The art of writing has been used for centuries to spread the word far and wide, across continents and cultures. And while writing has evolved from scribbles on cave walls to the electronic missives, the power of the written word is as significant now as it was then. Through writing, we disseminate the news, tell stories, teach and entertain. Effective writing preserves the rich tradition of writing for many generations to come.

Writing is an essential component of journalism. Whether you are writing for the newspaper, the Internet, radio or television, you are involved in the process of collecting information, verifying it and presenting it in a clearly understood format. Clear, plain language that is easy to read is particularly relevant in the information age. Many people do not have the time or the inclination to wade through loads of information and big words to get to the meat of the issue. There are many ways to become a more effective writer a few of which will be presented here.

Determine the message that you wish to get across.

Deciding on the message and narrowing the focus of the message is an important feature of good writing. Make a list of the key areas of your message through your own internal brainstorming system. Review the list and cast out those that don't make the cut. Get creative in determining how to effectively deliver your message and be cognizant of the audience you are writing for.

What Does the Reader need to know?

Try to assess the reasons a reader may choose your article. What do they hope to get from your writing. Will they flip pages or change the screen or the channel after the first paragraph or first sentence? Will they have to go through a lot of peripheral information in other to understand your message? In other words, try to become the reader for a moment and determine whether you would be helped by what you read if the roles were reversed.

What is the most effective way to get your message across?

Now that you understand your message and you have figured out what the reader hopes to gain from reading your article, you now have to select the most effective method of getting your message across. Look at the overall structure of your sentences and your paragraphs. If they seem too long and unwieldy, trim them; if sentences seem disjointed fix them. Would a video or photograph help to illustrate your point better? Use them.

The Inverted Pyramid

Journalists have long been partial to the

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