Good Writing: Difference between revisions

When writing for any type of media, whether it be traditional print or online, there is generally a basic standard the writer must adhere to if the writer wants people to read. In web based digital media, “good writing” has a typically higher standard than traditional print. That standard varies depending on what is being written about. No matter the standard, though, the most important thing to keep in mind for all good writing is to keep the readers interested. That starts from the moment a potential reader clicks on the page to the end of the article.

Readers of the web read 25% slower than when reading a newspaper, so they will not be attracted by a long works on the web. They want information quickly and if they don’t get it quick enough, it’s only a click of the back button and pressing the next search result in Google to find exactly what they want quickly.  

Writers shouldn't try to show how intelligent they are by using inventive sentence structure or waste words on long introduction. If they a writer doesn't get to the point, they risk losing a potential reader.

Writing for the digital media isn’t poetry. No one wants to have to try to interpret writing on the web. The same goes for ambiguity. Only leave opinion up to the reader. Otherwise just write what is meant and don’t try to be suspenseful about it.

Consistency applies to mechanics and style. Sentence structures should be parallel and whether using the oxford comma is right or wrong, the use of it or not should be consistent. It makes the writer more reliable and helps the reader to begin to distinguish the style of the writer.