This was a short presentation on the basics of good writing across different platforms that seeks to get students to think about WHY they write as much as HOW.

1. Writing Workshop
Charlie Beckett
@Charliebeckett
Polis, LSE
November 2014

2. Why communicate?

3. Why communicate?
• Your own entertainment
• To achieve practical outcomes
• To influence
• To spread ideas
• To stimulate debate
• To make money

4. How to communicate?

5. How to communicate?
• What do you want to say?
• Why should anyone pay attention?
• What do you want them to do?

6. Reasons to read
• Entertainment: you are funny, sexy, angry
• Algorithms/click bait: ‘Kim Kardashian booty’
• Curiosity Gap: ‘You won’t believe this’
• Reputation: ‘We think this about that’
• Adding value: information, data, material,
content, context, references, contacts, etc

7. It’s different online

8. It’s the platform and the network
• Match your style to the platform
• Match your style to the audience
• Use all the potential elements including video,
images, audio, graphics
• Use different platforms: pinterest, vine,
audioboo, snapchat, medium
• Create your own web presence – blog,
aboutme

9. Tricks of the online trade
http://onlinejournalismblog.com/2014/10/13/scarf-a-content-strategy-mnemonic-for-journalists/

10. Some suggestions
• Positive elements & images increase sharing
• Don’t say anything you wouldn’t say in person to
that person
• Remember everything is public, everything stays
online somewhere
• Acknowledge interaction
• Always correct, always apologise – quickly!
• Imagine you in a bar or dinner party – what can
you contribute to the conversation?

11. Other advice:
Suzanne Moore’s writing tips on
mumsnet

12. Just write better: Orwell