Comments on: Is it TOO easy to read? Some readers may complain! http://www.divinewrite.com/blog/copywriting/whats-informal/ All things copywriting - and quite a bit about SEO Tue, 31 Jan 2012 22:04:21 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 By: Dear grammar Nazis: Even Stephen Fry’s on my side. http://www.divinewrite.com/blog/copywriting/whats-informal/comment-page-1/#comment-43756 Dear grammar Nazis: Even Stephen Fry’s on my side. Wed, 20 Oct 2010 03:50:57 +0000 http://www.divinewrite.com/blog/?p=224#comment-43756 [...] blogged a few times (and ranted many more) about the need for more readable writing, despite certain rules. [...] [...] blogged a few times (and ranted many more) about the need for more readable writing, despite certain rules. [...]

]]> By: Readers don’t notice poor copy – They FEEL it. Here’s why… http://www.divinewrite.com/blog/copywriting/whats-informal/comment-page-1/#comment-30235 Readers don’t notice poor copy – They FEEL it. Here’s why… Tue, 22 Sep 2009 04:45:39 +0000 http://www.divinewrite.com/blog/?p=224#comment-30235 [...] Transitional devices connect ideas to provide coherence. Read more about transitional devices and copywriting. [...] [...] Transitional devices connect ideas to provide coherence. Read more about transitional devices and copywriting. [...]

]]> By: jack http://www.divinewrite.com/blog/copywriting/whats-informal/comment-page-1/#comment-28680 jack Fri, 24 Jul 2009 12:51:45 +0000 http://www.divinewrite.com/blog/?p=224#comment-28680 Very few people visit their doctors and argue about the diagnosis and treatment. A corporate lawyer makes his/her legal assessment and very few people disagree about the law. That's not the case with writers -- for two reasons: one, people believe that since they are consumers of writing, they must also be expert producers of writing; two, writers do not have position power so their expertise can be ignored. The solution is risky. Insist on writing well and offer to resign the assignment if the client resists. That, in effect, is what doctors and lawyers do. Of course, they have the pressure of malpractice lawsuits to give them steel in their spines. But they act in concert. With few exceptions, there is general agreement about the proper practice of law and medicine. So, if a client were to go to another practitioner, he or she would usually get the same advice. Hungry writers, on the other hand, will cooperate with a delusional client to get and keep the work. Therein lies the problem. If writers were to act in concert, the client will gain some respect for them. Of course, that's delusional on my part. Writers are constantly trashing other writers work. Very few people visit their doctors and argue about the diagnosis and treatment. A corporate lawyer makes his/her legal assessment and very few people disagree about the law. That’s not the case with writers — for two reasons: one, people believe that since they are consumers of writing, they must also be expert producers of writing; two, writers do not have position power so their expertise can be ignored.

The solution is risky. Insist on writing well and offer to resign the assignment if the client resists. That, in effect, is what doctors and lawyers do. Of course, they have the pressure of malpractice lawsuits to give them steel in their spines. But they act in concert. With few exceptions, there is general agreement about the proper practice of law and medicine. So, if a client were to go to another practitioner, he or she would usually get the same advice.

Hungry writers, on the other hand, will cooperate with a delusional client to get and keep the work. Therein lies the problem. If writers were to act in concert, the client will gain some respect for them. Of course, that’s delusional on my part. Writers are constantly trashing other writers work.

]]> By: Glenn Murray http://www.divinewrite.com/blog/copywriting/whats-informal/comment-page-1/#comment-28676 Glenn Murray Fri, 24 Jul 2009 06:36:44 +0000 http://www.divinewrite.com/blog/?p=224#comment-28676 Yeah, I think some clients just can't put aside their school education and think from the reader's perspective... Yeah, I think some clients just can’t put aside their school education and think from the reader’s perspective…

