Better English Writing - Geddes Grosset Webster’s Word Power 2014
Non-fiction
Writing creatively
Non-fiction covers a very wide range, from biographies to scientific and technical writing to dictionaries.
In this section, we are going to examine some of the different types of nonfiction writing - including biographies, travel, cookery, technical and reference materials - and what they involve.
We will then look at some of the things you need to think about when you are composing your own non-fiction writing.
Biographies
A biography presents the facts about the subject’s life. (The subject is the person who is being written about. He or she is or was usually famous for some reason.) It usually interprets these facts to explain and help the reader to understand the individual’s feelings and motivations, and the effect they have had on local, national or international events or on history.
Biographies tend to have the following characteristics:
✵ start with birth or early life and covers birth to present day or death
✵ look at the subject’s formative years to understand and explore early influences on their later life
✵ put the subject’s life in a historical and/or cultural context
✵ use direct quotes from the subject and those who knew them
✵ use pictures, maps, photographs or other documents
✵ reflect the biographer’s point of view, agenda or purpose in reporting the subject’s life
✵ involve a lot of research including the person’s actions and words, interviews with friends, relatives and critics, and secondary sources such as books, magazines and journals.
Bookshelves, libraries and websites are full of biographies about famous people from every walk of life such as politicians, actors, royalty, explorers, writers,
artists, scientists, and so on.
Examples from two different biographies
You might want to write a short biography about a colleague or somebody who is taking part in your amateur dramatic society, for example. The same principles apply to each. You will need to carry out research using interviews as well as primary and secondary sources.
Here is an example of the opening section of a biography about James Joyce, author of Ulysses, by David Pritchard.
James Joyce was not a man to underestimate his own importance, and if asked what great event took place in 1882 he might well have replied that he was born in that year. Yet 1882 was notable in Irish history for a number of other reasons. Politically speaking its most consequential event was the signing of the ’Kilmainham Treaty’ between Charles Stewart Parnell, leader of the Irish Home Rule Party, and the English Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone. The deal resulted in a series of land reforms that changed the face of rural Ireland and in time broke up the great estates of the Anglo-Irish ascendancy. Political unrest in Ireland that year resulted in two notable terrorist attacks - the Phoenix Park murders of Lord Lieutenant Cavendish and Secretary Burke, and the Maamtrasna massacre of a family of five peasants on the present borders of Counties Mayo and Galway. The second crime was followed by the conviction and hanging of three men, and the imprisonment of several others. By the purest of coincidences most of those involved in the mass murder - victims, perpetrators and witnesses - bore the surname Joyce.
Extract taken from James Joyce, by David Pritchard (Geddes & Grosset, 2001)
The biographer, David Pritchard, immediately puts Joyce’s birth in a historical context, grounding his subject within the story of his native land. By linking Joyce’s birth with these momentous historical events, Pritchard establishes from the off his subject’s identity as an Irish author, as well as giving us an indirect sense of the author’s birth being a momentous event in itself. In his comment on Joyce’s perspective on this, Pritchard also gives us an immediate sense of his subject’s personality. The close of this first paragraph, while fortuitous, is used to neatly link the historical events described to the book’s subject, bringing us back in to focus specifically on Joyce.
Quotes from letters and interviews, with the subject and with those who knew them, secondary sources, documents and photographs all help to make a biography engaging and authoritative. The amount of research and time that goes into writing any such biography of a major figure is considerable, but even if you won’t ever have to write anything that long, reading these biographies, and analysing the techniques their authors have used, is of huge use for any biography writing you may do.
Here is another example, from a biography of Robert Burns, the famous 18th- century Scottish poet who wrote ’To a Mouse’.
This extract describes early influences on the poet’s life, and uses a direct quote from one of his letters to describe the effect of his first romance.
Before he was sixteen years old, Robert had worked his way through a large and very varied amount of literature. John Murdoch’s teaching and Robert’s own aptitude had made him an excellent English scholar. Wherever he went he carried with him a book of songs:
’I pored over them, driving my cart or walking to labour, song by song, verse by verse, carefully noting the true, tender or sublime from affectation and fustian.’
At the age of fifteen, Robert Burns ’committed the sin of Rhyme’ - he fell in love and wrote his first song, ’Handsome Nell’ [see page 209]:
O once I lov’d a bonnie lass,
An aye I love her still,
An’ whilst that virtue warms my breast
I’ll love my handsome Nell.
Robert wrote:
’You know your country custom of coupling a man and woman together as partners in the labours of Harvest. In my fifteenth autumn my partner was a bewitching creature who just counted an autumn less. My scarcity of English denies me the power of doing her justice in that language, but you know the Scotch idiom. She was a bonnie, sweet, sonsie lass. In short, she altogether unwittingly to herself, initiated me in a certain delicious Passion, which in spite of acid Disappointment, ginhorse Prudence, and bookworm Philosophy, I hold to be the fir st of human joys, our dearest pleasure here below . . . I did not know well myself, why I liked so much to loiter behind with her, when returning in the evening from our labours; why the tones of her voice made my heartstrings thrill like an Eolian harp; and particularly, why my pulse beat such a furious ratann when I looked and fingered over her hand, to pick out the nettle-stings and thistles . . . Thus with me began Love and Poesy.’
