10 Rules of Getting and Keeping Readers’ Attention
10 RULES FOR GETTING AND KEEPING READERS’ ATTENTION
HAVE A MESSAGE. “To get attention, the first golden rule is, always say something worth [reading].”
ORGANIZE YOUR MATERIAL. “Let the good matter . . . be very clearly arranged.”
ENSURE APPROPRIATENESS. “[Write] plainly.”
PRACTICE SUCCINCTNESS. “Do not make the introduction [lead] too long.”
AVOID REDUNDANCY. “Do not repeat yourself.”
STRIVE FOR BREVITY. “Avoid being too long.”
EXHIBIT PASSION. “Be interested [in your topic] yourself.”
USE SUPPORTING TECHNIQUES. “There should be a goodly number of illustrations.”
DEMONSTRATE FRESHNESS. “Cultivate the surprise power. Keep your sentences out of ruts.” Avoid cliches.
BE SINCERE AND GENUINE. “Be yourself clothed with the Spirit of God. . . . Remember, ‘it is not by might, nor by power,’ that men are [blessed], but ‘by my Spirit, saith the Lord’. . . . If you do not touch the heart, you will soon weary the ear.”
Why not join me in running each piece of writing through this checklist. If we apply these rules consistently, we might be surprised by how much more interest our writing will earn.
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