1 December 2011

  Image by Mrs Logic

Sounds kind of silly – Part 3 of the ‘power of one’. But it’s such an important topic that I can’t help myself.

I first wrote about this topic more than a year ago. At that time I quoted John Forde of the Copywriter’s Roundtable, who said:

Good writing is one good idea, clearly expressed.

Recently, John again emphasized this point. In his newsletter of 17 May 2011 he said that even the best sentences and vocabulary and the most powerful imagery are nothing without a core theme.

So if you’re worried primarily about grammar and vocabulary, maybe you’re missing the main point of good writing.

Yes, proper grammar and vocabulary are important. I would never say that they aren’t. Perfect grammar is not necessary, however.

But let’s think more about the power of a single good idea, clearly expressed.

John Forde shared a tip about how to stay on point. He said, “Ask yourself -- what’s the ONE THING you want your reader to do or believe when they’re finished reading your piece?” When you’ve got that figured out, write it in the margin of the page (or on a piece of paper you tape to your computer monitor). While you write, keep looking at it over and over again – to help you stay on track.

This idea isn’t new. Even before I read it in John’s newsletter, I frequently suggested a similar tip in writing courses I trained.

And again, it’s related to the THINK stage of the TASTE writing process.

Think about

·      Your reader(s) – what they expect and need from your writing

·      Your purpose for writing

·      The action(s) you want the reader to take

·      The specific details you need to include to achieve your purpose and enable the reader to act.

Just thinking about those things will help get you focused on the ONE THING that John spoke about. And if you’ve read this blog long enough, you may be tired of hearing this from me. But you won’t hear me apologise about it. (I may even have a ‘part 4’ in the series!)

To re-read the original ‘Power of One’, go here. And to re-read ‘The Power of One (Part 2), go here.