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Pith
Let the meaning choose the word, and not the other way about.
In prose, the worst thing one can do with words is to surrender to them.
George Orwell, Politics and
the English Language
The following examples show the difference between
choosing and surrendering to words.
| Title of Article |
Author |
Internet Day
Issue |
| "Why Some
Sites Are Sticky and Some Aren’t" |
Mark Lamendola,
president and founder of Mindconnection.com |
January 3, 2000 |
| How you write is more important than what
you write. I’m not talking about such seemingly impossible feats as spelling
"its" correctly, not mixing singulars and plurals, or not using "data"
as a singular. I am talking about clarity and efficiency. My pet peeves include saying
"In order to" when "to" says the same thing. Phrases like "very
unique" make me look for Dr. Kevorkian’s phone number. Something is either
one-of-a-kind ("uni" means one—you figure it out) or it isn’t. Beware
the misplaced modifier. Saying, "We only provide the software you need" means
you do nothing but provide software. Not only is that a bald-faced lie (surely you do
other things, don’t you?), but it voids your intended message. Watch where you put
your onlys." |
| Title of Article |
Author |
Internet Day
Issue |
| "How To
Write Copy That Sells!" |
Robert V. Rowe,
author, rvralzheimers.com |
November 15, 1999 |
| There is more to good copy writing than
just stringing words together. What gives rise to this line of thought is that I have just
completed the authoring of a book. The intent is that it will be sold via the web. The
book is a good one. It fills a need, and provides information that cannot be obtained from
any other source. The problem now arises: how can these virtues be presented in such
manner as to convince a reader that it’s to his/her advantage to purchase this tome? Persuasive Pen’s Suggested Revision:
| Good copy writing chooses words to
convince. For example, I intend to sell ALZHEIMER’S (A Caregiver’s Day-By-Day
Account) on the web. I think my book is a good one, fills a need, and provides
information no other source provides. How do I convince readers to buy the book? |
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