Five Optical Illusions To Make Your Writing Look Smarter, Sharper
Keywords: writing, appearances, how-to
*The artwork of M.C. Escher shows crazy worlds in which staircases appear to go nowhere and people “sit” upside down or sideways.
*The plywood pillar at your local museum is painted a creamy, mottled white, with deep grey veins and other imperfections so it looks like real marble.
*When you put your dinner on a 12-inch plate instead of a 17-inch one, you eat less food and feel more satisfied by it.
What do these three facts have in common? They are all optical illusions. Illusions are important in writing, too. A piece that looks great will read better than one that is visually dull or confusing.
I’m old enough to have attended college when students commonly submitted essays written by hand. But even back in those dark, pre-computer ages, I learned pretty quickly that typewriting my work guaranteed a grade that was at least 10% higher! Anyone who doesn’t pay attention to presentation is like the college student who insists on writing by hand — or the chef who slaves over a luscious five-star meal and then slops it onto a blue plastic plate. But here’s the good news. It’s easy to improve your writing presentation. Let me give you five simple tricks you can adopt.
1) Use short paragraphs. When I was in grade 7, Sister Miriam Claire tried to convince us that paragraphs were defined by their content. She used scary words like “topic sentence” and “unity” and “coherence.” Then, when I became a journalist, I learned a much easier rule: Paragraphs have nothing to do with content — they are simply a visual tool. Those lovely white indent marks not only give your audience a space to rest its eyes — they make it easier for readers to find their place. Think of your indents as little life preservers floating in the stormy sea of grey type. Use one every four sentences or so. (Note: If you are writing for a very narrow column width, or if your sentences are very long, indent even more frequently.)
2) Use subheads.Subheads are mini-headlines That appear in the middle of stories. They used to be common in newspapers and magazines but seem to be out of favour now. But they are ubiquitous on the web — and for good reason. Subheads provide extra entry points for skimmers and scanners. Just be sure to do them right. I see too many subheads that are simply “labels.” A good subhead is both interesting and specific. And it also uses a verb.
Boring, label subhead: Snorkeling
Better subhead:Swim beside jewel-hued fish
3) Highlight key words or sentences. If you’re a woman of a certain age, the salon adds highlights to your hair for a darn good reason — they make you look younger, richer and more interesting. Likewise, boldface and italics can help infuse your copy with extra appeal. Just don’t make the common mistake of over-using the highlights and becoming the literary equivalent of a bleached blonde. Many writers fail to appreciate that italics and boldface are actually harder to read than regular Roman type. These specialized typefaces should be used sparingly –a few words at a time– and not in great swaths of copy.
4) Use bullets or numbers. We human beings are hard-wired to appreciate parallel thoughts and good organization. If you provide bullets or numbers, your audience will likely continue reading until the end. Giving your readers a list is a bit like setting a bowl of pretzels in front of them. You can relax knowing that they’ll keep eating until the bowl is empty. (You may have noticed that today’s column has both bullets and numbers.)
5) Use white space generously. In addition to indenting, add other white space whenever you have the opportunity. You can use it between paragraphs, between sections, before and after graphics. Just as a mat and frame help make a photo look better and more significant, so, too, white space will dramatically improve the look of your words.
Optical illusion? Or smart writing? You decide.
A former journalist, Daphne Gray-Grant is a writing and editing coach who helps people writer better, faster. Visit her website at www.publicationcoach.com where you can sign up for her free weekly newsletter on power writing.
Previous Articles Highlighter:
3 Powerful Ways To Increase Your Affiliate Commissions (1)
I have been a successful affiliate marketer for a few years. If you are entering the business or are already making strides to find your own success you will find these three tips will dramatically increase your affiliate commissions: 1.
To Extend Your Car's Life, Clean Your Rc Car Kit (2)
Shake off as much dirt as you can, then spray some denatured alcohol to get the rest of it. If you are lucky enough to have an air compressor nearby, you can drive a car with it.
Credit Card Debt Consolidation: Get Out Of Trouble The Easy Way (3)
The stress of paying all the loans on time and not meeting the creditors' demands will all be gone with consolidation. Give a thought to the time that you will save yourself with credit card consolidation loans.
