by Colette Georgii

Created on: May 09, 2009   Last Updated: December 04, 2009

Time-crunched readers don't have a lot of time to read but want to know the news and be able to get the most important information as quickly as possible. Time-crunched readers are on the go - off to work, off to school, and back home to family and children.. To write for the time-crunched reader you must engage them quickly with a good opening paragraph, a good title; and then write in short paragraphs that get to the point with precise information.

Make your readers want to read the rest of your article by first giving them a dynamic beginning title and paragraph. Once the reader is motivated he will continue to read if the rest of the article gets to the relative points suggested by the title and first paragraph.

Short Paragraphs

Use short paragraphs and make each paragraph specific. Each sentence should also be able to stand on its own. A time-crunched reader may skip a few sentences. If the time-crunched reader skips a few sentences he can easily read what is in front of him and still know something about what he is reading, if the sentence can stand on its own.

The time-crunched reader could get lost in a maze of long sentences without any inkling of the subject. The reader who got lost in a long sentence will then quit reading - they 'll have more important things on their mind like the next business appointment or going to their child's first recital as soon as they get home from work, have dinner, and rush off to the recital.

Get to the Point

The time-crunched reader doesn't want to read a bunch of paragraphs saying nothing before they get to the punch-line. They want to get to what the author is trying to say as fast as they can. After all if you were a baseball player and you were the batter-up, how long are you going to wait for that fast-ball. It is the same for the time-crunched reader. Don't be long winded - the time-crunched reader will think the writer has a serious problem, and wonder what all the talk is about; and forget what the story was about in the first place. This is where you lose the time-crunched reader - with long sentences and the use of too many words to say what you mean.

Time-crunched readers want to read the first paragraph like it was the abstract of the story. Get to the point in as few words as possible, and tell the reader what it is you are talking about. Let your readers know about your story in your first paragraph and let them know about some of the points you will be discussing so that the reader can quickly get to the information he wants to learn about.

Use Bullets, Lists, and Subtitles

Use bullets, numbered lists, and/or subtitles to get the reader to quickly access the value of the story he is planning to read. This way the reader can get to the main points suggested by the title quickly and not waste his valuable time.

Begin writing your articles for the time-crunched reader and you will create better articles for a wider audience. Say what you have to say in as few words as possible and your time-crunched reader including many other readers will read your entire story.

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