The first two blogs in this series spoke to finding what to say in a blog, speech, article or podcast script, or other short form of writing. You can find them here and here.
Now we’re going to move onto practical tips to help you write your piece. Here are some quick tips to keep in mind:
Build Cadence
You want to develop your cadence—the rhythm of the words and syllables you use. Ideally, your writing will flow with a natural rhythm that pulls the reader through the piece. While the rhythm needs to be natural, it should not be repetitious. That will lull your audience to sleep. Nor should it be metered, which will make it feel like a Dr. Seuss book. The trick is to make sure when you read it aloud (even if it’s for the page) that it flows from one word to the next and one sentence to the next.
Ideas Should Flow Too
This one is fairly self-explanatory. Your ideas should build from the beginning, through the middle and onto the end. There should be a logical progression of ideas without backtracking, asides or digressions.
Use the Power of Three
Ideas presented in sets of three have more weight and attract more attention than two or four items. There is a certain cadence to three pieces. It also helps set up humor if you include two serious and one comic item in a set. Read more about using the power of three here.
Power of Story
Lean on story elements and anecdotes to bring life to your speech or article. Writing needs emotion to succeed. Story is the best way to access emotion. Share experiences; present nonfiction elements in narrative form for better presentation; have a beginning, middle and end.
Check Your Timing or Word Count
Every type of writing has its own prescribed length. Books fall within a certain word count (with some exceptions) by genre or type. Speeches fall within the time allotted. Articles must fit the space set aside in the magazine. Even screenplays have typical time frames. It is up to the writer to check the timing or word count to make sure it fits the prescribed length. Don’t send in a 400 page screenplay and expect it to sell. It won’t. It’s way too long, unless you are writing a mini-series or television series.
Circle Around
Speeches and articles work well when the conclusion circles back to the beginning in some way. Comedians use this trick for longer form punch lines. When possible try to circle back on ideas, phrases, facts or story elements. It will make your piece stronger in the end and provide a satisfying conclusion for your audience.
Reintroduce Your Subject
The old adage that says to tell your audience what you are going to say, then say it, and then tell them what you said is an adage because it works. Don’t shy away from repetition if you can do it well. That means it must be woven into the work so it’s a reminder but not an annoying repetition. Think of it as a touchstone for the subject matter or like a musical reprise.
Find Your Voice
If you writing for your own byline, then use your own voice and style. You may have to modify it a bit to match the style and tone of your venue, but otherwise it should be you. If you are writing for a client, you will need to match their tone, style and voice.
Write a Conclusion
Give your readers an ending. Don’t just end a piece without a wrap-up. The only exception to this is when writing a list, which does not demand an ending.
Care
You should care about what you are writing. If you aren’t interested in the subject, your audience won’t be either. It’s hard to mask disinterest. If you aren’t interested in the topic, you have a few choices: find something interesting within the material and focus on that in your writing; ask out if you can alter the topic to fit something you do care about; learn more about the subject to see if that changes your interest level; or decline the job for another you do care about. Don’t write the piece if you don’t care. You can’t fake it. It’s far better to recommend another writer or offer alternate topics. If you balk at this advice, think about how you would feel being asked to write a political speech for the opposing party. Would you do it? If you don’t believe what you’re saying, you shouldn’t. You won’t the do the job justice and the speech will likely fail or do worse than if you were writing from the other perspective. It isn’t fair to your client to accept the job.
Be Sincere
Like the point above, you need to approach your work with sincerity, honesty and good intentions.
In the next blog, we will cover tips on writing for the ear—speeches, podcasts, radio scripts, broadcast narration, and more.