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✏️ 10 business writing tips

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✏️ 10 business writing tips

CoFounder Weekly: December 6, 2020

Greg Kubin
Dec 6, 2020
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CoFounder Weekly is a newsletter about startup life, etc.

This week’s issue is a list of 10 business writing tips by Simone Stolzoff. It’s actionable. Concise. And helpful!

Twitter avatar for @SimoneStolzoff
Simone Stolzoff @SimoneStolzoff
My colleagues asked me to put together a presentation on what makes good business writing. Naturally, I plagiarized most of it from writers much better than me. 10 writing tips 🧵👇
8:44 PM ∙ Dec 3, 2020
2,704Likes579Retweets
Twitter avatar for @SimoneStolzoff
Simone Stolzoff @SimoneStolzoff
1. Prune. Don’t write “He was very happy” when you can write “He was happy.” You think the word “very” adds something. It doesn’t. I love this @glichfield quote on the value of concision.
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8:44 PM ∙ Dec 3, 2020
381Likes26Retweets
Twitter avatar for @SimoneStolzoff
Simone Stolzoff @SimoneStolzoff
2. If you can, always use the shorter, simpler word. - Help rather than facilitate - Use rather than utilize - Start rather than commence Here's @ScottAdamsSays on the value of short sentences. The same applies to words.
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8:44 PM ∙ Dec 3, 2020
387Likes34Retweets
Twitter avatar for @SimoneStolzoff
Simone Stolzoff @SimoneStolzoff
3. Use inclusive language. This applies to gender and pronouns, but also idioms, acronyms, and jargon. Language should invite people in, not leave people out. Here's @courtneyseiter:
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8:44 PM ∙ Dec 3, 2020
186Likes12Retweets
Twitter avatar for @SimoneStolzoff
Simone Stolzoff @SimoneStolzoff
4. Own your words. Good writing doesn't hedge. Phrases like "I think" or "maybe" soften your impact. @om on the value of simple, persuasive arguments.
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8:44 PM ∙ Dec 3, 2020
210Likes11Retweets
Twitter avatar for @SimoneStolzoff
Simone Stolzoff @SimoneStolzoff
5. Write short declarative sentences. When I was a budding journalist, I asked @CaseyNewton for the best piece of writing advice he had ever received. Without skipping a beat, this is what he said. Every time you write "and," ask yourself whether you can put a period instead.
8:44 PM ∙ Dec 3, 2020
374Likes18Retweets
Twitter avatar for @SimoneStolzoff
Simone Stolzoff @SimoneStolzoff
6. The goal of the first sentence is to get people to read the second. We've all heard the importance of a hook. But this logic extends to the entire piece. I love the way Trey Parker and Matt Stone frame it here.
youtube.comWriting Advice from Matt Stone & Trey Parker @ NYU | MTVU’s “Stand In”Great presentation from South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker on plotting using the key words “but” and “therefore.”
8:44 PM ∙ Dec 3, 2020
304Likes29Retweets
Twitter avatar for @SimoneStolzoff
Simone Stolzoff @SimoneStolzoff
7. Create conflict. The simplest definition of a story is a person with a problem. Without a problem, there is no story. Behold the Pixar storytelling madlib.
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8:44 PM ∙ Dec 3, 2020
272Likes18Retweets
Twitter avatar for @SimoneStolzoff
Simone Stolzoff @SimoneStolzoff
8. The key to great writing is shitty first drafts. Good writing is 80% editing and 20% deciding what to say. Get the draft done. Love this @HarryGuinness quote: "Writing offers us one of the rare chances in life at a do-over: to get it right and say what we meant this time."
8:44 PM ∙ Dec 3, 2020
297Likes23Retweets
Twitter avatar for @SimoneStolzoff
Simone Stolzoff @SimoneStolzoff
9. Know what your next sentence is going to be before you stop writing. This is my favorite nugget in the set. Writing is about momentum. One of the best things you can do to keep your momentum going on a long-term project is to leave yourself on a cliffhanger.
8:44 PM ∙ Dec 3, 2020
234Likes17Retweets
Twitter avatar for @SimoneStolzoff
Simone Stolzoff @SimoneStolzoff
10. People don’t care about you; they care about themselves. Cynical, sure. But the #1 thing you can do before you start writing anything is ask yourself: Who are my readers and what do they care about? That's the million-dollar question. More here:
youtube.comLEADERSHIP LAB: The Craft of Writing EffectivelyDo you worry about the effectiveness of your writing style? As emerging scholars, perfecting the craft of writing is an essential component of developing as ...
8:48 PM ∙ Dec 3, 2020
256Likes16Retweets
Twitter avatar for @SimoneStolzoff
Simone Stolzoff @SimoneStolzoff
Das it! I guess my bonus piece of advice is to get an editor. Nothing has improved my writing as much as talented editors like @HeatherLandy @vauhinivara @shoshanaberger @pardesoteric @MattQuinn16 @janinezacharia @georgiafrancesk @jennifer_maerz.
9:00 PM ∙ Dec 3, 2020
209Likes9Retweets

✏️✏️✏️,

Greg

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