Map out your story on Ann's roller coaster grid The best stories show, then tell, then show, then tell, again and again and again. And the best pieces mix up their concrete details with stories, statistics, scenarios and more. How does your story shape up against that standard? To find out, use this grid to map out your story. On it, note which kinds of concrete … [Read more...] about Show and tell
Archives for July 2014
Time to tweet
When will you get the most action on Twitter? Timing is important, says Jakob Nielsen, "the king of usability": "Once [tweets] scroll off the first screen, they’re essentially 6 feet under." Nielsen’s preferred tweeting time is 9:01 a.m. Pacific, because that encompasses working hours from California to the United Kingdom, where most of his audience members live. He … [Read more...] about Time to tweet
Start your story with a statistics lead
Grab reader attention by writing with numbers Stumped for a story starter? Try a statistics lead. Yes, writing with numbers can be tough. A bunch of boring figures can make readers' eyes glaze over wherever you place them. But startling statistics — underline the word “startling” — can make a great lead. When writing your next lead, surprise and delight readers with a … [Read more...] about Start your story with a statistics lead
Give your copy a makeover
WWAD? Find out with our before-and-after service Ever wonder how Ann would have written your release, article, post or page? Find out with Ann’s writing makeovers. She’ll rewrite your message, showing you how to reach more readers. How it works Send us your writing samples in Word, and we’ll: Rewrite your headlines, decks, leads and links. Show you how … [Read more...] about Give your copy a makeover
Get more free writing tips
Join us on our new social media channels If you like Wylie's Writing Tips, you'll love our new social media channels. There, you can: Dig deeper into the topics we explore in the e-zine Keep up with what Ann's reading Find Ann's favorite quotes Download our at-a-glance tools and cheat-sheets And more! Interested? If so, join us on one or more of Wylie … [Read more...] about Get more free writing tips