Jeffrey Gitomer’s Writing Guidelines
(not rules)
- Learn to write by reading good writers.
- Learn to write by practicing.
- Learn to write by editing a day later.
- Learn to write by establishing a structure.
- Learn to write by understanding that factual, listed, content is powerful.
- Adverbs, prepositional phrases, and “est” are out.
- Tone of writing – mine is straight forward, succinct.
- Voice or author – mine is authoritative.
- Power of authority in pronouns – first person singular, secondperson, third person
He or she? No. - Writer’s privilege – writing in vernacular, not grammar
- Using incorrect syntax – ain’t, gonna
- Grammar – OK sometimes – it’s write like you speak
- Research vs. your knowledge – proof vs. opinion
- Graphic word choices – vomit, puke – alliterative
- Paragraph size – small
- Repeated themes – major clue, think about this
- Bold and caps to make points and emphasize words.
- Grab me at the beginning. Start with a question or short statement.
- Make me smile, think, or act at the end. End with impact.
- Give me meat in the middle. All meat.
