Avoiding rewrites and rejections
Do your research: Do not compose off the top of your head. Don’t guess. Sources, studies and real references give your articles substance. Never say things like “researchers believe” or “many people say” or “scientists have proven.” Instead be specific when citing a person.
Give the person’s name, his or her study, make a quote from a scientific study or findings and write down at what university the research was compiled.
Don’t write just for word count: Keep your sentences short. Avoid being wordy. For example, you could say “Be sure to water the yard.” Instead start with the verb. Say “Water the yard.” Starting your sentence with a verb shortens the required words.
Start sentences with action verbs: This is referred to as “active writing.” It grabs the attention of the reader. Starting with action verbs compels you to compose your prose economically.
Avoid the passive voice: Writing passively is like a dead fish handshake. It slows the reader. Writing presented in noun-verb-object construction is stimulating. For example, its “the lady dropped her keys on his shoes” not “her keys were dropped on his shoes” Writing passively makes the reader think backwards, causing him to mentally wander.
Stay away from complex sentences: Hard to understand sentences should be avoided. Make it a goal to be understood in one pass.
Don’t write in first person: Never write in the first person. Always write these articles in the second person.
Readers need detail: Please do not write “put the CPU in the socket” instead say “align the marks on the CPU with the marks on the socket, and then insert it.”
Be particular in detail: For example, if you’re writing about seafood restaurants in San Francisco, then you must mention something particular to San Francisco. Seafood restaurants are ubiquitous. So you need to mention things that isolates S.F. restaurants. Articles pertaining to a place must have specific local reference to such place. The majority of the references must relate to what is local to location you’re writing about. General restaurant issues would only be in about 25% of your article.
Obvious courses: Obviously you can ask your family, friends and acquaintances for advice, directions. Please don’t say “get help from your neighbor” or “just ask a friend” these articles will come right back to you for rewrite.
Don’t repeat information: Say it once in an article. Don’t repeat the same things. You can depend on clear, active writing to get the point across the first time.
“The Elements of Style” by William Strunk, Jr., and E.B. White. This book should be read in its entirely by every writer. We have a link so you can download a copy from freebooks.
Avoid the obvious: When you’re writing about things to do in Los Angeles, you wouldn’t say “go to Hollywood and Vine” go to “City Walk” “visit Disneyland or Magic Mountain” no because these are obvious things to do when in Los Angeles. Give the reader value for his reading time by suggesting the unusual. Like “visit Japanese Gardens in Balboa Recreation Center” or “visit the Botanical Gardens at UCLA” what about “visiting the Griffin Observatory” or “The Jazz Café” in Hollywood.” Those are unusual.
Avoid empty adjectives: Refrain from “fantastic,” “fun” “easy” Don’t make unsupported claims about a product or service. Don’t say “the Corvette is the fastest production car” just say “it’s a fast production car”
Avoid hyperbole: Don’t impose religious, political or cultural agendas on your readers. Don’t make claims you can’t support. Avoid hyperbolic exclamation points, the mark of an amateur.
