"Write Tight"
A Guide to Writing for the Web

At this point, all of our writing is strictly published on the Web, and we adhere to a pretty strict format:

• Short sentences
• Short paragraphes
• Plenty of subheadings
• Crisp, clear and to the point
• Three or four major points per article

Because I write 1 - 3 non-fiction articles every week (500 - 1000 words each), I created the 6-step process below, which I almost always use.  If you have something decent to say, follow this formula, and write in a clear, easy-to-understand style, I can almost guarantee that we can find a place for your work.

Brandon's Guide to Writing Tight:

STEP 1:  Decide on the TOPIC, including the TAKEAWAY.  Ask yourself this:  "What is the one message I want to share with this article?"

STEP 2:  Decide upon three major POINTS to support the takeaway.  These will be the subheadings.

STEP 3:  Write two or three SUBPOINTS that explain each point.  (These are complete sentences, not bullets.)

STEP 4:  Flesh out each subpoint into a complete PARAGRAPH.

STEP 5:  Write an INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH and a CLOSING PARAGRAPH.

STEP 6:  Write three LIFE APPLICATIONS questions for reflection, usually related to the three subpoints.

And that's it!

Helpful HINTS:

• Use real-life examples whenever possible.
• Simple, clear analogies work well.
• Don't be too flowery.  We don't care for flowery.
• Short and to the point -- people don't read dissertations online.
• Short and to the point -- closer to 500 words than 1,000.
• Short and to the point -- I just can't say it enough!

Some people hate writing to a formula, but if the message is good and the format makes for easier reading online, why not try it?  You can be a bit flexible on style/tone and still stick with a readable layout. At ParishWebmaster.com, we're writing in order to minister to people, so we try to choose a format that meets that objective, not one that caters to a writer's specific tastes and preferences.

Also, it's much easier to write for the format, than to force-fit an article after the fact.

Peace,
    Brandon

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