You finally cranked out your latest oeuvre, your written one that is – and you’re ready to share it with the world. Whether you’re writing a press release, your artist statement, or an essay for a grant application, you need to make sure it’s looking good.
What I mean by this is making the page itself look inviting. First off, know that no one wants to read a densely packed page, especially people who do a lot of reading of the sorts of things you’re writing.
There’s no rule as to how short or long a piece should be unless you’re given instructions as to number of words or pages that your work should be or must not exceed, for instance a grant application essay (and if you are given such instructions, follow them).
You have a lot of information you want to share, so what’s the best way? Here are some tips to help.
- Use space well. Lots of white on the page gives your words room to breathe.
- Use headings only when needed to help organize your writing.
- Bullet points both add visual space and help your reader understand the key points easily. This is especially useful when you need to include a few key exhibits or accomplishments. To share a more robust list, attach your bio.
- Consider commas – they often do the same job as parentheses and add less clutter. (If you do use parentheses, make sure you have used the correct punctuation with them.)
- Resist the urge to emphasize information with ALL CAPS, BOLD, or Italics. Your words alone should get your points across. There are times when you can use these, for instance in headings, or for notation purposes, but mostly you can get by without them. Using these formats make it appear as though you are hammering a point home, as if the reader is too dense to understand what you’re saying.
Do you have a writing challenge or need a second pair of eyes to ensure your piece is as clean (and good looking) it can be? Get in touch!
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