26
iting (and editi r the web Caroline Jarrett shorter version

Writing and editing - shorter version

Embed Size (px)

DESCRIPTION

One-day course on writing and editing for the web, based on www.editingthatworks.com. This is a shorter version; visit the web site for the main teaching points. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Citation preview

Page 1: Writing and editing - shorter version

Writing (and editing)for the web

Caroline Jarrett

shorter version

Page 2: Writing and editing - shorter version

This course is based onhttp://www.editingthatworks.com

2

Page 3: Writing and editing - shorter version

Introductions

• Your name and role

• The piece of writing you chose for today– Why you chose it

– What you aim to achieve with it

3

Page 4: Writing and editing - shorter version

Agenda

Part 1: Choose your focus

1. Understand context of use

Part 2: Edit for the web

2. Choose what to say

3. Slash everything else

4. Edit sentences

5. Put into logical order

6. Demolish walls of words

7. Choose links

8. Check consistency

9. Rest it then test it

4

Page 5: Writing and editing - shorter version

5Francis Rowland drew the pictures

Page 6: Writing and editing - shorter version

1. Understand context of use

• Who are you writing for?– Choose a photograph of someone you are writing for

– Write the story of who that person is

• Where, when and why

will the users use what you create?– Add that to your story

6

Page 7: Writing and editing - shorter version

“Scan, select and move on” or “Grab and go”

• Two pages to think about

7

Page 8: Writing and editing - shorter version

8

2. Choose what to say

Page 9: Writing and editing - shorter version

2. Choose what to say

• Write headings for each paragraph in this text

• Remove any paragraphs that don’t help

9

Page 10: Writing and editing - shorter version

10

Page 11: Writing and editing - shorter version

3. Slash everything else

• This description is quite short but…

• Please organise it to make it shorter and clearer

11

Page 12: Writing and editing - shorter version

12

Page 13: Writing and editing - shorter version

4. Edit sentences

• Academic and scientific writing are full of passives

• Try writing these sentences in active voice

13

Page 14: Writing and editing - shorter version

Agenda

Part 1: Choose your focus

1. Understand context of use

Part 2: Edit for the web

2. Choose what to say

3. Slash everything else

4. Edit sentences

5. Put into logical order

6. Demolish walls of words

7. Choose links

8. Check consistency

9. Rest it then test it

14

Page 15: Writing and editing - shorter version

A short exercise based on Dixon, 1987

• Dixon, P. 1987. "The Processing of Organizational and

Component Step Information in Written Directions"

Journal of Memory and Language, 26, pp24-35,

Academic Press, Inc.

15

Page 16: Writing and editing - shorter version

16

Page 17: Writing and editing - shorter version

5. Put into logical order

• This document has several chunks

• Organise them into logical order:– First things first

– Second things second

17

Page 18: Writing and editing - shorter version

18

Page 19: Writing and editing - shorter version

6. Demolish walls of words

• This document is in big paragraphs

• Split them up using these two techniques:– ‘Apply headings’ and

– ‘Demolish walls of words’

19

Page 20: Writing and editing - shorter version

Agenda

Part 1: Choose your focus

1. Understand context of use

Part 2: Edit for the web

2. Choose what to say

3. Slash everything else

4. Edit sentences

5. Put into logical order

6. Demolish walls of words

7. Choose links

8. Check consistency

9. Rest it then test it

20

Page 21: Writing and editing - shorter version

21

Page 22: Writing and editing - shorter version

7. Choose links

• Review the list of links on this page

• Rewrite them so that you would know whether you want

to click it

22

Page 23: Writing and editing - shorter version

8. Check for consistency

23

Page 24: Writing and editing - shorter version

24

Page 25: Writing and editing - shorter version

9. Rest it and test it – part 1

• In pairs:– Decide on who is the facilitator and who is the test participant

• Test participant:– Please read this document

– As you read, identify any parts that are unclear

– At the end, explain the key messages of the document to the facilitator

• Facilitator:– Write notes

– You will report back on the key messages to the group

25

Page 26: Writing and editing - shorter version

Caroline Jarretttwitter @[email protected]

26