How To Write Effectively

[Music] e look at these old lights and in a room we all use too that's not the kind of a light for a room like this why the whole school spends most of its Recreation time right here we need better lights and and this is our chance to get there if we can put this party across in order to do that we're going to have to write some pretty effective copy so I wrote down these rules a jack what do we need rules for haven't we spent enough time on on this here we have everything we need right here the information on the different types of lighting the principal's letter giving us permission to use the profits from our party to buy new lights and the tickets bright light night that's a good name for the party it'll be easy to put that over come on let's get busy and right no I think Jack's right what we say and how we say it is important we have to sell a lot of TI in order to pay for these new lights so let's be sure we do it right but Alice you have all the information you need for your poster don't you yes that's all I need too boy this technical information on lighting will make a wonderful news story well I guess it's all the information I need to write an announcement to be read in the home rooms but but are we sure this is accurate information sure we are we've checked it it's accurate all right well then I suppose we have material complete and accurate but according to these principles of effective writing we studied in English class we we can't stop there complete and accurate material well that's all right next audience consider it well who is our audience who's going to read what we write how can we interest them a that's easy everybody will be interested in new lights they all know how much we need more light why just think who uses this room lots of folks use the Arts and Crafts bench they'd certainly understand why we'd need new lights and those who use the bookshelf they'd be interested in helping to get better lights and have you ever seen anybody try to play the piano in this room they'd want new lights why everybody would I don't know Clyde some just come here to sit and talk and some don't use a social room at all they probably haven't noticed the poor lights yes how can we interest them I see maybe we do have to consider our audience well won't everybody be interested in bright light night yes let's hope so then I guess we should consider the varied interest of our audience they'll all enjoy the party and some of them will want to help to get the new lights purpose be clear well I guess we're all set all right our purpose is to sell tickets for the bright light night let's get to work not so fast Jack our purpose was to buy new lights no our writing is to make the party success that's right but we wouldn't have any party except for maybe you're both right what do you think of this our purpose now is to get people to buy tickets for Bright Light night so we'll be able to buy new lights for the social room that's good that's really our purpose now we're ready for the next step right and while they are writing let's think over these principles of effective writing there are three things you should consider before writing the first material become familiar with what you're going to write about be sure your information is complete and accurate second consider your audience what will interest them what will they understand third be clear about purpose what effect do you want your material to have on your audience consider material audience and purpose thoroughly then write then edit now what does editing mean well let's see how Jack and Alice and Clyde handle this essential of effective writing that's this for a newspaper story wait a minute there all right what have you written new lights for social room this week principal Hansen gave his permission for new lighting fixtures to be bought for the social room the present old-fashioned fixtures are inadequate tending to produce flare and you don't like it well Clyde it's all right except well it doesn't make me interested I don't think it says the kind of things that that matter to the audience maybe we better think more of our audience and what we want them to do what's supposed to happen when people read this newspaper article well it should start out interestingly so they'll read it and after they've read it let me think we want the folks who read this to understand about the lights and the party and to become interested in bright light night we want them to talk about it to start making plans for that evening to buy tickets I guess the news story should emphasize the party more let's see here's an angle this week principal Hansen bought the first ticket for Bright Light night a carnival of fun with music games and refreshments to be held in the social room October 10th at 8:00 p.m. proceeds of the party will be used to buy new lights for the social room Bright Lights bright fun is a slogan announced by the planning committee it's an all school carnival for an all school project now it's beginning to sound right written that way the article will stir up interest in the party wait a minute before you start rewriting help me decide which sketch plan to finish what do you think of this one admission tickets for Bright Light night may be purchased here I don't know when I imagine that poster I don't think anybody would bother to read it it seems to say the right things but but the words aren't Snappy enough to suit a poster not an effective poster anyway maybe this one's better hey gang let's go bright light night get your tickets here that sounds good can you imagine this one on the ticket booth well it's Snappy and interesting people would really notice a poster like this they'd buy their tickets too because this poster uses the kind of words you catch on to right away it seems right for a poster it's right for our audience and it's right for our purpose what about material huh only yes this poster isn't really complete it ought to have the price of the tickets on it and the date and the time of the party yes it should well I'll make a new sketch and make it neat and make it complete then we'll have really considered material audience and purpose you know these rules are really helpful well let's be sure we've applied them to my announcement here this will be read in all home rooms a day or so before bright light night as a sort of a last minute reminder let's edit it all right come on Clyde to make it more effective so editing means going over what you have written idea by idea and word for word checking it with others as to material audience and purpose editing is the final essential in writing effectively that's a good idea Clyde and I like your suggestion too Alice now I know how to rewrite this it'll really be an effective announcement all right I'm going back to work me too well they have finished editing the announcement but let's see what Jack first suggested Last Call on bright light Night tickets get them now before it is too late H does that make you think about the purpose of going to Bright Light night does it make you want to be part of a fun of bright light night does it remind you of how much the social room needs to change this to this look at this announcement carefully you know the essentials of effective writing see if you can revise and improve this announcement edit this copy [Music] yourself