Extract taken from Robert Burns in Your Pocket, pp.15-17 (Waverley Books, 2009)
Travel
There are two main types of travel writing - travel articles and travel guides.
Travel articles
Travel articles give the reader a clear, strong impression of a place. As a travel writer, your role is to report on the main features of a destination, provide essential
information for travellers, but also to give your unique slant on the sights, sounds and experiences they will have there.
Travel writer s use many different styles and techniques, but the best travel articles usually have the following characteristics:
✵ good, practical information that is useful to the reader
✵ use of the writer’s personal experiences, anecdotes and quotations to bring the article to life
✵ strong sense of the writer’s personality - this gives the article a unique style
✵ a ’show, not tell’ approach to the places, people and things they are writing about - showing creates a mental picture for the reader, and this makes them more engaged with the article
✵ a clear, concise writing style (in plain English)
✵ a central theme - the ’big picture’ - that the writer works their impressions and facts around, and that acts as a structure for the piece.
Examples of a travel article
Now let’s look at an example of a travel article, by journalist Garry Fraser in The Scots Magazine. It describes a trip around Lanarkshire, in the central lowlands of Scotland. It was historically closely linked with the coal industry, and has attractions today which bear witness to this part of its past.
When you read this extract, think about how the writer uses his experiences and anecdotes to bring the article to life. His writing is clear and concise, with touches of humour, and his central theme is about discovering somewhere usually overlooked. The title is ’History, heritage and haute cuisine’.
From there to Summerlee Museum, Coatbridge, it’s only a 20-minute drive - 40 minutes with my sense of direction, but this was a place I could not afford to miss. Through a precise guided tour by the museum’s Tommy Gallacher, I was given a deep insight into the history and heritage of coal mining and steel manufacturing, even stepping deep underground to a reincarnated coal seam . . .
The day was now ended and all that was left for me was to join the happy throng on the M74 and head south. Destination, Biggar - or, at least, a wee village just to the northeast of it called Skirling. There I was rewarded for my day’s toil with accommodation in Skirling House, under the caring auspices of Bob and Isobel Hunter. A quick check on the internet only hinted at the attractions of this house, and I would go back like a shot. In fact, both places I stayed, here and in Motherwell, deserve a five-star rating with the Hunters’ abode winning by a short head for its informality and excellent service. It was as if you were family who had just popped over to visit, and a Canadian couple and I were given service one would expect from a top-of-the-range city hotel.
The lounge displays a 16th-century ceiling from Florence with 126 carved roses, of which no two are the same. I would still be there if I was to attempt to prove this an idle boast, but a bottle of Greenmantle Ale in front of a roaring fire soon settled me. Okay, the beer comes from the Broughton brewery which is in Peeblesshire and not from Lanarkshire, but who’s quibbling? The county boundary is only a quarter of a mile away.
Extract taken from The Scots Magazine, November 2012.
Here’s another example, this time from a newspaper travel article. The author, Andrew Cawley, has travelled around the isles of Lewis and Harris and Skye, in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland, in a 1965 Volkswagen campervan, christened Zebedee.
The space restrictions of a small newspaper article create here punchier, more pared down sentences, making the use of clear, concise writing all the more important. The voice used, though, is still chatty and conversational and anecdotes and humour create a sense of the writer ’s personality. And there is still a wider theme, used to frame the article - appreciating what we have at home, rather than holidaying abroad. The title is ’We fell in love with Zebedee’.
It’s about going back to basics. With its four gears, you don’t go much faster than 50mph, but when you’re meandering your way through magnificent scenery and breathtaking natural beauty, what’s the rush? Got-to-be-there-NOW cars will overtake, but hey, let them! And it’s guaranteed that when they do overtake, they will always take a long, envious look . . .
This part of the Isle is dominated by the desolate expanse of the Black Moor, a vast area of peat bog broken up only by scattered gleaming lochans. The landscape is rugged and weather beaten. Immediately your imagination brings you to wonder what life for islanders was like centuries ago when living was harsh.
The Arnol “Blackhouse” gives a fascinating insight into such traditional times. This perfectly-preserved combined byre, barn and home, with its turf roof and peat-smoke filled walls, gives an evocative glimpse into ancient island life . . .
And this, for me, was what made these islands so special - they are simply so quiet and tranquil. It was easy to relax and forget about all the stress of our modern lives. And there’s something just so satisfyingly simple about being able to park up by the beach, cook some food on the BBQ, and sit and watch the sun go down.
When you have the opportunity to experience places like this then for a moment at least nothing else matters.
Extract taken from The Sunday Post Travel and Homes, January 13, 2013.
Example of literary travel writing
Despite its differing length and purpose, looking at longer travel literature can be helpful for those who wish to write travel articles. While on a much lar ger scale, these works contain many of the features of a good article: a strong sense of the place and the people and of the writer ’s personality, evocative description and a wider or over-arching theme which the writer is led into considering by their surroundings and experiences. In an article, however, this theme or idea will not be discussed at length. The focus of the piece, and most of its words, will be on the place visited - which is what readers want to hear about.
