Most good design adheres to the 'form follows function' belief. This applies to some kinds of content as well. Functional writing involves some of these things:
- Figure out what you want to say, and then say it. In other words, first structure the piece of text, however brief.
- Avoid long winding sentences. Long can be laborious. Long sentences, which go on and on, with many commas, and different thoughts strung together, such as this sentence here, tend to confuse many readers, especially, online. Works of expression such as fiction or poetry can indulge in long sentences.
- Be wary of subtle differences. Subtle differences are not so subtle. Do you mean imminent or eminent? Stationery or stationary? Principle or principal? Each pair means different things.
- Avoid using vague words. Some words such as 'nice' and 'good' don't give a solid picture of what you are trying to say. It's better to think of more specific adjectives such as pleasant, satisfactory, ideal, smooth, and easy.
- It's not advisable to rely on ad copy or even newspapers for their grammar .
- Understand that written and spoken language are two different things. You can't write exactly as you speak. The mind processes language slightly differently when you read, as opposed to when you speak. When you need to quote someone directly though, you must use exactly the same words that were spoken.
- Avoid ampersands. Use these friendly, curly little characters when they are part of terms such as 'Research & Development' or 'P&G'. Do not use the ampersand to replace 'and'. For example, it is incorrect to write 'We ate apples & oranges'.
- Stay loyal to one writing style. Consistency is the most important rule of all. If you are following the American, British, Chicago or MLA style, just make sure you stick to the same set of rules throughout your writing.
The author is co-founder and Director, Content Design at Steta