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6 Traitsof Effective Digital Writing
with Margot Carmichael Lester
© 2017 by Teaching That Makes Sense, Inc. All rights reserved. For more information contact Margot Lester at [email protected]
Presentation Slides:http://www.slideshare.net/
Margot_Lester
© 2017 by Teaching That Makes Sense, Inc. All rights reserved. For more information contact Margot Lester at [email protected]
Session Overview Slug: Writing that gets results.
Story: It’s easier to improve our work when we know the traits that make good digital content.
News: Good *digital* writing is just good writing. Period.
So?: It’s not as hard as you think to be a better writer — online or off.
© 2017 by Teaching That Makes Sense, Inc. All rights reserved. For more information contact Margot Lester at [email protected]
Why We Care About Digital Writing
• Even print publications publish online editions, because people want to consume content online or on a mobile device.
• In today’s media-saturated world, it’s hard to get and hold anyone’s attention. Effective writing is sticky enough to keep readers reading.
© 2017 by Teaching That Makes Sense, Inc. All rights reserved. For more information contact Margot Lester at [email protected]
So?Researchers long ago identified the 6 Traits of Effective Writing.
We can adapt them to the digital realm and improve the quality and effectiveness of our online writing.
© 2017 by Teaching That Makes Sense, Inc. All rights reserved. For more information contact Margot Lester at [email protected]
Let’s Review the 6 Traits of
Effective Digital Writing
© 2017 by Teaching That Makes Sense, Inc. All rights reserved. For more information contact Margot Lester at [email protected]
The 6 Traits of Effective Digital Writing
1. Main idea, details and purpose 2. Organization (lede, ending,
sequence) 3. Voice and tone 4. Word choice 5. Sentence fluency 6. Conventions & formatting
© 2017 by Teaching That Makes Sense, Inc. All rights reserved. For more information contact Margot Lester at [email protected]
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The 1st Trait Ideas that are interesting
and important.
The 1st Trait Ideas that are interesting
and important.
Ideas are the heart of the piece — what we are writing about. Details are the evidence, explanations and examples we choose to support our ideas and address the needs of our readers. Purpose is what we want readers to think, feel and/or do.
© 2017 by Teaching That Makes Sense, Inc. All rights reserved. For more information contact Margot Lester at [email protected]
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The 2nd Trait Organization that’s logical
and effective.
The 2nd Trait Organization that’s logical
and effective.
Organization is the structure of our piece — the order of our ideas and details, and the way we move from one idea to the next. A logical flow from lede to ending is important to keep readers reading. Ideas drive organization.
© 2017 by Teaching That Makes Sense, Inc. All rights reserved. For more information contact Margot Lester at [email protected]
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The 3rd Trait Voice that’s individual
and appropriate.
The 3rd Trait Voice that’s individual
and appropriate.
Voice is the expression of the writer's personality through words. Tone is how the writing feels when we read it. The voice sets the tone.
EXAMPLES: Formal. Friendly. Smart. Sassy. Sympathetic. Authoritative. Excited. Angry.
© 2017 by Teaching That Makes Sense, Inc. All rights reserved. For more information contact Margot Lester at [email protected]
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.
The 4th Trait Words that are specific
and memorable.
The 4th Trait Words that are specific
and memorable.
Good writing uses just the right words for an audience that say just the right things. Sometimes that means technical jargon or big words, other times it means smaller, simpler language. When we write too far above or below our audience's needs and abilities, we lose them.
© 2017 by Teaching That Makes Sense, Inc. All rights reserved. For more information contact Margot Lester at [email protected]
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The 5th Trait Sentence fluency that’s smooth
and expressive.
The 5th Trait Sentence fluency that’s smooth
and expressive.
Fluent sentences are easy to understand and full of expression. They may be long or short. This is where we establish the rhythm that makes text easy to read and keeps readers engaged. Reading our writing out loud is a great way to check off sentence fluency.
© 2017 by Teaching That Makes Sense, Inc. All rights reserved. For more information contact Margot Lester at [email protected]
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The 6th Trait Conventions that are correct
and formatting that aids scanning.
The 6th Trait Conventions that are correct
and formatting that aids scanning.
Conventions are punctuation, spelling, usage and grammar. Formatting includes design elements like subheads, contextual links, images and lists that help readers skim and scan. These are the guideposts that help readers navigate content, especially longer descriptive writing read on mobile screens.
© 2017 by Teaching That Makes Sense, Inc. All rights reserved. For more information contact Margot Lester at [email protected]
How to Use the Traits• Choose one trait for you or your whole
newsroom to focus on in your next few assignments, then move on to another.
• Ask your editor/advisor which traits you’re pretty good at and which ones you could do better at.
• Use the traits to evaluate your own or other writer’s copy.
© 2017 by Teaching That Makes Sense, Inc. All rights reserved. For more information contact Margot Lester at [email protected]
The 6 Traitsof Effective Digital Writing
with Margot Carmichael Lester
Twitter: @word_factory Blog: thewordfactory.com/our-blog
Instagram: @beabetterwriter
Thanks for attending
© 2017 by Teaching That Makes Sense, Inc. All rights reserved. For more information contact Margot Lester at [email protected]
