Home
>
Writing
>
Best Writing Advice I Ever Got

Best Writing Advice I Ever Got

I've been in the communications business a long time?over 25 years. During that period I've gathered writing suggestions from all over, and put much of it in my new book "Words That Stick."

In the next few paragraphs, I'll give you some of the best advice I've received. Perhaps some of this will help you write better instantly.

Writing is a one-to-one communication. The best writing literally comes alive. It makes the reader believe the writer is speaking to him or her alone.

I hope you enjoy this list of tips. After you read them, try a few out.

1. The headline ? or heading ? of a report is the most important part. Research tells us it's read four times as much as the rest of the copy. That's why it's gotta be really good.

2. My favorite headlines are slightly incongruous. They just don't quite make sense. That's what forces me to read more.

3. One of the strongest first sentences is one that asks a question. Example: "Do you have these symptoms of fatigue?"

4. It appears that the faster the world moves, the more readers gravitate to short copy. Most of us are looking for quick explanations and simple solutions. Can you provide those to your reader?

5. Readers generally quit reading because they get bored. Therefore, each paragraph should be exciting, logical, and compel the reader to keep going.

6. One of the best ways to convince the reader to agree with you is to provide testimonials. A testimonial is someone else's validation of your product or service.

7. The ending to a report should sound natural to the reader. If you begin the ending well ? by signaling your readers you're nearing the conclusion ? they will know to expect it in the next few sentences.

Rix Quinn's new book "Words That Stick" offers lots more writing ideas. You can order it through your local bookstore, or through Ten Speed Press http://www.tenspeed.com/catalog/all/item.php3?id=1661

bedroom cleaning professionals Glencoe ...

In The News:

Ahold Delhaize's cybersecurity incident knocked online ordering and digital coupons offline at Stop & Shop, Food Lion, Hannaford and Giant Food stores.

The Fox News AI Newsletter covers the latest artificial intelligence technology advancements, including the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Amazon's About You feature includes personality details from your shopping history, and some shoppers are finding hilariously awkward results.

Identity theft recovery starts with securing bank accounts, freezing credit and enabling two-factor authentication within the first 24 hours.

Apple's $299 HomeView smart display uses facial recognition to personalize screens for up to six household members and show live security camera feeds.

Domonique DuBose spotted red flags when a man on Hinge with 85,000 followers and a blue checkmark claimed to be a San Francisco 49ers player.

Your phone's location data can expose visits to doctors, pharmacies and places of worship. The FTC took action against data brokers selling this data.

Hackers targeted Danfoss refrigerator controls across French supermarkets, forcing chains like Carrefour and Monoprix to discard massive food stocks.

iOS 27 finally lets iPhone Shared Albums store photos and videos at full resolution in iCloud, but new items count toward the owner's storage.

A fake Facebook Marketplace text scam uses your real name as the seller to trick you into replying, and Malwarebytes warns even one response helps.

The Pentagon data breach exposed 2.76 million Social Security numbers and military records, raising long-term identity theft concerns for veterans.

Kodiak AI plans to haul IKEA freight on Texas highways with no one in the cab, raising urgent cybersecurity and safety questions for drivers.

Apple Intelligence in iOS 27 adds Extend and Reframe tools to Photos, letting iPhones generate new background areas beyond your original borders.

Microsoft's X account was hijacked to promote a crypto pump-and-dump scheme, exposing its more than 13 million followers to a scam campaign.

Scammers can combine your name, phone number and address with data breach details to attempt SIM swaps, phishing and even identity theft schemes.

ChatGPT Work, Meta Muse and Gemini Spark can monitor flight prices, sort your email inbox and track important deadlines, but savvy users start small.

iPhone, Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel each hide a built-in tool that turns a video frame into a separate photo without any screenshot needed.

Operation KillSwitch dismantled KillSec's ransomware infrastructure, but investigators say a 16-year-old allegedly ran the entire cybercrime operation.

The Fox News Artificial Intelligence newsletter covers where voters will decide on AI data center ballot measures and Jeff Bezos' tech vision.

Apple's Impersonation Risk Detection in iOS 27 can flag suspicious activity inside apps, but the setting is off by default and must be enabled.

Federal Election Commission records can expose your name, address, employer and donation history once contributions exceed the $200 threshold.

Cybersecurity expert Morgan Wright says human skepticism remains the strongest defense against AI-driven phishing scams and voice cloning fraud schemes.

iPhone, Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy each handle security updates differently, and one screen saying "up to date" may not tell the whole story.

Deborah Del Mastro heard what sounded like her daughter's terrified voice on the phone, launching a five-hour virtual kidnapping scam ordeal.

Hotel TV privacy risks go beyond forgotten passwords when you sign into Netflix or other streaming apps on shared devices you don't control.