Writing For Public Relations: On Writing And Editing

On Writing And Editing. Writing For Public Relations Richard Becker, Copywrite, Ink. at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Great Writing: Key Elements Writing For Public Relations Richard Becker, Copywrite, Ink. at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Grammar The road signs of language that help readers ﬁnd out where they are going. Focus The ability to communicate one idea, one purpose, or one theme. Simplicity The human mind can only handle so many word-to-word relationships. Organization Organized writing ﬂows, allowing readers to anticipate the next idea. Style It is the author’s personality. (In business writing, it’s the voice of the organization.) Key Elements from Don Gale Don Gale, former vice president for news and public affairs, Bonneville International Corporation. Writing For Public Relations: On Writing And Editing Richard Becker, Copywrite, Ink. at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Simple State things as simply as you can and get to the point. Natural Be concise, but readable without cliches or vague modifiers. Precise Know the exact meaning of every word used and always choose the right word. Organized Always know where you are going, ensuring you are clear on the first reading. Active Use active words rather than passive words. Key Elements from Ogilvy & Mather Ogilvy & Mather is one of the world’s largest advertising agencies. These are five of their 20 principles of writing. Writing For Public Relations: On Writing And Editing Richard Becker, Copywrite, Ink. at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Physical The physical aspect of writing is conveyed when you read it out loud. Mental The concept that introduces the evidence, and closes the argument. Spiritual Good writing informs. Great writing elevates. Key Elements from Ike Pigott Ike Pigott is a veteran communicator who transitioned from television news to corporate communications. Writing For Public Relations: On Writing And Editing Richard Becker, Copywrite, Ink. at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Accurate Accuracy matters above all. If the information is wrong, nothing else matters. Clear Clarity is less about the writing than the decision to be understood. Concise Concise writing strives for maximum impact with minimum means. Human Great writing has always been about having a conversation with the reader. Conspicuous Commands attention to draw readers in without being garish or cliche. Key Elements from Richard Becker Richard Becker is an accredited communicator and president of Copywrite, Ink. Writing For Public Relations: On Writing And Editing Richard Becker, Copywrite, Ink. at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas

“Any fool can make history, but it takes a genius to write it.” — Oscar Wilde Accuracy Writing For Public Relations: On Writing And Editing Richard Becker, Copywrite, Ink. at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas

• Medical practice found with no license. The error was made because the intern mispronounced the name. • Leeds links Internet and depression. Three in seven publications report that the Internet causes depression, which is unsupported by the study. • Encyclopedia Britannica comes under ﬁre. Irish political party reveals inaccuracies in the account of the Irish Civil War. Biased news release questions scientiﬁc data. Accuracy After CNBC runs the release verbatim, other publications and bloggers follow without fact checking. Writing For Public Relations: On Writing And Editing Richard Becker, Copywrite, Ink. at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas

“The difﬁculty of literature is not to write, but to write what you mean.” — Robert Louis Stevenson Clarity Writing For Public Relations: On Writing And Editing Richard Becker, Copywrite, Ink. at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas

• Wrong word usage tends to complicate. Sometimes they relate to homonyms; sometimes to an overused thesaurus. • Misplaced modiﬁers change the meaning. Most commonly associated with the placement of a descriptor. • Industry speak and semantics limit communication. Public relations professionals are tasked with being translators. Einstein on simultaneity. If, for instance, I say, “That train arrives here at 7 o’clock,” I Clarity mean something like this: “The pointing of the small hand of my watch to 7 and the arrival of the train are simultaneous events.” Writing For Public Relations: On Writing And Editing Richard Becker, Copywrite, Ink. at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas

“If you want me to give a two-hour presentation, I am ready today. If you want only a ﬁve-minute speech, it will take me two weeks to prepare.” — Mark Twain Concise Writing For Public Relations: On Writing And Editing Richard Becker, Copywrite, Ink. at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas

• The world’s longest sentence was 13,955 words. It was written by Jonathan Cole, beating William Faulkner and James Joyce. • Economy of language means putting the reader ﬁrst. Use as many words as it takes to clearly communicate your point. • The reality of a one-page news release. Conﬁning news to one page came about because of the “no news” release. CBS vs. Visa case study. Writing concise never means short. When CBS and Visa Concise released the same news, one release was three times the length and ten times the depth of the other. Writing For Public Relations: On Writing And Editing Richard Becker, Copywrite, Ink. at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas

“The hardest thing in the world is the writing of straight, honest prose about human beings.” — Ernest Hemingway Human Writing For Public Relations: On Writing And Editing Richard Becker, Copywrite, Ink. at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas

