Your duck + 101 Writing Tips… Merry Xmas!

Sleigh ‘em in 2010!

Give wings to your writing next year with these Golden Writing Tips that we collected from people like YOU:

Download your 101-Tips eBook (free)

People’s tips were in answer to this question:

“What writing tip, technique or strategy has saved you the most time,
made you the most money, or given you the best results at work?”

In 12 years of professional writing I hadn’t heard of some of them. This is high-protein brain food — and it’s our Christmas gift to you!

Get your gift here: “My Golden Writing Tip” eBook

What’s with the duck?

In return for your “golden” writing tips, we promised to donate $2,000 to Oxfam to buy ducks for third-world families.

We made the donation (see proof), and you made our day — we love how we all worked together to make a difference. Now that’s Christmas.

Here’s to you getting more kick from your keyboard in 2010!

Merry Christmas from all at Magneto,

P.S. Did you pass the “comma” test in the reindeer’s caption? Omitting a little comma can make a big difference!

P.P.S. Please share your thoughts below about the 101 Tips eBook. Or do you have a tip of your own you’d like to share? Comment away!

Is your writing “Old Style” or “New Skool”?

The Urban Dictionary defines “New Skool” as anything fresh and new that threatens the established way of thinking or doing. It’s the opposite of “Old School,” and can apply to your writing as much as how you dance, dress, or the music you enjoy.

I’m not talking about gettin’-jiggy-wit-da-homeboys language, but about a fresh style of writing that works best in modern business.

A quick guide to “New Skool”

NO: Long, complex sentences    YES: Simple and concise
NO: “Big word” syndrome    YES: Plain English
NO: It’s all about you (the writer)    YES: It’s all about them (the reader)
NO: Intro to conclusion    YES: Conclusion first, then fill in the the gaps
NO: Write to demonstrate intellect    YES: Write to solve a reader’s problem

Like to change your habits? Consider our public or in-house writing masterclasses.

Keep it short, sport

If time is money, NOT writing concisely costs business a bomb – things take longer to read, impact is lost, and the REAL message is often hidden. Say NO to waffle!

Here are five keys to keeping it short:

1. Use the “So what?” test. If a point you make isn’t completely relevant to readers, chop it.
2. Use plain English. “Never use a long word when an exiguous one will do.” Don’t try to impress readers; just be clear.
3. Use the “active voice,” which puts the “doer” before “what’s done.” It’s shorter and more direct. “The road was crossed by the chicken,” is passive. “The chicken crossed the road,” is active.
4. Edit ruthlessly. The French scholar Blaise Pascal wrote to a friend 300 years ago, saying, “Sorry I wrote such a long letter; I didn’t have time to write a short one.” Good writing is rewriting.
5. Never just write and send. Let your writing “sit” for a while (at least a few hours, if not days). You’ll then see shorter, sharper ways of saying things.

Put these into practice and your readers will love you for it!

What do YOU do to keep your writing short and waffle-free? Please let us know in a comment below…