Before you begin writing
Writing for the web is different from writing for print. People rarely read web pages word by word. They scan. They skim across navigation and content, picking out headings, summaries, the first sentences of paragraphs, and so on.
Reading from a screen is uncomfortable. Most people tire quickly when reading from a screen. It is important to make your writing easy to read. Information should be presented clearly and concisely, and come straight to the point.
Every part of a website should be self-explanatory. You don't read a website in a straight line like printed publications. Each page on a site should be self-explanatory and stand-alone.
Websites try to build a relationship of trust with users to encourage them to return. This leads to a more personal and conversational tone.
To help users absorb information we need to:
- use plain English
- make effective use of headings and subheadings
- use bulleted lists
- provide short, snappy summaries where appropriate
- use clear and concise sentences and paragraphs
- aim for one idea per paragraph
- start with the conclusion (the inverted pyramid style).
Planning ahead
Before you start writing you should ask yourself:
- Why am I writing this?
- What do I want this content to do?
- What are its aims and outcomes?
- Who is my audience?
It is important to spend time answering these questions. Talk to other people to help you sort out your ideas.
Always put yourself in the position of the person who is going to use your material. Think about what the user is hoping to get. The following questions can help when planning your material:
- What do I want my user to learn/know?
- What do they need/want to learn/know?
- What is the simplest and most appropriate way of passing on this information?
Organise your material under meaningful headings. Reject anything that is not essential for the user.
Keep these points in mind while you are writing, and you will be more likely to produce a well structured piece of work.
Format
If you are writing material on behalf of Learning and Teaching Scotland, our preferred option is to receive it in the following way.
- Supply text in Microsoft Word format preferably.
- Use only a single space between sentences.
- Provide text with minimal formatting. Your formatting can cause problems when we try to put the work into our templates. Please leave detailed formatting to us.
- Supply a complete text - do not send it in instalments. Generally, it is not sensible to work on a project until it is complete. The overall length and construction often informs the choice of format, page size, etc. However, because some internet service providers cannot cope with large attachments, we do accept segmented files, as long as they all arrive at once.