As I always like to say, words are my business. So as a writer, I’m always ready to learn more about how to be a better writer.
For this roundup of social media posts you might have missed, I found helpful suggestions for better interviewing to start your writing. Then there are ideas for the actual writing.
Interviewing
The art of crafting effective interview questions from The Open Notebook includes starting with broad areas you want to address. Improvise follow-up questions as your source offers information, context and new aspects of the story.
Part 1 of how to get better at capturing details during interviews: Six tips from Mallary Tenore Tarpley, including “Let curiosity be your guide.”
Part 2 of how to get better at capturing details in interviews, from Mallary Tenore Tarpley. For example, “vacuum” up the details in the environment (What books are on the shelves? What kind of dog lives there?).
Twelve questions to ask when you’re collecting details from executives or experts for something you’re writing, from Daphne Gray-Grant. A variation of #13 is one I always use as well: “Is there anything I haven’t asked that you’d like to include?”
Tips for interviewing scientist sources, from The Open Notebook. When I interviewed a number of PhDs to learn more about their research, I definitely did not assume I knew everything/anything! More frequent questions were “What does that mean?” and “What kind of difference will that make?”
Writing
Good writing “must touch the reader, listener or viewer emotionally.” Flashback to “Why Writing Ability is the Most Important Skill in Business” by Jeff Bradford for Forbes.
Stephen King’s memoir has writing tips for corporate communications teams, says Tom Corfman. For example, great writing “comes from the details.”
Four ways to slow down your game and improve communication in the process, by Jim Ylisela. Try “do less, do it better” and “package longer stories to keep people reading.”
Psychologist and creativity researcher Keith Sawyer has an unusual idea for creativity: read obituaries! He explains why and how this works.
Five steps to write a rough draft and get your ideas on the page without worrying about grammar, polish or writing in order. “Write as if you’re explaining your ideas to someone out loud,” says Grammarly.
Which one of these posts most appealed to you? What other helpful or interesting posts about writing have you found or written yourself? Please share in the comments or drop me a note.
Related reading:
Interviewing, quoting and more writing tips
Helpful links for plain language
Where it all began: My first ‘ICYMI’ post