches!

Five ways to put a little rhythm in your writing

Good repetition, bad repetition

24