Benefit From 50 Books Each Year... Without Having To Create Extra Time To Read It (4)
For the bookworms back in college that want to continue reading but can't afford the time anymore, you now have a solution in audio books. Whether you want to use your PC, cassette tape player, CD or even any PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), it is now possible and within your reach for peanuts.
How To Minimize Risk When Buying At Real Estate Auction (5)
But with this reward comes great risk. The greatest way to minimize risk when investing in real estate is to do your homework. Heres a checklist to help you out: Find out how much of a cash deposit you will need at auction.
Preventing Bad Habits In New Kittens (6)
Cats love high places, so the kitchen counter strikes them as a great place to watch the world go by. If your cat also finds food up there, they've just had major reinforcement for this bad habit.
The Physical Description Of The Cat (7)
Secondary hairs, usually classified as awn hairs (bristly tipped and medium in length) or down hairs (fine, crinkled, and short in length) grow in groups from single openings. Grooming needs are determined not so much by coat length as by coat type.
Understanding Cats Behavior - Part 2 (8)
Keywords: cat, cats, feline, kitten, kittens The dominance of male cats is decided by the following; the bigger, stronger and younger cat wins his place in the hierarchy. He does not always have to fight to work his way up the ladder, because older or weaker cats may submit peacefully; nor does any one cat have to fight every other cat in a group where the hierarchy has been well established.
RC Cars For Kids Of All Ages (9)
When you are considering the purchase of a remote control car, think about what you were be using it for. Will it be a gift for child? Perhaps a less expensive models from the toy store will fit the bill.
About Your Cats Tongue (10)
Water is an essential ingredient and is involved in virtually every function of a cats body. Contributing To A Cats Sense of Taste: Cats also have a highly developed sense of smell and they notice changes in their food.
Newer Articles Highlighter:
Learn Why An RV Is Great For Vacations (1)
These quality RVs give you all of the comforts of home while you are vacationing and traveling. They are equipped with beds, kitchens, bathrooms, and showers. Some of them come with built in televisions and radios depending on the bells and whistles that you are looking for.
Advantages Of A Hybrid Car (2)
Paired with this gas powered automobile engine is an electrical motor, as well as a heavy duty battery that are snuggly connected throughout the engine maze of pipes and mechanisms that when energized can provide propulsion to move your automobile forward.
Find The Trend..Follow The Trend (3)
Ex: When the last movie in 'The Matrix' trilogy was released I created a news release with the subject of breaking free from the 'Financial Matrix'. I received a good response from online newsletters and some minor blurbs in small papers.
The Music Industry -- How To Lose Money And Ruin Your Career With A Number One Hit Song? (4)
The stores are aware of you, the internet downloading services are aware of you, and fans in general are aware of you. After all, a number 30 hit on your first release is not too shabby.
Natural Hair Loss Remedy Discovered In Apples (5)
Kern is a researcher and publisher of New Health & Longevity, a newsletter devoted to the latest advances in medical nutritional science. Get the full story on this new natural hair loss remedy now at www.applepoly.com
Understanding Commission-Based Affiliate Programs (6)
You can increase your website's traffic quite a bit just by offering products and services that are relevant to your site's content. Choosing commission-based affiliate programs means that you will earn a percentage of each sale you make by referring others to the product, program, or service.
Online Courses: Do The Advantages Outweigh The Disadvantages? (7)
However, for thousands of students worldwide, the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages. For these students, attending school online is an effective way to attain their educational goals and advance in their career.
Starting A Work-at-Home Business (8)
Because these business simply were not planned out as well as they should've been. If you want to start your own work at home business, you will have to lay out good plans from the very beginning.
Goodbye Trips To The Gas Station (9)
In that case, you might never burn a drop of gas during the life of the car." In addition, the Chevrolet Volt is designed to run on E85, a fuel blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline.
Affiliate Marketing Secret - Build Your Own Mailing List Even If You're An Affiliate (10)
Once you have setup your opt-in form, the only remaining step is to drive various traffic sources to your opt-in list, collect their email addresses and then wait for the commissions to roll in!
Permalink to Five Optical Illusions To Make Your Writing Look Smarter, Sharper