Writer’s tips: Why prose style matters
Ryan Alberti / BleacherReport.com
On the Internet, form IS content. HOW you write changes the very substance of WHAT you write, because it changes the way readers process and understand your work.
If you want to make a splash, you have to deliver your message in the right kind of style.
And if you want to do that, you have to play by the rules.
Think about the way you read Web content compared to the way you read a novel, or even a magazine article. If you’re like most people, your eyes move much more quickly in an online setting. Internet readers are looking for information they can digest in a short amount of time and with a minimal amount of effort—and it’s your job as a writer to give them what they want.
The bottom line: Keep it simple, even if it means sacrificing a little rhetorical flair.
Concision and clarity are paramount. Long blocks of text and convoluted grammatical forms turn readers off. Short sentences and short paragraphs keep them engaged. To borrow a passage from the Bleacher Report Editor’s Tips…