• Lack of empathy during salmonella crisis. Claims were made that regardless of tragedy, no law was broken. • Top Super Bowl ads capture a sense of nostalgia. The most effective ads recognized Americans want America to be great. • Real life inﬂuencers are unseen, and not measurable. Successful leaders transcend their personalities to align with community goals. Wisdom from Polykoff. The ﬁrst female copywriter at Human Foote, Cone & Belding said it right: advertising “copy is a direct conversation with the consumer.” credit: indigosociety Writing For Public Relations: On Writing And Editing Richard Becker, Copywrite, Ink. at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas

“Two people kissing always look like ﬁsh.” — Andy Warhol Conspicuous Writing For Public Relations: On Writing And Editing Richard Becker, Copywrite, Ink. at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas

• There are no boring stories, only boring writers. Readers have a hard time becoming passionate over passionless writing. • Never mistake conspicuous writing for being “cool.” Great writing never draws attention to itself. It opens a window in your mind. • When nothing is conspicuous, any errors tend to be. It became an issue for school board candidate who wanted to play an active “roll.” Wisdom from Ogilvy. Conspicuous A good advertisement is one that sells the product without drawing attention to itself. Writing For Public Relations: On Writing And Editing Richard Becker, Copywrite, Ink. at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas

“If you can change style, why stick with one style? Style is a vanity because it gives you product identiﬁcation.” — Norman Mailer Style Writing For Public Relations: On Writing And Editing Richard Becker, Copywrite, Ink. at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas

• Style is nothing more than putting communication into an acceptable form, whether it is a literary work, legislative bill, or written communication. Style Writing For Public Relations: On Writing And Editing Richard Becker, Copywrite, Ink. at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Basic English grammar textbook Any number of basic grammar textbooks can teach you the rules of the road. A collegiate dictionary It is an abridged dictionary with precise definitions and first usage, and devoid of slang. The Associated Press Stylebook The foremost guide to newspaper style in the world. The Chicago Manual of Style The most widely used guide by the publishing industry in the United States. The Elements of Style by Strunk & White A prescriptive treatment for English grammar and usage. Industry and organizational related guides Style Many industries have specialized dictionaries, definitions, and terms. Writing For Public Relations: On Writing And Editing Richard Becker, Copywrite, Ink. at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas

“Great writing requires great editing. Anything less isn’t worth reading.” — Richard Becker Editing Writing For Public Relations: On Writing And Editing Richard Becker, Copywrite, Ink. at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Content Make sure you communicate your point and provide evidence to support it. Structure Introduce a point and conclude with it as it is appropriate for what you are writing. Clarity Deﬁne every important term, making sure that the meaning is clear for your readers. Style Consider what you are writing and whether it is meant to be formal, informal, etc. Citation Reread the work and cite all appropriate quotes, ideas, and passages. Editing Writing For Public Relations: On Writing And Editing Richard Becker, Copywrite, Ink. at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Spelling Read backwards, forcing yourself to look at every word. Alliteration Read slowly, out loud, so you can hear how words sound together. Punctuation Lightly circle each punctuation mark, allowing you to consider usage. Processes Writing is a learning process that asks that we look for things we do not know. Application Offer to proof other people’s work, which helps you learn what you don’t know. Proofreading Writing For Public Relations: On Writing And Editing Richard Becker, Copywrite, Ink. at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas

“You say what you have to say. But you have to learn how to say it in such a way that the reader can see what you mean.” — Kurt Vonnegut Advanced Writing For Public Relations: On Writing And Editing Richard Becker, Copywrite, Ink. at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Show vs. tell The best writers do not assert. They allow readers to draw conclusions. Passive vs. active Let the subject take the action as opposed to the object. Grammar school vs. communication Paragraphs break at central ideas as opposed to being a perfect ﬁve sentences. Transitions vs. bullets Every paragraph needs to have a sentence that allows for a bridge to the next. Pace vs. preach Sentences do have a physical form that matches the speed in which we read them. Says vs. said Advanced Says is something we say all the time. Said is something we said once. Writing For Public Relations: On Writing And Editing Richard Becker, Copywrite, Ink. at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas

“I have known writers who paid no damned attention whatever to the rules of grammar and rhetoric and somehow made the language behave for them.” — Red Smith Final Thoughts Writing For Public Relations: On Writing And Editing Richard Becker, Copywrite, Ink. at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Richard R. Becker, ABC President, Copywrite, Ink. copywriteink.com copywriteink.blogspot.com 702.341.7135 Writing For Public Relations Richard Becker, Copywrite, Ink. at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas

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Writing For Public Relations: On Writing And Editing

by Rich Becker, Copywrite, Ink. on Feb 12, 2010

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