Robert Louis Stevenson’s Travels with a Donkey in the Cevennes is a classic of travel literature. It recounts Stevenson’s 12-day, 120-mile hike through the remote, mountainous region of the Cevennes in southern France, aided by his very difficult donkey, Modestine. In this extract, Stevenson has been taught by a local that he needs to use the stick against Modestine, as well as the call ’Proot!’, in order to spur her on: a cruelty he is having trouble with. Stevenson’s problems with the donkey create some of the wonderful humour which runs through the book.
In this pleasant humour I came down the hill to where Goudet stands in a green end of a valley, with Chateau Beaufort opposite upon a rocky steep, and the stream, as clear as crystal, lying in a deep pool between them. Above and below, you may hear it wimpling over the stones, an amiable stripling of a river, which it seems absurd to call the Loire. On all sides, Goudet is shut in by mountains; rocky footpaths, practicable at best for donkeys, join it to the outer world of France; and the men and women drink and swear, in their green corner, or look up at the snow-clad peaks in winter from the threshold of their homes, in an isolation, you would think, like that of Homer ’s Cyclops. But it is not so; the postman reaches Goudet with the letter-bag; the aspiring youth of Goudet are within a day’s walk of the railway at Le Puy; and here in the inn you may find an engraved portrait of the host’s nephew, Regis Senac, ’Professor of Fencing and Champion of the two Americas,’ a distinction gained by him, along with the sum of five hundred dollars, at Tammany Hall, New York, on the 10th April 1876.
I hurried over my midday meal, and was early forth again. But, alas, as we climbed the interminable hill upon the other side, ’Proot!’ seemed to have lost its virtue. I prooted like a lion, I prooted mellifluously like a sucking-dove; but Modestine would be neither softened nor intimidated. She held doggedly to her pace; nothing but a blow would move her, and that only for a second. I must follow at her heels, incessantly belabouring.
A moment’s pause in this ignoble toil, and she relapsed into her own private gait. I think I never heard of any one in as mean a situation. I must reach the lake of Bouchet, where I meant to camp, before sundown, and, to have even a hope of this, I must instantly maltreat this uncomplaining animal. The sound of my own blows sickened me. Once, when I looked at her, she had a faint resemblance to a lady of my acquaintance who formerly loaded me with kindness; and this increased my horror of my cruelty.
The full text of this book is available at: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/535
Travel guides
Writing a travel guide is quite different to writing a travel article. Guides are aimed at tourists or travellers, and their purpose is to provide lots of facts and information about a location or tourist destination.
Many travel guides are published online as travel websites or online guides, rather than in hard copy book format.
There are many different types of travel guides. For example, there are guides that focus on:
✵ adventure or activity holidays
✵ budget holidays
✵ holidays built around particular interests such as music, art or food.
However, most guide books are meant to be used by the traveller while they are travelling, and contain the following information:
✵ best time to visit
✵ history and culture
✵ maps
✵ phone numbers, websites, addresses, prices and reviews of hotels and other types of accommodation and places to eat
✵ entertainment
✵ places to shop
✵ key tourist attractions.
It goes without saying that guides have to be written in clear, concise English, and that the facts and figures have to be correct at the time of publication.
Example of a travel guide
Here’s an extract from a ’Lonely Planet’ travel guide on Venice and the Veneto. The author, Alison Bing, introduces Venice and provides information on arrival and how to get around the city:
Arriving in venice
Marco Polo Airport (VCE). Located on the mainland 12km from Venice, east of Mestre. Alilaguna operates ferry service (€13) to Venice from the airport ferry dock (an eight-minute walk from the terminal); expect it to take 45 to 90 minutes to reach most destinations. Water taxis to Venice from airport docks cost €90 to €100. ATVO buses (€5) depart from the airport every 30 minutes from 8am to midnight, and reach Venice’s Piazzale Roma within an hour.
Piazzale Roma
This car park is the only point within central Venice accessible by car or bus. Vaporetto (water-bus) lines to destinations throughout the city depart from Piazzale Roma docks.
Stazione Santa Lucia
Venice’s train station. Vaporetto lines depart from Ferrovia (Station) docks.
Stazione Venezia Mestre
Mestre’s mainland train station; transfer here to Stazione Santa Lucia.
For much more on arrival, see p 250.
Getting around
Vaporetto
Slow and scenic, the vaporetto is Venice’s main public transport. Single rides cost €6.50; for frequent use, get a timed pass for unlimited travel within a set period (12/24/36/48/72 hour passes cost €16/18/23/28/33).
Tickets, passes and maps are available at dockside Hello-Venezia ticket booths and www.hellovenezia.com.
Extract taken from Venice and the Veneto (Lonely Planet City Guides), by Alison Bing (Lonely Planet Publications, 2012)
Cookery
The shelves of bookshops are full of the latest celebrity cookery books, and they often have websites where you can access their recipes. But you don’t have to be a celebrity to write a cookery book or publish your own recipes. Lots of ordinary people love to cook and have tried and tested recipes of their own or special recipes that have been passed down to them that they would like to share.
You might want to produce a collection of your own recipes for a family celebration, or you could collect other people’s recipes and publish them for charity, or for a special local event. Whatever the case, you need to think about the following:
Theme
Most cookery books are organised around a theme. For example, in many books recipes are organised into starters, main courses, salads and vegetables and desserts. Some books choose a single theme such as fish or seafood dishes, or cooking for a dinner party. Once you have decided what your theme is, the rest will fall into place.
