textgoeshere

Two classic columns by Jakob Nielsen are a bit misleading. To be sure, he has had a major positive effect on web design. In fact people still quote advice he gave eight (8!) years ago. It’s not out of date. But out of context, his advice on writing for the web consists of - at […]

It’s worth spending the time on writing punchy and informative titles for web pages.

Think about all the places the title might appear:

Top of the page itself
Your own website’s search results
Your own site’s automatic navigation
What’s new box or section
Public search engine (Google, Yahoo)
Email update
RSS feed
Printed publications
Your title is seen by more people than any other part […]

This classic book is dedicated to Dr Onions. Onions was the original editor of the Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. Allegedly, the book’s authority gave rise to the phrase, “knowing one’s onions”.

That gives you some kind of background to the author, Eric Partridge. When the first edition was published in 1947, scholars were scholars. The […]

Whether or not you agree with its politics, I don’t think you can fault the writing style of The Economist for clarity and precision. A reporter there told me that it took him five years before he wrote an item that didn’t need extensive subbing.

If you haven’t got the time, perhaps this book will help.

It’s […]

Dangerous words is a list of cliches and confusions. It’s dated but has some useful corrective advice on the use of spatial concepts online (”back”, “up” etc.). See also The A to Z of alternative words from the Plain English campaign.

These fifty writing tools from Poynter Online are aimed at journalists. Still worth a scan.

Branch to the Right
Use Strong Verbs
Beware of Adverbs
Period As a Stop Sign
Observe Word Territory
Play with Words
Dig for the Concrete and Specific
Seek Original Images
Prefer Simple to Technical
Recognize Your Story’s Roots
Back Off or Show Off
Control the Pace
Show and Tell
Interesting Names
Reveal Character Traits
Odd and […]

Welcome to textgoeshere.

Every month we’ll be publishing new articles on topics from effective writing for the web to time-saving management tactics. We’ll build a gallery of good practice and links to other useful resources. There’s also the opportunity to ask questions and share your own experience on the discussion boards.

If you’d like to […]