The Best Words in the Best Order

Our brief statement of success, and rules to write by:

Expressive Prose offers a full-range of professional writing services. We have been successful in getting politicians elected, jump starting ad campaigns for construction and architectural companies, writing highly technical newsletters, and creating a full-promotional campaign for a public education district, including newspaper, magazine, and radio interviews. We have also worked directly for and with high-level city officials, and respected businesses such as the Pacific Gas and Electric Company, and more.

In addition to all of this, we have researched and written brochures and catalogs for government agencies, we have years of experience writing for various magazines, and we have experienced great success in writing and promoting for nonprofit organizations. Our experience and success also includes writing, designing and editing websites, and many years of experience as professional journalists. Many more accomplishments can be cited, but we hope the idea is clear to you: We know our profession, and we know how to get the job done.

Rules to write by:

What follows are a number of the most important writing rules we always practice. There are more - as noted on our other links - but these come near the top. We think they will provide you with a better understanding of how we approach all writing assignments.

Clarity:

The first and most important rule in great writing is clarity. Does a stop sign need more words to get its dramatic point across? Of course not, unless we are merely trying to make a joke about it. But, the meaning of this one word points to a call to action that has very positive benefits on the one hand, and very negative outcomes, if the wrong action is taken. This exceedingly simple example clearly demonstrates that the best word(s), used in the proper situation, produce clarity and a call to action, which in the example we just happened to illustrate, is a very good idea. Our sole purpose is to create for you the same type of clarity and call to action!

Please don't think we are purposely just trying to be silly. In all reality, if we could be as successful as a stop sign in making our message clearly understood, with a resulting positive reaction then occurring - using as few words as possible - then we think that all mankind would consider it a great success. Of course, we could have picked many different examples of clear writing that proves the point, but this one just happens to prove it better, faster, and in a method that is very convincing and impossible to misunderstand. We offer it up as simple, straighforward proof that you must first be very clear about what you want the reader's call to action to actually be. Then write it as clearly as a stop sign, and add everything else later.

You can call what comes later fluff, great SEO copy, creative sales copy, text, prose, poetry, filler, or a pink elephant, or whatever you want to call it. But, stop! First know exactly what action you want your words to produce, and then be very clear that your text promotes that action, thus greatly improving the resulting calls to action you desire, and ultimately survive on. This is no mystery to any business person.

Say it now:

We think the second most important rule is getting to the point, and doing it quickly, especially if the content is written to promote a website, advance marketing efforts, improve overall sales, or pertains to important press releases that you would like to see published, thus improving your business, idea or brand name. Please keep in mind that longer pieces fall under this rule, but not as strictly. Nonetheless, it should be applied - given its proper respect - in all writing situations.

In the case of "short" writing, let's use the example of a press release, a common method of business communication. The "good" press release should contain - within the first six paragraphs - the most important information you are trying to convey, along with your best quote or two. Writing them any other way is a sure method to potentially alienate the media. It's a common misconception that interns filter incoming stories and press releases, when in fact it's most often staff journalists that first review this material. You are competing for their very valuable time and allotted space. If your press release or story idea obligates them to wait until the second page to find clear and newsworthy information, then your time and theirs has been totally wasted.

You do not want them to remember you in this way the next time they run across something you have submitted. With little doubt, your hard work will end up in a garbage can, or in a computer's trash folder. We know this to be the absolute truth, because we were newspaper reporters, and tossed plently of poorly written and contrived press releases into these cans, like you might automatically do with junk mail at home. Of course, our intention was not to be insensitive, just like throwing away junk mail isn't insensitive. Still, the reality is inescapable: All journalists - print, television, radio, and Internet - live and survive by the clock, and if you genuinely desire, or need their call to action to be a definitive interest in your special subject - then you must say what you want, and say it clearly and quickly.

The same writing concepts apply to any website you publish or plan to publish. Writing your content before you design a website is a very good idea. You do not want to design the site first! If you make this mistake, we can promise you that you will double your trouble. A good analogy would be putting on your shoes before your socks! So, by all means, try to avoid this error.

How you say it:

This third, vital rule, is actually a combination of the first two, but in no way has to equal or surpass them. "War and Peace" ranks as one of the longest novels ever written, but it's a book that is very hard to stop reading or lose interest in. Combining the three rules efficiently and effectively is the point at which expressive prose - great writing - becomes the "vital" whole of any writing project. This is also the point at which a professional writer can help create that "vital" whole.

Whether it's a stop sign with one word, or a fascinating novel more than 1300 hundred pages long, the combined quality of your prose is what really determines the amount of time a reader will invest in learning about your business, product, plan, book, article, idea, or anything else that matters deeply to you. The longer the reader remains engaged with your text equals a much higher chance of producing a positive call to action, which, of course, was the entire objective in the first place, or we would have all gone fishing, instead.

Special note: This is the writing rule the educated lay-writer breaks the most: attempting to apply it as the one and only important rule.

Thus, we are back to the starting point of what we express on our homepage. Namely, that clear, action-based, and stylish prose equals engagement, and engagement equals action. Expressive Prose knows how to "clearly" get your point across, do it quickly, put it in the right location, and apply a very engaging writing style, making your content compelling and powerful - so the reader wants to act positively on it!

Please take the time, at your convenience, to contact us for a no obligation quote. We can be reached at two separate links on our homepage. Be as detailed as you wish; provide us with your contact information, and we will return your message within 24 hours. Express yourself! Thanks.

707-334-1712