Structure
Recipes usually have a consistent structure, like the following, so the reader knows what to expect:
✵ title of dish
✵ how many it serves
✵ brief description of dish
✵ ingredients (in order of their appearance in the method)
✵ method
Here are two different examples:
Two examples of recipe structure
Tomato and Lentil Soup
(serves 4)
This is a hearty and healthy soup, packed full of vitamin C. The lentils give it a satisfying texture. Delicious!
Ingredients
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 x medium onion, finely chopped
2 x 400g tins of Italian chopped tomatoes four cans of water (from empty tins of tomatoes) one vegetable stock cube tablespoon of tomato puree 100g of rinsed, no-soak red lentils
Method
✵ Heat the oil in a medium-sized saucepan.
✵ Add the onion to the olive oil and fry gently for five minutes, until transparent.
✵ Now add the two tins of tomatoes, and stir for a further two minutes.
✵ Add four cans of water (using one of the empty cans of tomatoes).
✵ Add the stock cube and tomato puree.
✵ Add the rinsed lentils.
✵ Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer.
✵ Cook for 20 minutes, then puree and serve.
Sue’s Splendid Spaghetti Bolognese
(serves 4)
The title speaks for itself. Cook and enjoy with a glass of Italian red, and feel the sun come out.
Ingredients
1 x large onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp of olive oil
2 x cloves garlic, finely chopped
1kg steak mince
2 tsp dried oregano
2 x tins of chopped tomatoes
350ml r ed wine
beef stock cube bouquet garni sachet 500g spaghetti (fresh is best)
Method
✵ Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan.
✵ Add the onion and garlic and fry gently for five minutes, until transparent.
✵ Add the mince, and stir until browned.
✵ Next, add the dried oregano, and stir into the mince.
✵ Now add the two tins of tomatoes, and stir well.
✵ Next, add the red wine and the beef stock cube and stir well. Add the bouquet garni sachet.
✵ Bring the sauce to the boil, then allow to simmer with the lid on for 30 minutes.
✵ Prepare a large pan of salted water, and cook the spaghetti 5 minutes before the sauce is ready.
✵ Serve with green salad, crusty bread and parmesan cheese.
Make sure that you treat measurements consistently - for example, don’t mix up imperial and metric measures. And when writing your recipes use either 50 grams or 50g, but not a mixture of both.
Also, a word of warning - ingredients aren’t covered by copyright, but the words that are used to describe the method are. So don’t plagiarise somebody else’s words - use your own.
Photographs
’A picture paints a thousand words.’ Successful recipe books all use good photographs to help the reader visualise the finished product, and to make the dish look appetising and appealing. For complicated recipes, involving techniques readers may be unfamiliar with, photographs (or diagrams, if you’re of an artistic bent) can also be useful. Step-by-step photos are extremely effective for clarifying and simplifying a technique or entire recipe which would otherwise require a dense, hard-to-follow explanation.
Either have a go at taking your own photographs, or ask a professional to take them. Remember that copyright rules also apply to photographs, so don’t use somebody else’s without getting their permission.
Writing recipes
Writing recipes - especially more complicated or elaborate ones - shares some features in common with technical writing (discussed below). Instructions need to be clear, concise and unambiguous: remember, the reader has to not only understand exactly what you’re saying, but also to be able to replicate it themselves. Follow plain English rules.
After writing out a recipe, it helps, rather than just reading it over, to actually go through making the recipe using your instructions, as if making it for the first time. Are any wordings confusing? Are all the techniques involved described as clearly as possible? By doing this, any problems should present themselves more easily. Even better would be to do a trial run of the recipe with a volunteer. Getting someone who hasn’t seen the recipe before and who hasn’t made the dish before to make it using your recipe is the best test of the effectiveness of your writing. Get feedback from them, and adjust accordingly. This is always easier than trying to objectively assess your own words, describing a recipe you are familiar with.
Example of recipe writing
On below there is an example of recipe writing with the use of step-by-step photos, from a book about making macarons, by Jill Colonna.
Macarons, a French delicacy, have a reputation for being complicated to make, and difficult to make well. In writing a recipe book based on the premise that even amateur bakers can make macarons successfully, the author therefore has to be especially skilful in writing her recipes, and careful to follow these rules.
The recipes must be as clear and precise as possible, without being overcomplex and putting non-expert readers off. Readers have to be able to thoroughly understand each step in the recipe, while also being confident that they are able to do it.
To avoid the reader feeling overwhelmed with information, Jill breaks down each step into a separate section, along with a photo. This helps not only to make the recipe clearer, but also stops it looking intimidating.
Some tips are presented separately so as not to interrupt the logical sequence of the recipe’s steps and to keep directions succinct.
Unfamiliar and foreign terms are used (especially appropriate for a book about a foreign delicacy, assuring readers that they are learning an authentic recipe as well as being interesting), but are translated.
Introductions and other content
You may also wish to include other content besides recipes in your book. Recipe books are not just instructions; they can inspire the reader, give them the thrill of discovering a foreign culture, make them nostalgic or give them a real sense of the life and personality of the author or group who compiled them.
