Note: This post is a two-parter, the first half: Five Ways to Hit your Readers in the Heart, can be found at Blogging Tips. This part of the article and will focus on affecting your readers intellect with your posts.
Writers often instinctively know when a story is full of pathos. We imagine our readers’ eyes welling up or smiles lighting their faces as they read the touching tale we have penned (or typed). On the flipside, when we break a news story or synthesize some fascinating data, we are just as excited to know that our readers will be mentally stimulated and, perhaps, impressed by our knowledge.
These situations apply to the extremes, but the vast majority of posts or articles that we write will most likely not sit at such opposite extremes. It is these stories that make us decided: Do I aim for the readers’ heads or their hearts? Which target will get the most out of the story and give the most to my readers?
In this article, I will discuss five tactics that will help you aim your posts right where you want to aim them.
- Just the Facts, Ma’am (or Sir)
If you are aiming your article at a reader’s head, don’t fill it up with a bunch of fluff. Serious, newsy articles are all about facts and figures. For example, I would not say: “Four score and twenty-seven dozen soldiers were shipped off to Iraq today.” I would say 404 soldiers. - Go Right to the Source
If you used a source to gather information, quote the source. A quote from an expert holds much more clout than whatever you would choose to write about it. It also helps you, as a writer, appear much more objective. - Widen Your Scope
In order to present a clear and truthful picture, you often need to look a bit farther than the original focus of the article. If I said 404 soldiers were shipped in a heart-based article I would quickly zero in on one or two particular soldiers and let my readers get to know them. However, in a head-based story, it would be more useful to talk about the war in general, the number of soldiers already interned and the state of the battlefield. - Keep it Simple, Scribe
Since you are not writing your post to make people feel any particular way, do not use words that may do so. Don’t call the soldiers sad, tired or dusty. If you want to show that they are one of those things, quote one of them saying so. As a “head” writer, your job is to simply report the facts. - That’s Not Funny!
I strongly discourage you from using of humor in a post aimed at the head. Not only will it distract from the overall seriousness of the piece, but it might be entirely inappropriate and subjective. If something funny happens, you can include it, but don’t push readers toward a decision about the incident’s levity. Whether they find it funny or not is completely up to them.
It is not strictly necessary to choose if the story you are writing is better as aimed at the head or the heart. However, if you do make this decision part of your writing, you will find that your posts become more powerful and more memorable.
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[...] Professional on January 30, 2008 | 0 Comments Note: This post is a two-parter, the second half: Five Ways to Hit Your Reader in the Head, can be found at my blog. This is the first part of the article and will focus on affecting readers [...]
hey thanks for the tips I’ll have to try and use them on my blogs. lol i particularly like number 5, nothing worse than misplaced humor.
Those are excellent points! Aiming for a readers head can be hard sometimes because I think we naturally write to people’s hearts. Another aspect I think that could help is making sure your title tells the reader directly the subject matter rather then try and hide it under a mysterious title.
well i dont have any blogs right now but i will suggest these tips to my freinds .
These are excellent suggestions and I will definitely make use of them in the future. One of the points that is often overlooked is how effective it is to stick to the point of what you are writing about and keep it as simple and clear as possible. This helps retain both the reader’s focus and interest. Additional and unnecessary jargon will undoubtedly take away from a blog. Thanks again for some great pointers!
Fantastic tips. Will be useful for those who have blogs.
[...] Five Ways to Hit Your Readers in the Head at Pajama Professional. [...]
The tips seems to be worth remembering. However have you tried them yourself, what are the results?
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Great tips. I’ll have to keep that in mind. I definately am one to ramble a lot so I like that aspect of your tips.
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Really some great tools for writers in the whole blog. Thanks for writing in a way that keeps me interested along with inspiring me to keep my pen to paper.
Good points. Very important to keep it simple and clear. I have read posts where I am not sure what the blogger is trying to get at.
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i think one way which you could make loads of publicity is by writing something really controversial
like what cashquests used to do
sometimes being direct draws attention
you should always be direct and straight to the point when you write something
I like your article title and content to.. but title is funny and creepy
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OOOhhh big thanks I only starting to work online and opened my own blog. This a good experience for me ))
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I particularly agree when you wrote this:
“If something funny happens, you can include it, but don’t push readers toward a decision about the incident’s levity. Whether they find it funny or not is completely up to them.”
Humor can be such a personal thing-and it also can be hard to get across in writing without crossing the line of sarcasm. so, yes, in a serious/factual piece, it is best to leave it out.
I think a little funny thing should be in any post even if it is a serious one
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good tips. I will definitely used them in my hub pages.
Your tips are great but what i need is some motivation to start a automotive blog. The whole blog process seems like it’s time consuming to me.
Can’t wait for more insightful articles from you.