Why your writing needs an MOT

You probably had lessons in school about how to write essays or stories. But that’s no use when you need to craft news items, opinion pieces, press releases, speeches and much more.

By Anne Nicholls

Being able to write well is one of the core skills that all public relations professionals need. Of course we can all write – in a fashion. But not everyone can create language that persuades, enlightens and inspires. Tools like ChatGPT and CoPilot can be useful as a basis, but you still need the artistry to turn dull prose into something that leaps off the page.

I believe that you can learn how to write well, yet few of us have actually been taught how to do it. You probably had lessons in school about how to write essays or stories. But that’s no use when you need to craft news items, opinion pieces, press releases, speeches, web content, social media posts, business reports and much more. Most of us learn on the job. But without a good mentor or critical friend your writing will probably remain stuck in a groove that’s fit for purpose but won’t make the leap from competent to outstanding. Time for an MOT check.

Some people believe that good writers are born with a gift. But many of the world’s finest – whether journalists, novelists, poets or playwrights – have spent years mastering their craft, yet still agonise over finding the exact words to convey meaning. Some admit to writing garbage in the early years of their career before they mastered their craft. Even Shakespeare produced a few rotten tomatoes.

Now I have always found writing tough. Words never flowed naturally. But over the years I’ve managed to learn some of the tricks of the trade so that I can now claim to be a reasonably competent writer. But it’s taken time and dedication. And I still sometimes cringe at things I have written.

So during the pandemic I decided to do an MOT check and read some of the 30 or more books on writing (I mention three at the end of this article) that had sat idle on my shelves for years. I also took some online courses. One I can recommend is Writing With Flair’ (available on Udemy) taught by Shani Raja, former Wall Street Journal editor. Another (which I took recently) is a course in business writing and storytelling run by the Economist Education Unit which has the added benefit of feedback from the professionals.

So what nuggets have I gleaned? Here are some to use as a checklist to before you do your final edit and press send.

1. Have something to say

This sounds blindingly obvious, but you must have a reason for writing. Is it to persuade people to change their behaviour – maybe stop using fat reduction pills or start eating pomegranate seeds? Do you want to tell them what you think about the latest film release to help them decide whether to see it? Perhaps you want to raise awareness of a social injustice. Or maybe you just want to have a good old rant about something that makes you squirm, hoping that this will hit a nerve somewhere. Whatever your motive, make sure you’re clear on your purpose.

2. Understand your audience

It’s amazing how many people don’t have a clear idea who they are writing for. Even if you know who they are, do you really understand their pain points and what keeps them awake at night? Think how you can solve their problems. If your audience is teachers, for instance, you need to know how best to contact them, at what time of day and the words that will make them click ‘open’ on emails. If it’s gen Z then you need a different set of communication channels and messages.

3. Don’t make assumptions

You need to know how much prior knowledge your audience has. Have you pitched your language at the right level? If you work in the financial sector it’s easy to assume that your audience will know what an IPO (an initial public offering – basically floating a company on the stock exchange) is or what supply side reform means when speaking about the economy. Academics are particularly bad, using expressions like “postmodernism” without explaining what they mean. The effect is that the reader eventually gives up reading. Always spell out acronyms. (The only exceptions are well-known organisations like the BBC.)

4. Create a structure

News reports and press releases usually have a simple structure - who, why, when, where, how … and maybe why. Other types of writing, from features, reviews and opinion pieces to business proposals, advertorials and research reports need a different approach. What’s essential is that you have a structure that’s fit for purpose. For example, a feature based around a celebrity profile could start with a description of their room, or an anecdote. Rarely would the writer start chronologically with their early childhood. Remember to use linking words or phrases between paragraphs so that the whole piece flows naturally.

5. Tell stories

Psychologists have found that people remember things much more easily if information is presented as a story instead of a set of facts. Storytelling has been hard wired into our culture throughout history. The author Malcolm Gladwell (author of The Tipping Point and Blink) uses stories to set the scene and engage readers before making his salient point which makes his books so memorable. I once made the mistake of just writing a list of bullet points in an annual report when I should have told the story of the organisation which was so much more compelling.

6. Be clear and precise

You don’t have to be a pedant, making sure your subject agrees with the object and avoids split infinitives. You should never use vague phrases like “the general public" or "data sources" without explaining what you mean. In the education sector you constantly come across phrases like "education providers" and "sector organisations". Why not just say lecturers and further education colleges? And don’t get me started on business waffle with expressions like "outside the box" or "results driven marketing strategies".

