GV Writing Tips

Curating the best writing and style practices for Global Voices.

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If you feel the urge of ‘very’ coming on, just write the word, ‘damn,’ in the place of ‘very.’ The editor will strike out the word, ‘damn,’ and you will have a good sentence.

William Allen White

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The basic alchemy of manipulating text and image on a page--visual journalism--has never been easier.

Jeremy Leslie

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Crack Down or Crackdown? Phrasal Verbs vs. Nouns

Be careful with phrasal verbs and their noun counterparts. The phrasal verbs usually have spaces between the verb and the preposition. The nouns don't.  

For example: 

VERB: crack down (ex: China is yet again cracking down on social media.) NOUN: crackdown (ex. China launched yet another crackdown on social media.)

VERB: set up (ex: The government set up the program to fail.) NOUN: setup (ex: The setup of the program doomed it to fail.) 

VERB: break through (ex: The protesters broke through the barriers.) NOUN: breakthrough (ex: The vote was seen as a breakthrough by protesters.) 

Sometimes, a hyphen is used instead to link the verb and the preposition when forming a noun.  

VERB: break in (ex: "We can't break into parliament!" he cried.) NOUN: break-in (ex. There was a break-in at parliament last night.)

Of course, all this depends on if you subscribe to American English or British English. Not sure how a word should be? Try Collins Dictionary, which has a handy option to switch between the two English variants.  

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Read, read, read. Read everything.

William Faulkner

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Tempted to Use the Ampersand Symbol in Your Writing? Don't.

Unless it appears in a proper name or you are quoting text, avoid using the ampersand symbol (&) to replace the word and in your writing. Undue symbols can create hiccups for some readers, and this is why we similarly avoid using the < and > symbols and instead write out less than or more than. Our goal should always be to make the reading experience as smooth as possible

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But if my past writing has taught me anything, as I sit on the edge of my chair, my heart in my throat, re-reading it, it has taught me how honourable it is to have written, and to have kept writing, and how some day, I hope and pray, I will find the words to at last say what I really mean.

Sharon Butala

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Are You Doing Something for Yourself or by Yourself?

What is the difference between for ourselves and by ourselves? They are often mixed up, but they mean two different things.

For ourselves means it is for our own benefit, not the benefit of others. For example: 

After many years of people telling him how beautiful Norway was, he finally visited the country and saw it for himself. 

By ourselves means we do something alone. For example: 

He made the trip to Norway by himself, but he was never lonely during his stay there. 

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Story ideas are everywhere if you train your brain to see them.

Bret Schulte

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Fast is good, but right is better.

New York Times public editor Margaret Sullivan

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Good Writers Write for Fun

Just as it is important that good writers regularly read, good writers should also regularly write. This doesn't only mean the writing we do that is destined for an audience, but also includes writing for fun, because the mood strikes, to release stress, out of boredom, or whatever the case may be. 

Creative writing, journal entries, exercises in description and observation... all genres are valid. Writing chops are like athletic chops - they must be continually trained and honed lest we lose our abilities.

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Better to write for yourself and have no public, than to write for the public and have no self.

Cyril Connolly

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Between This and That, From This to That

Be mindful of the constructions between X and X and from X to X. We sometimes muddle things up, using the first half of one with the second half of the other. For example: 

X The meeting ran from 6 and 8 p.m.  X The meeting ran between 6 to 8 p.m. ✓ The meeting ran from 6 to 8 p.m.

X Police expected from 1,000 and 2,000 protesters.  X Police expected between 1,000 to 2,000 protesters.  ✓ Police expected between 1,000 and 2,000 protesters.   

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Tips for Oral Storytellers That Ring True for Writers

There are many similarities between a well-told story and a well-written story. In fact, we would do well to borrow some of the techniques oral storytellers use to capture and captivate an audience. 

The creators of performance series "Talkingstick" explained their tips for effectively telling a story to The New York Times a few years: 

1. Keep it simple. "The brain gets overwhelmed when trying to process too much information."

2. Start and end strongly. "When Master Lee and Mr. Patrick organize their shows, they make sure to begin and end the evenings with their strongest material since this is often what stays with the listener."

3. All parts of the story must be essential. "Beware of tangents: if something goes too far astray, you will probably lose your audience’s attention."

4. Approach delicate subjects with care. "Make sure not to alienate your audience."

5. Tell the truth. "Even stand-up comics — who are permitted exaggeration — perform best when their material stems from the truth."

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We know that 90 percent of readers enter pages through large photos, artwork, or display type (headlines, promos, etc.).

Monica Moses

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When you use synonyms, think about their connotations, the associations people make with them. And remember that nearly every time, a banana is just a banana.

Merrill Perlman

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The story–from Rumplestiltskin to War and Peace–is one of the basic tools invented by the human mind for the purpose of understanding. There have been great societies that did not use the wheel, but there have been no societies that did not tell stories.

Ursula K. Le Guin

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Beware the View from Nowhere

It's important that we are fair in our writing, but we also want to avoid adopting "the view from nowhere". What is it? This concept refers to supposedly unbiased or neutral reporting that offers two sides of a story without forming a judgment. 

This sounds all well and good, but if one of those sides lacks factual evidence to back up their claims or is simply wrong, it does readers a disservice to present those views without challenging them. 

We never want to unfairly malign anyone, but we also don't want to mislead readers. We should try to strike a balance between fairness and truth.