]]> By: Linda Suttie http://www.divinewrite.com/blog/copywriting/whats-informal/comment-page-1/#comment-28650 Linda Suttie Thu, 23 Jul 2009 00:52:14 +0000 http://www.divinewrite.com/blog/?p=224#comment-28650 I can't tell you the amount of times a client comes back to me and says "It's not correct to start a sentence with 'and' or 'but' - in fact I had a client who was horrified that I would call myself a "writer" and then start my sentences that way. I just pointed her to TIME magazine one of the world's most respected publications and told her to have a read. Not to mention any one of the thousands of ads in mags these days. There's no doubt that the trend is for natural conversational writing. It makes sense and it's more fun to write! Of course there are jobs where a more serious tone is required - more and more reason to have a client sign off on a creative brief which specifies tone. I can’t tell you the amount of times a client comes back to me and says “It’s not correct to start a sentence with ‘and’ or ‘but’ – in fact I had a client who was horrified that I would call myself a “writer” and then start my sentences that way. I just pointed her to TIME magazine one of the world’s most respected publications and told her to have a read. Not to mention any one of the thousands of ads in mags these days. There’s no doubt that the trend is for natural conversational writing. It makes sense and it’s more fun to write! Of course there are jobs where a more serious tone is required – more and more reason to have a client sign off on a creative brief which specifies tone.

]]> By: Glenn Murray http://www.divinewrite.com/blog/copywriting/whats-informal/comment-page-1/#comment-25449 Glenn Murray Mon, 09 Feb 2009 00:16:57 +0000 http://www.divinewrite.com/blog/?p=224#comment-25449 Hi Trey. Good point. And welcome! Hi Trey. Good point. And welcome!

]]> By: Trey - Swollen Thumb Entertainment http://www.divinewrite.com/blog/copywriting/whats-informal/comment-page-1/#comment-25411 Trey - Swollen Thumb Entertainment Sat, 07 Feb 2009 08:59:11 +0000 http://www.divinewrite.com/blog/?p=224#comment-25411 Those transitional devices are used to make the reading more effortless and fun to read. Legal forms are designed NOT to be read, so the absense of the transitions are on purpose. I think that the best writing is the writing that is most accessible to a large group of people, while still getting the most "punch" from the language that is being used. Those transitional devices are used to make the reading more effortless and fun to read. Legal forms are designed NOT to be read, so the absense of the transitions are on purpose. I think that the best writing is the writing that is most accessible to a large group of people, while still getting the most “punch” from the language that is being used.

]]> By: Glenn Murray http://www.divinewrite.com/blog/copywriting/whats-informal/comment-page-1/#comment-25382 Glenn Murray Thu, 05 Feb 2009 22:46:01 +0000 http://www.divinewrite.com/blog/?p=224#comment-25382 Hey Jack. Welcome! And nice analogies. Couldn't agree more! I definitely think some clients see copy as a ceremony. Hey Jack. Welcome! And nice analogies. Couldn’t agree more! I definitely think some clients see copy as a ceremony.

]]> By: Jack http://www.divinewrite.com/blog/copywriting/whats-informal/comment-page-1/#comment-25378 Jack Thu, 05 Feb 2009 19:28:50 +0000 http://www.divinewrite.com/blog/?p=224#comment-25378 The question is, is writing some kind of ritual or is it an effort to gets some communicating done. If it's a ritual, then like other ceremonies, it doesn't have to make sense. If it's a way of communicating, then one ought to pull out all of the stops and make it easy to read. I remember reading the conclusion of a study some time back. It said that even well educated readers prefer simple. short sentences. Why drive up a steep hill in fourth gear unless getting to the top is less important than straining the tranny. The question is, is writing some kind of ritual or is it an effort to gets some communicating done. If it’s a ritual, then like other ceremonies, it doesn’t have to make sense. If it’s a way of communicating, then one ought to pull out all of the stops and make it easy to read. I remember reading the conclusion of a study some time back. It said that even well educated readers prefer simple. short sentences. Why drive up a steep hill in fourth gear unless getting to the top is less important than straining the tranny.

]]> By: Glenn (Owner) http://www.divinewrite.com/blog/copywriting/whats-informal/comment-page-1/#comment-25315 Glenn (Owner) Tue, 03 Feb 2009 03:02:09 +0000 http://www.divinewrite.com/blog/?p=224#comment-25315 Good point @Kimota! It's crazy, but there does seem to be an obsession amongst some reviewers with complex-sounding copy. It ain't for me! (Could ya tell?!) Good point @Kimota! It’s crazy, but there does seem to be an obsession amongst some reviewers with complex-sounding copy. It ain’t for me! (Could ya tell?!)

]]>