Think about what you are trying to achieve in your recipe book. What tone do you wish to create? While the recipe instructions themselves are succinct and to the point, introductions, to the book and to individual chapters and recipes, commentaries and fact boxes can all be used to create a sense of personality and individuality, as well as to provide information. On the next page is an extract from the introduction to Mad About Macarons by Jill Colonna (Waverley Books, 2010).
Extract from Mad About Macarons by Jill Colonna (Waverley Books, 2010).
The author talks about her own background and first encounter with macarons. By telling us about her history she gives us a sense of why she is qualified to write a book about macarons.
We learn that she has lived in France for twenty years, that she has long been passionate about French baking and that the macaron, for her, was an immediate love affair.
This also individualises the book: we get a real sense of the author ’s own voice, and who she is. On top of this, her story of her first discovery of French patisseries really sets the scene for the book.
We are given an insight into the culture surrounding macarons, and into French culture in general, and a sense of atmosphere is created. This gets the reader into the right frame of mind, leaving them enthused and eager to get started on the recipes!
Technical writing
Technical writers communicate technical, scientific, legal, mechanical or business information to other people who might or might not be familiar with these fields. If you have ever successfully assembled a piece of furniture, or installed a DVD player, then you will have read and (hopefully!) understood technical writing. Technical writers are currently in high demand to explain, review and promote the new technological products that are constantly being developed and produced.
There are three main types of technical writing:
• end-user documents - where the writer explains technical information to nontechnical people in a way that is easy to understand and follow
• traditional technical writing - for example, in engineering and science, written specifically for an audience that is already familiar with the field
• technological marketing material - as in fliers and promotional leaflets that persuade people to buy a technological pr o duct or service.
First, we will explore the main characteristics of all of these types of technical writing. We will then look in more detail at what each of these types of writing involves by giving examples.
Successful technical writing - no matter what the subject - has the following characteristics:
✵ it is clear, concise and unambiguous - a lot of technical writing is for nontechnical people, and they have to be able to understand it
✵ it doesn’t include too much technical language - unless this is appropriate for the intended audience, who already know and understand this
✵ it is objective
✵ it clearly refers to contributions already made by others in the field - this is more the case in the traditional technical writing field
✵ it is accurate and complete - getting it wrong or missing something out could at best be annoying but at worst be dangerous - especially if it’s a safety or instruction manual.
In the pages that follow are examples of the three different types of technical writing mentioned opposite.
From The Beginner's Guide to Computers by David McCormick (Geddes & Grosset, 2010).
End-user documents
Examples of end-user documents range from a computer manual to an instruction leaflet to help you assemble a piece of furniture.
Examples of end-user documents
The example above is taken from The Beginner’s Guide to Computers by David McCormick (Geddes & Grosset, 2010). The guide starts with the most basic information and builds to more advanced information, ensuring that the user feels confident with every new section. Subsections are short, with each separate topic being given a new subheading, and the wider sections are clearly defined and move logically. Figures are used, as well as screenshots of programs, and major terms are put in bold on their first use to effectively signpost information.
The example that follows is taken from a software instruction manual. Software manuals need to explain things simply and in an accessible way. They need to cover all eventualities to accomodate users who may know nothing, but also have an index or contents page that enables a more experienced user to quickly reach the information they need.
Extract from the NetLogo manual by U Wilensky (Northwestern
University, Evanston, IL.)
Software manuals - and instruction manuals in general - are therefore a difficult thing to produce. When it is done correctly we readers will not even notice. However, when you encounter a bad instruction manual you know it. Your frustration levels are a big clue!
The sample we’ve included is from a manual for a piece of software called NetLogo. (Wilensky, U [1999]. http://ccl.northwestern.edu/netlogo/. Center for Connected Learning and Computer-Based Modeling, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL.)
The end user is given an introductory overview and examples to try to help explain in simple terms what the software does and why it does it that way.
Traditional technical writing
Examples of traditional technical writing are also wide ranging. For example, they could include an article that has been written and published in a medical journal such as The Lancet or a paper published in an engineering journal about an innovative system or piece of pr o duct design.
Extract from Introduction to Molecular Motion in Polymers by Richard A Pethrick, Taweechai Amornsakchai and Alistair M North [Whittles Publishing, 2011].
Example of traditional technical writing
The example above is from the book Introduction to Molecular Motion in Polymers. It is written specifically for an audience that understands this scientific field and its language, so if you don’t understand it all, that’s not surprising. It also clearly cites other people’s contributions.
The extract is taken from Introduction to Molecular Motion in Polymers (Richard A Pethrick, Taweechai Amornsakchai and Alistair M North [Whittles Publishing, 2011]).
Technological marketing material
You can’t escape examples of technological marketing materials. They are everywhere, from TV and radio adverts to billboard posters to websites and blogs.
We are constantly bombarded with materials that are trying to persuade us to buy a certain type of computer, tablet or phone, because it has technological features that make it much better than the previous model.
Copywriters for technological marketing materials will in general try to:
✵ Speak directly to a target audience they (or the company) have in mind. They will keep this person in mind as they write.
✵ Focus on what’s in it for the reader/listener/viewer - why they should want to buy the pr o duct. It doesn’t matter how great or sophisticated or clever the pr o duct is if it doesn’t offer something for them: solve a problem they face, or improve their life in some way.
