| Organizing Your Data to Write Better Copy
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| | that your reader can follow? Are you
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| | telling him/ her a story that you
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| Last quarter I talked about interviewing
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| | yourself could believe in?
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| gathering data. So now you've got
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| | You will go through the same exercise
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| several thousand words of notes,
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| | with the remaining blocks of notes, ie
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| hopefully digitally recorded. What comes
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| | "B","C" and "D".
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| next?
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| | EDITING IS PRIORITIZING
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| GETTING ORGANIZED
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| | Editing is prioritizing. Often you will
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| I suggested organizing your interview
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| | want to limit a list of ideas to 3. Three
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| questions into 4 groups. I'm going to
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| | has a flow to it. And is about as much as
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| label them for you A, B, C, D.
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| | any reader or listener can grasp at one
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| ·what is the business problem? = A
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| | sitting.
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| ·what is the high level solution? = B
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| | Finally you polish. Now you are reading
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| ·can you tell me more about the
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| | for flow or musicality.You are cutting
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| solution? = C
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| | out superfluous ideas and words.
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| ·why should I trust you (as my vendor?)
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| | This is the long way to write.
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| = D
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| | THE SHORT WAY TO WRITE
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| Any decent piece of writing has a
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| | The short way is to sift and prioritize
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| beginning, a middle and an end. So before
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| | all your notes in your mind ie you turn
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| you start editing / writing you want a
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| | on your thinking tool. The key idea will
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| map, to show you where you are going.
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| | pop into view, and hey presto, you begin
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| Take a blank sheet of paper, write four
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| | writing about that one. You have a
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| major headings and label them A, B, C, D,
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| | feeling for what comes next and what
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| as above.
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| | after that. You understand how to
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| Now read your notes. When you find data
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| | prioritize your ideas. Soon with a bit of
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| relevant to "A" (the business problem),
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| | jiggling ideas around the page, your
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| underline that copy and mark a big "A" in
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| | story has a beginning, a middle and an
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| the margin (in red?) . Keep working
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| | end.
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| through until you have marked up relevant
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| | You can teach yourself the short way by
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| copy for all four sections of your piece.
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| | writing the long way, again and again. Or
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| You will be leaving out anything that
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| | by turning copy round in the middle of
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| does not seem suitable as you go.
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| | the night for an 07.00am deadline as I
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| THE CUT AND PASTE JOB
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| | often had to do as a newspaper feature
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| Next comes a cut and paste job. Group
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| | writer.
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| together all the "A"s, then the "B"s,
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| | "When we encounter a natural style, we
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| "C"s and "D"s.
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| | are astonished and delighted: for we
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| Next, take a look at all the ideas you
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| | expected to see an author, and we find a
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| have in the A group. It helps if you take
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| | man." Blaise Pascal. Quoted with thanks
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| a new sheet of paper and write a list of
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| | to John R. Trimble, Writing with Style
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| the ideas or facts in the A group. Now
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| | published by Prentice Hall.
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| prioritize. Be ruthless. And trust your
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| | Do you have a robust marketing plan to
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| first instinct. If an idea seems to leap
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| | execute against? How clear and persuasive
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| out and have life, put it first. The less
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| | is your website, brochure copy or direct
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| important ones come later. Weed out any
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| | mail? Call Neroli Lacey NOW to win more
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| repetition or weak data. Now you work on
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| | business TODAY.
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| flow. Do you have a logical flow of ideas
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| | CALL ++ 612. 215.
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