Writing about context, Content applied in Clear Writing/Speaking

1. Context and Content

• Content: the word you put on the page.

• Context: how the readers understand the word.

2. Know your reader

2.1. Personas

• The best personas are based on research, not guesswork.

• For example: Our reader is Marcus, the owner/manager of a pizza takeaway in the suburbs that employs two other people. Business is steady, but recently cash flow has been a little tight. Marcus is a 30-something father of two. He wants to know how the new tax regulations for part-time workers will affect his business, and what changes he might need to make.

2.2. What does your reader want or need?

• When [A], I need to [B] so I can [C].

• Where A is the reader’s situation, B is the task they need to do, and C is the goal they want to achieve.

2.3. What does your reader know?

1. What they already know ?

2. What do I want them to learn from my writing ?

3. How can I use what they already know -> explain what things I want to say ?

2.4. How does your reader feels ?

1. Interested in your message -> be enthusiasm and curiousity.

2. Neutral -> do not interested, only need your message to help them complete the a task -> force to read but reluctant and impatient about it.

3. Negative -> confused, doubtful and sceptical, do not trust you to speak.

2.5. Research your reader

• Talk to them: only collect facts, do not assumption everything: see, hear, happened.

• Talk to experience: teacher, coacher -> give their observations.

• Reading in digital discussions: Threads, Reddit, Linkedin -> conversations of people around the subject.

3. Planning Docs

1. Read

2. Understand: if you don’t get your message across, it’s game over.

3. Remember: make reader learn and remember your message once they’ve read it.

4. Think and feel: They have more receptive about your ideas.

5. Act: persuade the reader to act on your message.

3.1. Write one-pager doc

• Only 1 page is enough

• Write a mission: your need, reason.

3.2. Flow of read of users.

• Purporse.

• Quick summary: in case people only read this far.

• The current system.

• The proposed solution and reason why to choose.

• The detailed rules and explainations.

• How they help them.

• Action and contact points.

3.3. How wide and how deep ?

• Docs: need both wide and deep

• Your view: you have enthusiasm you want to get across.

• Reader view: they have own priorities and their time, their attention is limited.

3.4. Some poplular error

• Too many aims: only 1 aim at the same time is enough.

• Kitchen sink syndrome: everything in once kitchen.

  • Priority the section based on weight of importance.

  • Make sure anyone feels existed and make their own contribution: do not make all things in the same doc.

  • If you overload it, the reader will skim-read or just stop reading altogether.

• To counter the problem of writing by committee: try to get other people involved before the hands-on writing.

References: Why Writing by Committee Is Hard and How to Make It Easier

3.5. Mind map

• Topic.

• Subtopic.

• Relationship between node: needs, leads to, happens with.

4. Research

Goal: Gather the information that will deepen your understanding and give your writing substance.

4.1. Do your research

• Basic facts

• Background info

• Authoritative sources

• Reader opinions

• The concensus

• Alternative views: Opposite view or competitor product.

• Changing opinions: how older ideas, other opinions changed overtime -> Do not outdated.

4.2. Think or act ?

• Some like to read all the information first, then think it over until it’s time to start writing. By doing that, you get your subconscious mind on the job.

• Other writers: find it easier to get to grips with new information by diving straight into the writing.

• Taking notes: make you keep track the important knowledge.

4.3. Interviewing subject experts

• Expert: dive deep in 1 topic, lack of big picture.

• Need to prepare and curious to asking them anything: but need to related to their domain.