✵ Be careful to talk on the right level for the person they’re speaking to in their marketing copy. Technological details given have to be comprehensible for them and to be relevant to them and what they would seek in a pr o duct. Going into dense, over-complicated explanations of the technology involved wouldn’t convince a reader of how clever a product is; it would just make them stop reading.
’How to’ writing
’How to’ writing is slightly different to technical writing. It assumes that readers are non-experts, and it tells or instructs them how to accomplish a specific task or change certain behaviours or attitudes.
There are lots of ’how to’ publications or textbooks in the business, ’self-help’ and hobbies sections of bookshops, libraries and websites.
’How to’ writing tends to have the following characteristics. It:
✵ has an informal and conversational style and tone - ’you’ and ’we’ rather than ’he’, ’she’ and ’it’
✵ contains hints, tips and anecdotes
✵ is clear, concise and accessible
✵ is easy to understand
✵ assumes no prior knowledge of the topic.
Examples of ’how to ’writing
The ’For Dummies’ series is a very well-known collection of ’how to’ books on just about every topic you could think of - from Cricket for Dummies to Statistics for Dummies to Baby and Toddler Sleep Solutions for Dummies.
The books consistently stick to the same format. They have a very clear table of contents, so the reader knows immediately what the book is about. They also have frequent headings to signpost information and are written concisely in plain English. They usually assume no prior knowledge of the subject, and they have an informal style.
On the following pages is an example of ’how to’ writing from the book Yoga and Meditation, by Katherine Wright, published by Geddes & Grosset, 2007. It’s an introductory text with step-by-step instructions and clear and simple illustrations.
This is a piece of writing geared towards people who are not experts in yoga or meditation. It isn’t explaining any particularly complicated concepts, but it is clearly and concisely explaining to readers how to carry out the yoga moves and meditation techniques.
Examples, diagrams and figures are used in order to give readers a better understanding of processes that might be unfamiliar. Diagrams are used to illuminate the textual description. The figures are simple enough to be intelligible to nonexperts.
Paragraphs are quite short, and there are lots of headings and sub-headings, splitting the text into manageable sections.
Yoga and Meditation (Geddes & Grosset, 2007)
Other ’how to’ books show many of the same techniques. Here’s an example from a book on raising teenagers called Surviving Teenagers by Dr David Fong (Geddes & Grosset, 2007).
Stuck record technique
A technique that many parents find helpful when discussing things with their children is the ’stuck record’ technique. It can often be the case in conflicts, that the actual point of the discussion gets lost in the heated argument. The stuck record technique is really a way of keeping ’on-message’ and avoiding the debate getting too emotionally charged.
For example:
Daughter: Dad, can I borrow the car tonight to go and see Paul?
Dad: Sorry, hon, you know I need it tonight.
Daughter: But it’s really, really important that I use the car!
Dad: I’m sorry, but you know I need the car every Tuesday night.
Daughter: Couldn’t you just let me have it this once? It’s really important!
Dad: Sorry, it’s Tuesday and I need it.
Daughter: That’s just typical! You just won’t see how important this is for me, will you? You’re so selfish!
Dad: Yep, I am selfish, it is still Tuesday and I need the car.
Now Dad has to use this technique with care - if he knows for example, that he doesn’t really need the car and he’s just being mean then this technique has been misused. If, on the other hand, he has made it perfectly clear that on Tuesdays the car is off limits then this technique can be helpful. It avoids the discussion of whether Dad is selfish or not, what is typical or not and it keeps to the point about who is using the car.
Extract taken from Surviving Teenagers by Dr David Fong, (Geddes & Grosset, 2007)
The heading at the beginning of this extract signposts the example so it can easily be referred back to later. Language is clear, concise and informal. (Imagine the change in tone if ’Dad’ was replaced with ’The father ’, or if the example conversation was replaced with a more prescriptive paragraph of instruction [’the father must now’, ’the father must not’].) The example conversation also gets the author ’s point across much more clearly and economically than a lengthy description of the technique would have.
On the two following pages is another example of an accessible ’how to’ book.
In the book Quit Smoking by Dr David Fong (Geddes & Grosset, 2007), the author adopts a conversational tone that is informal and easy to read and understand. He also uses anecdotes from life to illustrate his points. The book is split into distinct sections, each dealing with a single topic, which is summarised in the section title. Look at the detailed table of contents on the next few pages.
In Quit Smoking, signposting is key to the organisation of the book. Chapters are numbered, but are also titled with a key sentence relating to that chapter ’s content. This is followed by a subtitle which summarises the chapter. Subsections are also clearly titled with their subject and move in a logical progression.
There are diagrams and drawings in this book, adding to the information given by the text and also providing humour. A little humour is what’s needed for such a task as quitting smoking!
Contents pages from Quit Smoking by Dr David Fong (Geddes & Grosset, 2007)
The next two pages show an example of an entirely different type of ’how to’ writing. This is taken from a book called It’s Not Rocket Science: Learn to Swim (Waverley Books, 2012).
This combines many of the aspects of technical writing with those of ’how to’ writing. Swimming, as a complex set of physical movements, is a hard thing to explain clearly and logically in writing, in a way that can be not only understood but replicated by readers.
