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When the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association invited me to put together a workshop for its 121st annual convention in Yakima this weekend, I'm guessing they expected me to talk about writing.
The title of the session was, after all, "Writing for Readers."
But as those who attended the Saturday morning session at the Red Lion Hotel already know, I focused on the latter part of that title instead of the former.
I told a story about a reporter years ago who said he was writing a story that he didn't expect anyone to read (it was something complicated about land use or some such topic). My response? (No offense to English majors intended.) "Then you should be writing poetry, not journalism."
My core belief is that the best writing truly is done with the reader always in mind. The mistake writers make, in my humble journalistic view, is that we too often write for ourselves or for other writers. Instead, our challenge -- particularly in the fragmented high-tech avalanche of information we find ourselves in today, is to remember who's the most important person in this relationship.
(Hint: It's not the writer.)
So here's what I had to say on the subject to the publishers, editors and assorted newspaper folk from around the state who came to the session.
When we say "Writing for Readers," which part of that do we emphasize?
Three of my favorite writers' reference books are:
* Strunk & White's "The Elements of Style"
* "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Connor
* "The Word" by The Associated Press
Yet, in the table of contents of the classic "The Elements of Style," the word reader is mentioned only once. In "Woe Is I," the word reader is not included in either the table of contents or the extensive index. And in "The Word," reader is used only once -- and that's in the foreword.
That's not enough. Here's what I as a reader want a reporter and writer to do:
* Pay attention to storytellers, and tell me your story in the same way.
* Tell me what I need to know first, then tell me the rest.
* When you're telling me a story that happened over time, start at the beginning.
* Tell me enough so I understand why I need to know this.
* Double-check your spelling, your grammar and your math.
* Then check it all again.
* Pay attention to all the little details, so I will know you're paying attention to the big stuff. (If you're careless with the spelling of a street name, how do I know you're careful about everything else?)
* Show me; don't just tell me.
* Remember that I am more important than you are; I don't care what you believe or what your opinions are. Don't interject yourself into the telling of your story.
* Keep me reading. Don't offend me with vulgar language, confuse me with obtuse references or bore me with meaningless numbers.
* Remember: If I stop reading, you have failed.
The best writing, in fact, is like the best speaking.
But "write like you speak" does not mean to repeat the errors in writing that everyone makes in speaking.
It means to write in a easy-to-read, easy-to-understand way, using:
* Active voice.
* Simple sentences.
* Simple, straightforward language.
* No jargon. (When bureaucratic, governmental, legalistic or technical language is required, make sure it's defined.)
* Specific information, not generalities.
* Context and background, so the importance of the information is clear.
* Correct grammar and flawless spelling.
* Information boxes, lists, charts, maps or other graphics that may more easily convey information than words can.
And finally, here are the "words of wisdom" I offered as a reader who writes and a writer who reads:
* Remember me! (You are not writing in a vacuum. Your goal is to capture my attention and provide information I need.)
* Read your own writing out loud. If you stumble, so will I.
* Be your own best editor. Be a critical judge of your own writing before your editor gets a chance to be.
* Remember Who, What, Where, When, Why and How. They became the "traditional elements" of good journalism because they are the basics of good storytelling.
* "Professionalism is the painstaking attention to detail." (And I'll notice if you get the details wrong.)
* Read -- cereal boxes, trash novels, Shakespeare, the Bible, other newspapers, signs, the classics, detective stories, newsletters ... You need the information, but you also need the appreciation of words and the way they go together.
* Sarah Jenkins is editor of the Yakima Herald-Republic. If you have a question or concern, you can reach her at 577-7703; P.O. Box 9668, Yakima WA 98909; or sjenkins@yakimaherald.com. You can also comment on this column in the "Inside the Newsroom" blog, at editor.yakimablogs.com.
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