People say they're afraid of writing letters to the media or politicians because they're afraid of looking foolish or because they have writer's block. As an editor, writing coach, opinion page editor and aide to a politician, I've seen the full gamut of effective and throw-away missives supporting and opposing things.
Here are 10 tips for make your letter to decision-makers more effective and easier to produce:
Start with a simple statement
If the intended reader only looks at the first sentence, make it the one that slams home your point. It’s also an easier way to get started without fretting over language. Think of it as writing the headline:
"I oppose spending more tax dollars on stimulus packages."
"Please vote for Senate Bill 1322 to promote managed competition."
"I don't believe you can fix the deficit without also fixing Medicare and Social Security."
“I support the school bond issue.”
Let that single, clear declaration stand alone as the first paragraph. That gives it more weight and power.
Follow that with why
What’s wrong with the stimulus package? Why do we need managed competition for government services? Why do those entitlements have to be on the table in deficit reduction? Give your best two or three reasons, not the whole list. Using bullets makes information easy to absorb. Take the entitlements letter, for example:
I don't believe you can fix the deficit without also addressing Medicare and Social Security.
Those two programs alone account for far too much of federal spending to be left out of the solution. Without revamping these entitlements, we never will get out of the debt hole, and our economy and our people will suffer.
Also:
• People are living longer today than when these programs began, so the problem will grow.
• Fewer workers are available to pay for more and more retiree benefits.
• If we don’t reform it now, it will fail eventually. Delaying reform will destroy the very program we want to save.
End with a statement saying what you want them to do:
“Please vote yes to put the school bond issue to a public vote.”
Use short sentences
Long, convoluted sentences, such as those stack supplemental information in the middle of clauses set off by commas, which steers the reader away from the initial point, the one you most wanted to make when you first decided to write the letter, an effective way to get leaders' attention, by the way, you create a circumstance in which the reader can't remember the subject by the time the verb or object comes along. (Do you remember the first three words of that sentence?)
Use short sentences. Add information in following sentences. It's much easier to understand. (See?)
Use short paragraphs
Big blocks of gray type are hard to read and intimidating. Short paragraphs also impose a discipline on the writer to get to the point.
Use common words
Don't try to impress with $50 words. The No. 1 goal of writing is clarity. If the reader doesn't understand the message, it failed. Jargon is not only boring, it’s less direct. “Helped” or “hurt” are more clear than “impacted,” which could mean either, or something else. If you mean “buy,” don’t use “acquire,” which could involve means other than purchasing.
Small words are clear. Grandiloquent verbosity is obtuse.
Use your own voice
Don’t try to write like someone else. Write like you talk. When I was editing reporters, I made them tell me what the story was about before I would look at the copy they turned in. Often, I had them rewrite the story to more resemble what they said.
Read it out loud
When you're done, read what you wrote out loud. Note where you stumble on words or the construction. Then go back and use smaller words and shorter construction.
Have someone else read it over
It doesn't have to be a professional editor. The point isn't to make your prose sing but to make sure that it's clear. Another person also will see, better than the writer, usage errors such as "there" for "their," which spell checks won't pick up. If you can't do that, let your letter sit a while and look at it later with fresh eyes.
Do it now
Sending a message from a voter/constituent is a powerful instrument. If you want to affect a policy, get it done now. If you do it short, simple and quick, it not only will be easier but your point of view will heard earlier, when the decision-maker is formulating her decision.
Hal DeKeyser is a 25-year newspaper and public affairs veteran who now writes about writing at www.AZWritingCoach.com, where you can find more tips on writing and language. He has been a reporter, editor, opinion editor and publisher, plus chief of staff for an elected official. He can be reached at HalD@WhizbangGroup.com.
Email questions and comments
See all Word of the Day entries
Get AZWritingCoach working for you. Click here.
0 comments:
Post a Comment