Pictures can supercharge your message: A grasshopper story

/3 Comments/in , , , , /by

People absorb messages better when words are complemented by an image. This is a rule that any writer can exploit.

Take my dinner at Casa Oaxaca on a Mexican vacation. It was a multi-course tasting menu, so I could gloss over the chapulines in the taquitos de jicama con  chapulines, quesillo y cuitlacoche. But then the dish captured in the photo to your right arrived.

Do you see the little antennae and the translucent wings?

I could no longer ignore the inclusion of toasted grasshoppers (chapulines) in my food. Good thing they were tasty!

Properly used, photos and other images add oomph to your written communications.

Tips for finding images

1. Look for the noun.

Finding an image is easy when you write about a concrete topic like grasshoppers. Simply search your favorite photo bank for your thing–the noun you’re writing about. Check my earlier blog post for free or low-cost photo sources.

2. Illustrate the adjective, verb or emotion.

What can you do when your subject is more abstract than grasshoppers?

I follow the advice of writer Erik Sherman:

Remember that none of your stories are about abstract topics. They are always tangible to someone. It might help to stop thinking about the topic – the noun – and focus on what people are doing – the verb – or what they’re feeling – the adjective. In a given investment story, someone is either making or losing money. It often happens in some industry, like real estate, high tech, or commodities. There may be regulatory aspects, in which case think about images that could represent regulation, like police holding a hand up to tell traffic to stop, a judge, Congress. The more tangible and simple you get about the topic, the easier it will be to think of a fitting image.

Financial blogger Chuck Rylant cracked this problem in his “Controversy Over Disappearing CalPERS Police Officer Retirement Benefits” blog post, which is no longer live. He illustrated the adjective “disappearing” instead of the difficult-to-depict noun, “retirement benefits.” Plus, the sinking ship in his illustration reinforced the message that the benefits are disappearing.

Can you add any tips for illustrating blog posts and other written communications?

Nov. 20, 2013 UPDATE: If you prefer original photos, read about the strategy used by advisor Sheri Iannetta Cupo. Aug. 15, 2016: I deleted some broken links.

WSJ video highlights plain English for financial advisors

/1 Comment/in , , , , /by

The Wall Street Journal continues to highlight the case for plain English. An article, “A Tip for Financial Advisers: When Possible, Use English,” expands on the ideas introduced in the video.

If you like this article-video combo, you may also enjoy former SEC Chairman Arthur Levitt’s opinion essay, which I discussed in “The Levitt test for financial risk disclosures.”

Projected: A word geek’s nitpick

/in , , /by

Sloppy or mistaken word usage pops out at me. For example, “A projected 5,000 people hold shares in this mutual fund.”

The sentence misuses “projected.” