Comments on: Consistency and community-generated content

By: annegentle

annegentle — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 03:04:07 +0000

@Melanie Love the V reference – I watched the SyFy back-to-backs too!

@Mike I’m still impressed when I read the Little House books aloud – the way the simple phrasing and descriptions bring pioneer life to my mind’s eye. I just saw this and thought of Little House – apparently mixing technical writing and family life is an award-winning modern combo as well – check out http://www.tradeonlytoday.com/home/500576-writers-group-hands-out-annual-award. “The article chronicles a family’s cruise of the Great Loop, weaving together technical information with engaging human insight, according to the judges.” Why that’s practically a formula for success.

By: Mike Wethington

Mike Wethington — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:22:53 +0000

I learned how to make charcoal from reading Little House on the Prairie books (they are not just for girls) 35 years ago. I still remember how to do it. Great books for people interested in how pioneers (albeit angelic ones) lived.

By: Larry Kunz

Larry Kunz — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:00:07 +0000

Quick addition to my previous comment: A minimalist approach to writing can help minimize the effects of divergent writing styles.

By: Melanie

Melanie — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:01:35 +0000

Good thoughts. Consistency takes work, but it’s worthwhile since it benefits the reader.

On a side note, that copy example is awfully sloppy! It reminded me of a line that I heard in the 1983 “V” miniseries, which we just rewatched this weekend: “We’re the only thing that’ll be standing between the life you’re gonna have and the one you won’t have.” Laughable.

By: annegentle

annegentle — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:24:41 +0000

Great article from Brain Traffic, thanks Rachel! I like their examples. I have always liked style guides with examples.

I wish there was a better name than “style guide” for what we’re talking about. I keep thinking of the eye rolls that style guides generate from Scott Abel, The Content Wrangler. But for now, that term seems the best fit.

By: Rachel

Rachel — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:45:20 +0000

Great points! I think voice is huge when it comes to consistency. I often change voice based on my mood that day, so I really have to work to keep consistency. I agree that style guides can be a huge help. Check out this article from Brain Traffic. They suggest even having a table of examples to show the kind of voice you want to use: http://blog.braintraffic.com/2009/07/5-tips-on-working-with-a-style-guide/

By: Larry Kunz

Larry Kunz — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:37:31 +0000

I agree about inconsistency and queasiness, and how important it is to avoid both. As you say, this is a real challenge on a collaborative project.

I think that style guides are a big part of the solution. Another is reminding writers to check their egos at the door. Everyone benefits when we save our writerly flourishes (“we’ll reveal the wizardry”) for after hours.

Thanks, Anne, for a good and thoughtful article.