Descriptions need to be broken down as much as possible into individual steps. Language needs to be clear, concise and, crucially, unambiguous. Steps need to be
listed in a logical progression. This description is aided by the use of figures (as with technical writing), as well as by the structure of the sections.
Each section deals with a separate part of the swimming stroke being described, is clearly labelled, and has relevant names for phases and movements involved in the stroke in bold.
Finally, this book - Better English Writing - is an example of a ’how to’ text. Hopefully it will help you to understand how to write better English in all aspects of your life and work!
From It's Not Rocket Science: Learn to Swim (Waverley Books, 2012)
Reference works
You consult general reference materials for specific information - you don’t need to read them all the way through like you would a novel.
Examples of general reference books or materials include the following:
✵ dictionary
✵ thesaurus
✵ encyclopedia
✵ atlas
✵ directory
All of the above help you to find or research specific information, or point you to somewhere else that you can find it.
You probably won’t have to write anything for a reference book, because a lot of this type of writing is very specialised. For example, lexicography is the art of compiling, writing and editing dictionaries, and is usually undertaken by experts trained in the field. The actual writing and editing of dictionaries is called practical lexicography. The analysis or description of the vocabulary and how words link to others is known as theoretical lexicography.
However, you will probably have to use some or all of these reference materials if you are researching or writing material of your own. Search engines, such as Google, have their place but they won’t always direct you to the specific information or answers you need. It’s therefore useful to know what these reference materials are, how they can help you and how you can get the most out of them.
Dictionary
A dictionary is an essential tool for anybody who is writing anything. A dictionary provides definitions of words in alphabetical order. Sometimes they provide information about the pronunciation and the etymology (or origin - for example, Latin or Greek) of the word. Dictionaries come in different formats, including books, electronic devices, websites and word processing tools.
Here are six well-known dictionaries:
✵ The Oxford English Dictionary
✵ The Cambridge Business English Dictionary
✵ The Chambers Dictionary
✵ Collins English Dictionary
✵ Macmillan Dictionary
✵ Merriam-Webster Dictionary
There are also lots of online dictionaries available.
Example of how to use a dictionary
Below there is an example of how you would use a dictionary and elements in the dictionary an extract from a dictionary.
Say that you want to know what the definition of ’psychology’ is. You’re also not completely sure how to spell it. How do you find it?
You know it begins with ’p’, so you turn first to that section of the alphabet in the dictionary.
You think it’s followed by a ’y’, but you quickly realise after searching for words under ’py’ that this is wrong.
You know that there’s an ’s’ in it somewhere, so you search next under ’psy’, and you quickly find a number of similar -sounding words such as ’psychiatry’ and ’psycho’.
You read down the list of words and bingo! you arrive at ’psychology’.
There are two definitions listed for this word:
1. the study of the human mind.
2. the mental processes of a person.
Here is one example of how a dictionary page is put together:
Elements in the Dictionary
Other types of dictionaries
There are also other types of dictionaries. Here are two extracts taken from a dictionary of names that includes virtually all of Scotland’s settlements from villages upwards. It also describes topographical features such as rivers, mountains, lochs and islands:
A
Aberbrothock see Arbroath.
Abercairney (Perth & Kinross) ’Confluence by the thicket’ or ’cairns’. Aber (Brythonic-Pictish) ’confluence’ or ’river mouth’; cardden (Brythonic) ’thicket’; with -ach (Scottish Gaelic suffix) indicating ’place’; or alternatively cairneach (Scottish Gaelic) ’place of cairns or rough rocks’.
Aberchirder (Aberdeenshire) ’Mouth of the dark water ’. Aber (Brythonic-Pictish) ’confluence’ or ’river mouth’; chiar (Scottish Gaelic) ’dark’; dobhar (Brythonic- Gaelic) ’waters’.
Aberdeen ’Mouth of the River Don’. Aber (Brythonic-Pictish) ’confluence’ or ’river mouth’; the second element seems to suggest the River Dee, which flows into the North Sea at the centre of modern Aberdeen, but the name was recorded as Aberdon in the early 12th century and at that time referred to the original settlement now known as Old Aberdeen, situated immediately to the north at the mouth of the River Don, close to the Cathedral of St Machar. By the 13th century, the current name form, probably a conflation of the two, was emerging as Aberdoen in 1178 and Aberden in 1214. See also Rivers Dee and Don.
Aberdour (Fife) ’Mouth of the River Dour ’. Aber (Brythonic-Pictish) ’confluence’ or ’river mouth’; . . .
T
Tain (Highland) ’Water’. This old royal burgh, once a pilgrimage place to St Duthac’s shrine, stands at the mouth of a small river, the Tain Water. Once thought to be Norse, the name is now ascribed to a Pre-Celtic root-form indicating ’river ’ or ’water’. It is recorded as: Tene in 1227, Tayne in 1375 and Thane in 1483.
Taing This very common name along the Orkney and Shetland coasts is from the Old Norse thang, indicating ’a low headland’.
Talisker (Highland) ’Sloping Rock’. T-hallr (Old Norse) ’sloping’; skjaer (Old Norse) ’rock’.
Talla (Borders) ’The brow’. Talg (Brythonic) ’front’ or ’brow’.
