I need to learn to write more better
May 17, 2010 9:00 AM   Subscribe

What are the elements that make a magazine or online article sound professionally written?

Lately I've noticed that whenever I Google a given topic, most of the links that come up are to articles published on content farms. Some of the articles are really bad. Others are kind of ok... it is obvious that the author writes pretty well and the content of the article seems accurate if a bit shallow. But somehow, even many of the better of these articles tend to sound like a well-written high-school essay or term paper.

I know that the content mills don't pay very much and the authors of these articles have to dash them off fairly quickly in order to make any kind of hourly rate at all. But what are the exact elements that are lacking that would make the piece read as more professionally-written and polished?

I'm thinking of doing some freelance writing and I'd like to avoid sounding like a fairly-bright 17-year-old when I write something for publication. (I'm well into middle-age but my only formal writing experience has been first- and second-year college term papers.)
posted by Serene Empress Dork to Writing & Language (8 answers total) 12 users marked this as a favorite
 
If it's a news piece you're doing, brush up on journalistic style (writing the most important details first, using a neutral tone, following conventional formats for dateline and byline, etc.).

Apart from that, avoid colorful language. Some people try to sound more intelligent than they are by filtering every word through a thesaurus, choosing grandiloquent words when simple ones will suffice. Their articles come across like Keith Olbermann rants, which might work for TV but are pretty lame in print.
posted by The Winsome Parker Lewis at 9:12 AM on May 17, 2010


One hallmark I notice a lot in the content mill pieces that's also not uncommon in high school writing is tons and tons of padding, especially with excessively long intros that help them minimize the part of the writing that actually requires research and thought. If it's an article on how to pick out a pencil it'll start out something like "Writing with a pencil is a vital part of school routine for many students. Knowing how to pick a pencil is important for academic achievement. With a wide variety of pencils, it can be overwhelming for any parent to decide. How will I pick a pencil?" and so on for like three or four paragraphs.
posted by phoenixy at 9:18 AM on May 17, 2010 [4 favorites]


There are specific registers and writing styles that are appropriate for every genre. Some people recognize registers, styles, or genres and some people don't (but contribute content anyway, with mixed results). Understanding these things - consciously or unconsciously - will improve your writing considerably.

I think about this when I share something (a link, a quote, etc.) on MeFi vs. Twitter vs. Facebook vs. the phone. It's the same content, but notice how a single item gets tweaked ever so slightly to meet the constraints or tone for that audience.

Sorry I'm not giving specific details (i.e., use *this* pronoun here, but not there)...but it's impossible...register, tone, style and the like are constantly shifting and being redefined with respect to genre and audience. Good writers recognize this and can keep up. That's why their content appears relevant and appropriate.

Just start getting in the flow, deeper. You're already aware of it, but once you immerse yourself fully, you'll intuitively pick up the pace and tone. And if you've already got writing skill, you have a head start.
posted by iamkimiam at 9:19 AM on May 17, 2010 [2 favorites]


(Forgot to include the takeaway there: good professional writing is concise and to the point!)
posted by phoenixy at 9:19 AM on May 17, 2010


Off the top of my head:

- Saying something useful and not widely known (i.e. either the quality of research or the quality of your analysis of the topic in hand): see also not stating the bleeding obvious

- Clarity and structure of ideas (on this note, Barbara Minto's book is a useful primer) - i.e.

- Knowing your audience, especially what they actually want to know, what they like to read and what their expectations are

- Economy of words, i.e. not asking lots of rhetorical questions and writing things like "it is therefore mooted that"

- Avoidance of clichés

- Lack of repetition (of words and ideas)

- Avoidance of jargon, especially where it is used to dress up bad ideas as something more intelligent

- Good punctuation: which often means short sentences (also, know where and where not to put commas)

- Use actives not passives, i.e. x does y, not y was done
posted by MuffinMan at 9:22 AM on May 17, 2010 [2 favorites]


Pick up a copy of On Writing Well, by William Zinsser.

From the Amazon product description:

"Simplicity is Zinsser's mantra: he preaches a stripped-down writing style, strong and clear. He has no patience for excess or tired phraseology. He recommends that all writers of nonfiction read their work aloud and write under the assumption that "the reader knows nothing" (not to be confused with assuming the reader's an idiot)."

Reading well written articles can be helpful too, as their style can rub off on you. For example, read editorials from well respected online newspapers.
posted by stungeye at 10:15 AM on May 17, 2010


The thing to remember about the content mills is that they pay almost nothing, and they don't expect you to write original content. They expect you to take an existing article, change it just enough to create a fig-leaf of respectability, and run with it (they probably will provide the source article to plagiarize). In any case, I don't think they're a useful benchmark for original writing.

Magazine articles typically let more of the author's voice bleed through than straight news reporting. I would agree with MuffinMan's list, and add to that:
- Some insight into the subject being covered that casts it in a new light;
- An ability to structure a long sequence of thoughts in a way that seems obvious in hindsight but isn't, and that reinforces the point you're trying to make;
- An ability to explain complex concepts without talking down, oversimplifying, or trotting out yet another hoary metaphor ("imagine performing surgery in a Hummer navigating a minefield while you are blindfolded—and unbeknownst to you, you're operating on your mother!") I was just reading that FPP on the Conficker worm, and while it was a good article, the author had a new and different metaphor every paragraph. Really annoying. To me, anyhow.
posted by adamrice at 10:42 AM on May 17, 2010 [1 favorite]


Response by poster: I think that the "padding" thing mentioned by phoenixy and "stating the bleeding obvious" are among the problems I was picking up on but not really able to quite identify.

The rest of the suggestions are great. I think this thread will be quite helpful as a checklist of sorts to refer to when I write and edit my work. Thanks for all the help!
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 1:12 PM on May 17, 2010


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