Still think that online writing is any different than any other types of writing? Think again
I am sure you have read that online writing is different than printed writing. I know I have, many times. Today, I've just read an article from a seasoned print writer who tells exactly why this is just not so.
To start, he opens his article with a quote from “Gertrude Stein” a poet and writer who once said: “A text is a text is text”. Then, he goes on to say how during one his first classes as a newspaper writer 40 years ago, his professor said something “shocking” to him. What did the professor said? That newspaper readers were in a hurry and wouldn’t read an article in its entirety”. Sounds familiar?
Well, for anyone that thought that this was news to the 21st online century, this print writer mentioned how he knows this for 40 years and how it applies to any kind of writing, online or in print.
Then, he goes on to tell how the techniques used for print writing are EXACTLY the same as the online ones.
- Use correct grammar and punctuation
- Use headlines
- Use short sentences
- Use short paragraphs
- Write captivating content, etc… LOL, sounds familiar here as well???
This is exactly how we should write an online article, don’t we?
This was a great eye opener for me to see that not only online readers are in a rush as some internet marketers try to make us believe, but ALL readers are. If newspaper readers some 40 years ago were in a rush, imagine them today!!!
The moral of all this is as long as you write your online articles with the same common sense that seasoned writers used and still are using today to write printed articles, you will be just fine.
At the same times I see so many errors from English speakers, I do not feel too bad about it :)
I'm guessing that "chocking" is something like Shocking. and What did the professor say. ( I know you are fighting a translation problem). Don't want to be too rough on you but you did put it in your bullet points.
Thanks for the insights.