This may be the most IMPORTANT THING you will read all day.

Now ask yourself why I have your attention. What grabbed you? What made you want to keep reading? How come you’re reading even now? Let me take a guess: First, I hit you, hard! With a simple but solid statement. Second, I made the line stand out by presenting it on the page all by itself. Third, I gave the line greater impact by capitalizing some of the words.

Great writing requires relentless editing. Play around with words and phrases and sentences until each line grabs demands for your reader`s attention. How do you create this type of writing? Its simple: Write First, Edit Last. First, get a rough draft down. Then, go back to edit it to perfection.

Let me try to show you what I do with a few specific examples:

“The door was opened by Judy.”

Say that’s a line on copy you’re working on. It’s not bad, but it isn’t good either. It’s too passive. Alittle editing can help this line out.

“Judy opened the door.”

Getting better, isn’t it? Now we have someone doing something. That’s active and much more involving. There’s life in the sentence now. But is it the best line? Nope. So let’s try again:

“Judy kicked open the door.” That would grab your attention, wouldn’t it? But I think we can do better.

“Judy kicked open the door!” Now we have an irresistible line! Start your story with that one and your reader is bound to go on to the next one.

Every line has to work to keep your reader’s attention. The radio is calling, the television is calling, the phone is ringing, the sun is shining, the refrigerator has food in it, there’s a new movie at the theater—your lines have to keep your reader nailed to the page, or you’ll lose them. There are simply too many distractions in the world for you to offer mediocre writing.

You must rewrite your material to perfection.

 

Written by- Judy Kaguchia, Head of Content

Friday 2:30pm

Client: ‘Hey, I know this is last minute, but could you please do a proposal for us? We need it by Close Of Business’

Me: ‘I’m sorry?’

When you’re an account manager at a fast rising digital agency, people expect you to work miracles. They want you to make their day. They need you to wow them, day in, day out. They are waiting for the sun, stars and unicorns to come out of your mouth. They know you can do it. You’ve done it before.

And, THAT’S where the main problem is.

YOU’VE DONE IT BEFORE.

But wait, let me explain. There were so many wonderful coincidences that came together that enabled you to do it THAT other time. You were bright and early. Your baby was not sick. Your creative team did not have as much work. Your media team was having fun in their corner and in a good mood, and ‘yes, they could do that for you right away’.

And today? The media team is away on training, the creative team is swamped with ‘that other client’. The strategists are on leave. You have been playing catch up with your work all morning. You are potty training your 2 year old and she has not gone number 2 for 3 days because she doesn’t want to do in the potty. You are stressed. Your client is stressed. Your daughter is stressed.

Take a breath.

Watch a funny video.

Have a drink of juice.

Call your mother and laugh about your sister.

Get back to work.

Work miracles.

You are super- AM!

Written by- Kitt Kiarie, Account Manager