Tanera (Highland) ’Harbour isle’. T-h-fnar (Old Norse) ’harbour’; ey (Old Norse) ’isle’. There are two Taneras in the Summer Isles, differentiated in Gaelic as Mor, ’big’ and Beag, ’small’.
Tankerness (Orkney) ’Tancred’s cape’. Tancred (Old Norse and Norman personal name); nes (Old Norse) ’headland’ or ’cape’.
Tantallon (East Lothian) ’High-fronted fort’. Din (Brythonic) ’fort’; talgan (Brythonic) ’of the high front’ or ’of the high brow’.
Taransay (Western Isles) ’Isle of (St) Taran’. Taran (Pictish personal name); ey (Old Norse) ’island’.
Tarbat Ness (Highland) ’Cape of the isthmus’. Tairbeart (Scottish Gaelic) ’isthmus’ or ’portage point’; nes (Old Norse) ’cape’ or ’headland’.
Extracts taken from Scottish Place Names by George Mackay (Geddes & Grosset, 2003).
Thesaurus
A thesaurus is another useful tool. You use it to search for words that are similar to (synonyms) or the opposite of (antonyms) other words. It can help you to look for words or phrases that are similar to or mean the exact opposite of the one you have thought of so that you can choose the word or phrase that is best for your purpose.
Example of a thesaurus
Below is an extract from of a thesaurus. You want to describe somebody as a nice, pleasant person, but ’nice’ is a very overused word and you are looking for something a bit more inter esting. If you look up ’nice’ this is the kind of thing you will get:
Word Power English Thesaurus by Betty Kirkpatrick (Geddes & Grosset, 2013)
Encyclopedia
An encyclopedia is a book, or series of books, that covers a wide range of topics and subjects. You can access encyclopedias in libraries or in some cases in digital format online.
An encyclopedia is a starting point for facts about a topic, and often includes illustrations, maps and photographs. Most are organised alphabetically, some by category and sometimes entries are cross-referenced. There are some examples of encyclopedic entries below.
In very complex volumes there may also be an index. So, for example, if you wanted to know about the pyramids and the gods and goddesses of ancient Egypt, you would search in the index under ’Egypt’, and then look for the category of ’Ancient Egypt’.
The style of writing of an encyclopedia entry is very much more explanatory than that of a dictionary. It is factual rather than linguistic. Rather than defining a word and giving its sources, technical details about a subject or topic are given.
Extracts from Compact Encyclopedia (Geddes & Grosset, 2008)
Atlas
An atlas is a collection of maps. Traditionally, these maps were bound in a book, but they are now also available in digital formats. Maps are usually organised alphabetically under geographical, political and historical categories. The best way to find the map you are looking for is by searching in the table of contents or in the index, as in the following extracts:
Extracts from Atlas of the World (Geddes & Grosset, 2008)
Directory
A directory is a list of individuals and organisations that is organised alphabetically or thematically with details such as names, addresses, telephone numbers or other data.
Examples of this sort of reference material are a telephone directory, the ’Who’s Who’ directory of people who are ’influential’ and ’noteworthy’ and directories of major towns, cities and countries in the world. Directories are very useful if you are looking for information about a particular person or place. If you are an investigative journalist, you will be used to thumbing through hard copy or digital directories!
Reference for writers
There are many reference works out there which are specifically geared towards writers, or are particularly useful for those writing creatively - either fiction or non-fiction. Among these are:
Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook
Published annually, this is an up-to-date guide to getting published, filled with advice and information for writers.
http://www.writersandartists.co.uk/
Rhyming dictionary
There are many different rhyming dictionaries out there. These are of obvious use to poets and songwriters, but are a helpful tool for lots of other types of writer, too. For example, those writing headlines or titles for articles may find inspiration here.
Grammar books
There are many different grammar and usage books available, for all different needs - whether you are a grammar fiend or the word ’grammar’ alone is enough to send you r unning for cover. They range from the dry and factual to the informal and chatty, even funny! Be sure to read blurbs and reviews before buying to get an idea of level, content and tone.
Emotional thesaurus
This is a more unusual one, but is a fantastic idea for fiction writers. The thesaurus lists many different emotions alongside the physical cues, internal sensations and mental responses which are associated with experiencing that emotion - ideal for writers who wish to make their character ’s behaviour and mentality as realistic as possible. There are also lists of potential future results associated with each emotion, which can help with plot development ideas. Try The Emotional Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Expression by Angela Ackerman and Becca P Puglisi (2012).
Names books
General baby-name books and sites, and those geared specifically to writers (such as The Writer ’s Digest Character Naming Sourcebook by Sherrilyn Kenyon [Writer ’s Digest Books, 2010]) can help fiction writers who want to find the ideal name to fit a char acter.
Inspirational books
The Pocket Muse: Ideas and Inspiration for Writing by Monica Wood (Writer ’s Digest Books, 2004) and similar books provide prompts and photos to spark ideas and get your creative juices flowing, as well as advice to help all writers.
Quotations books
There are many collections of quotations available, including The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations. Reading these provides not only an excellent opportunity to study the power of a carefully considered, well-structured sentence. It is also an opportunity to consider themes, to spark ideas and to draw inspiration.