7. Use simple language

George Orwell says never use a long word if a short one will do. Why? Short words and sentences are much easier to read than long rambling ones. Aim to write as you speak. That means sometimes breaking the rules by starting a sentence with "And …"

However, there are a few exceptions. Sometimes a more formal style is appropriate and you need to make sure your sentences are grammatically correct, as with business reports. You may sometimes need to vary your language and use longer Latin-based words alongside shorter Anglo-Saxon ones to create rhythm and variety. But avoid rambling expressions that contain redundant language like "At the end of the day when we have considered all points of view …"

8. Be sparing in your use of adverbs, adjectives and "verbalisations"

Replacing a phrase like "he ran quickly" (containing an adverb) can be improved by simply saying "he sprinted". That helps to add pace and punch to your writing. You should also avoid verbalisation or ‘verbing’, which is the process of creating verbs from nouns. Examples are "to strategize" (from the noun "strategy") and "to conceptualise" (from the noun "concept"). A page full of these kinds of words makes the reader switch off.

9. Avoid passive verbs

The phrase "A goal was scored at the match" is meaningless as it doesn’t tell you who scored it. Use active verbs in most circumstances as they convey clarity. However, there are occasions where the passive voice can be used to avoid placing the blame on particular people. An example is "It was decided to reject the proposal".

10. Use comparisons and metaphors

"The Glastonbury festival site is approximately the size of 500 football pitches" is far more evocative than "The site covers around 1,500 acres". Similarly, metaphors add colour and help people to visualise a situation. The Daily Mail sketch writer Quentin Letts is a master of the art of metaphor, bringing to life dull debate in the House of Commons.

But my favourite is by Lynn Truss (author of Eats Shoots and Leaves) who described the comma as a "separator" by comparing it to a dog that "tears about the hillside of language" organising words, sorting, dividing, circling, herding and rounding up stray clauses. Brilliant. A world of warning. George Orwell said: "Never use a metaphor, simile or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print." In other words, unless you can come up with something original don’t bother.

11. Avoid repetition

Check for repeated words and find alternatives. I used to work for an organisation that run courses. When constantly faced with text that started with "This course is designed to …." I had to find alternatives. Here’s an example: "There are over 100,000 vacancies in the social care sector at the moment, yet not enough people are applying for jobs. One of the barriers is that they don’t have the basic qualifications. This course will …." You get the drift? There are exceptions to this rule where repetition can be effective. Just read Martin Luther King’s ‘I have a dream’ speech.

12. Read and practise

Some elements of good writing will sink in by osmosis, but you should be forensic in your analysis of news stories, features, social media content and more. Ask yourself questions. How is this article structured? Does it start with a story or plunge straight into the who, what, why, when and where pattern? Who has been interviewed and how are the quotes used? What is the core message and how is it expressed? Don’t just skim read. Look at text with the eyes of a detective. And be forensic in your analysis.

These are my three favourite books on writing. I don’t suggest you sit down and read from cover to cover but just dip in and out. You will find some real gems.

Writing Tools. 55 Essential Strategies for Every Writer by Roy Clark
The 55 chapters in his book, by one of the foremost writing teachers in the USA, are stuffed full of advice for both fiction and non-fiction writers. The book is divided into four sections: Nuts and Bolts, Special Effects, Blueprints and Useful Habits, with exercises at the end of each chapter.

Write to the Point by Sam Leith
Good writing is how you get a voice down on paper, says Leith. A whole chapter is devoted to understanding your audience and how the brain processes language. But my favourite is the chapter on sentence surgery which describes common mistakes as ‘the interrupter’, ‘the confuser’, ‘the monitor’ and ‘pomposo furioso’.

Do I Make Myself Clear? Why Writing Well Matters by Sir Harold Evans
A masterclass in clear writing and editing from the maestro. Evans’ mission is remove the fogginess from the English language by raging against instructions that don’t instruct, official documents where the meaning is buried in a labyrinth of meaningless words and waffle dressed up as high level digital content. Essential reading.

Anne Nicholls is a freelance PR/communications professional specialsing in education and careers. She is chair of the CIPR’s Education and Skills sector group.