Nicely Said: Writing for the Web with Style and Purpose

Chapter Four. Writing Basics

You’ve done your research. You have a plan. You can’t escape it any longer. It’s time to sit down and write (eek!). Yes, this is the hard part. Hang in there, though. We’re in this together. In this chapter, we’ll cover:

• Basic guidelines

• Common mistakes

• Tips for getting unstuck

• Exercises for improving your writing

Let’s start with a few guidelines for good writing to help you produce it.

Basic guidelines

Good writing is clear, useful, and friendly. Some sentences may be a little plain or just the facts, ma’am, but that’s okay. A straightforward tone rarely hurts the reading experience, as long as the information is accurate.

The hardest part, of course, is making sense to someone outside your own head. To ...