TWC's secret sauce: 5 writing principles that stand the test of time
Good writing is at the heart of effective content. We’ve distilled what we’ve learned about writing over the last 30 years into five principles. These touchstones, listed below, guide all our writing and editing work—and we think you’ll find them useful too. (If you’ve been reading our emails for a while, you might recognize some of them.)
Empathy: Think from the perspective of the reader. Know who your reader is and what they’re trying to achieve. Read through their eyes: Is the language clear? Does the content truly help them?
Honesty: Tell the truth. Truth demands precision. It can be easy to write imprecise, untrue copy without realizing it—maybe because you’re moving fast, feeling tired, resorting to cliches or other formulas, or trying to satisfy agendas that don’t serve the reader. Read each sentence critically and ask whether it’s 100 percent true.
Generosity: Give the reader everything they need. Cut everything else. Making writing clear and helpful can take intense effort. A generous, caring mindset toward the reader motivates you to put in that work—energizing you to give the reader all the information they need and nothing that wastes their time.
Humility: Don’t show off; show up. It can be tempting to insert a clever turn of phrase or to make a reference because you think it sounds smart. But showing off is distracting for readers. They’re trying to gather important information, and you’re in the way, demanding attention. Do them a favor and kill your darlings.
Efficiency: Front-load the editing. Start by clarifying exactly what your piece needs to accomplish. Revisit the goals at each point of your process and focus exclusively on the tasks that will help you achieve them. That discipline will keep your draft on target—and it can stop you from wasting time on unproductive interview questions or paragraphs you’ll delete later.
On another note, we’re pleased to announce that longtime TWC editor Sean Donahue is our new editorial director. Sean is assuming the position formerly held by Nate Hardcastle, who will focus on his role as TWC’s managing partner. Both Sean and Nate will continue working directly with the clients they serve.
If you have thoughts about writing, job descriptions or anything else, please reach out. We’d love to hear from you.