What does Clay Schoenfeld's rule look like today? Back in the mid-20th century, academician and communication theorist Clay Schoenfeld recommended the 30-3-30 rule. That is, you should present your message as if one-third of your audience will give you: 30 minutes. These folks are readers, and don't we wish there were more of them! 3 minutes. They're not reading … [Read more...] about 30-3-30 redux
Archives for December 2014
Get clicked, read, shared and liked
Polish your Web writing with Shel Holtz and me in Santa Fe Would you like to learn to make your Web pages, blog posts and social media messages measurably easier to read and understand? Build buzz with digital storytelling? Help people find your content? If so, please join Shel Holtz and me for a two-day Web-writing Master Class on Feb. 11-12 in Santa Fe. And if you … [Read more...] about Get clicked, read, shared and liked
What makes it great?
New York Times spider story shows and tells The best stories ride up and down the rollercoaster of abstraction, showing for attention, then telling for meaning, then repeating the process again and again. This New York Times piece does exactly that, adding color to a complex scientific piece … [Read more...] about What makes it great?
Pass the dollar-bill test
If it looks easier to read, more people will read it One technique for making sure even a long story looks easy to read is to use Edmund Arnold's dollar-bill test. Arnold, a journalist and design consultant for more than 50 years, said that no chunk of copy should stretch longer than and wider than a dollar bill. Break copy up. To keep copy chunks short and … [Read more...] about Pass the dollar-bill test
All-time low
Americans average 19 minutes a day reading The average American reads for pleasure less than 20 minutes a day, according to a new study from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. At that rate, it would take most readers nearly a month to finish Divergent. How people spend their time Depending on where they live, Americans spend their time: Engaging in … [Read more...] about All-time low