Getting Ready to Write

One of the simple tricks that professional writers learn can greatly ease the process of getting ready to write: look for a model of the kind of article you need to do, then dissect it, analyze it—and copy it. Beginners sometimes worry that this is cheating, if not plagiarism, but it’s nothing of the kind. It is, indeed, the way novice writers were traditionally trained at newspapers and wire services. (plagiarism, though, is a subject of increasing importance on the Web, and is dealt with in the A to Z index.)

For aspiring Web writers, this means becoming familiar with the best websites that feature the kinds of articles that you’re seeking to write. In addition to content formats, you will also see the best-practice approach to writing headings and summaries.

If you’re writing a corporate news bulletin, for instance, you could do a lot worse than visit one of the top news sites, such as “TECH NEWS” at ZDNet (www.zdnet.com) and see how their stories are constructed. Here’s the heading and first three paragraphs of an article that appeared on April 2, 2001:

NETCENTIVES TO CUT 120 JOBS

U.S. Web-based marketing firm Netcentives said on Monday it would cut about 120 jobs in a cost-cutting effort that would help bring its earnings per share above Wall Street’s forecasts.

In a statement, Netcentives also said President Eric Larsen would become chief executive, replacing West Shell III. Shell will remain chairman.

Netcentives said a cost-cutting effort would save about $40 million in the 2001 fiscal year. “The company’s cost reduction plan includes several initiatives such as: a reduction in contract labor; cuts in administrative, travel and capital expenditures; and a reduction in work force of approximately 120 people,” the statement said.

The heading is short, to the point, and factual. The first paragraph gives just a bit of background about the company, states the news, and tells you “why” the company says it’s doing what it’s doing. The second paragraph gives the next-most-important news. The third fills out the news a bit, and provides a direct quote from the company’s press release.

That’s a pretty good recipe for a breaking-news story, and a novice writer trying to put together a news piece could save a lot of potential flailing around by adopting the format.

Say you’re asked to write a fact sheet for a corporation. A good place to start would be at one of the slicker Fortune 500 company websites, such as General Electric’s, and see what they do. At www.ge.com/factsheet.html you’ll find a two-page fact sheet that’s an excellent model.

GE’s fact sheet begins with a tight two-paragraph “About GE” section, then has a complete “financial highlights” section, and a listing of awards and honors the company has received. The second page features 20 one-paragraph descriptions of GE’s business segments (linked to the appropriate parts of the website) and, finally, a social responsibility statement.

Although the company you’re describing won’t warrant the exact same treatment (few companies have as many business segments as GE!), this fact sheet is an excellent model of Web-friendly writing and design.

Novice writers often make two mistakes: they think they need to be entirely original, and they think they need to wait for “inspiration.” Take it from the pros: for most kinds of writing, originality and inspiration are overrated. There are only a few ways to begin an article, and most often, the right one won’t seem very original. As for inspiration, writers should always bear in mind that old maxim of Thomas Alva Edison: “Genius is 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration.”

When getting ready to write, always try to read the type of writing your reader reads. Say your target reader is a financial analyst, chances are they’ll read the Wall Street Journal and the Financial Times. Read a number of issues. If nothing else, you’ll get a feel for the basic tone and style of financial writing. For the writer who wants to get published, read the content your target editor publishes. It will give you a sense of what kind of writing to emulate.