5 tips for how to write more efficiently…using modular writing

Modular writing (to me) represents structuring articles or reports in such a way that the content is easily arranged so that it can added to, edited, or reused as necessary.

Here are 5 of my tips for efficient modular writing: 

1. Shout-out quotes can double as tweets

• Shout-out quotes (or pull quotes, or lift-outs) are key phrases, quotations, or excepts, that have been pulled from the main body of the article, and are typeset differently in order to stand out.
• Because, by nature, they are short in length but are legible when viewed on their own, they can double as tweets (for Twitter)
• Hence, the rest of the of article can then be attached as a weblink to the tweet(s)

2. Header introduction doubles as online teaser

• Many publications lead with the online piece, and then follow on at a later date with the published piece
• The header introduction to the article can summarise the 5 W‘s (what, why, who, where, when), in the same way that a newspaper column would do
• The article can then subsequently expand upon all of these points

3. Executive summary sets the tone

• The executive summary is great for setting the tone of the article
• Limited by length, only the key points should make it in here
• By repeating these key points in the paragraph headings of the main report, the article retains its focus

4. Short paragraphs = readability

• Increases ‘findability’ if each key point has its own paragraph
• This is especially true in long reports, where important data/observations can be buried in the middle of a sentence or far down in the report
• Keeps you focused as a writer

5. Content can be restructured far easier

• Having short paragraphs under key points makes editing far easier, especially if word count has to be reduced
• Likewise, collaboration with other colleagues is facilitated, as the relevant section can be added to, with each colleague writing their own paragraph.

Related articles

http://www.nobleword.co.uk/how-to-write-great-case-studies/