Still think that online writing is any different than any other types of writing? Think again

Last Update: June 11, 2011

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.


 

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Ezinewriter Premium
Yes, Joan, Those words are actually called "hypnotic" words. The Author Agatha Christie used them a lot I heard, thus, her tremendous success.
Ezinewriter Premium
LOL, it's not a "translation" error as I do not translate my articles, it's just because the word 'shocking" starts with a "C" in French, and sometimes I forget it's "S" in English. Thanks, for the reminder.
At the same times I see so many errors from English speakers, I do not feel too bad about it :)
jatdebeaune Premium
Hi Sylviane. I have found that when my articles have a higher "emotional" content, they tend to be read more. I can give them serious technical tips on a topic. They read it, but numbers are not as high as when getting into that realm of "emotion" especially if the title has emotional words as well, I don't know why. Maybe they're curious or maybe they think I'm a nut. And they click through to the site as well.
sherbet penny Premium
Great points, I was doing tests last year with articles at Ezine. I was writing 400 word articles and also 600 - 700 word articles basically on the same topic and nearly the same, and have a guess which articles got the most click through and most read, yes, the 400, which made me realise unless you are writing a comedy piece, people just really want to get to the end of the article quite quickly.
Labman_1 Premium
Ok Syl, I like the point but it was marred by your first bullet point.
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.
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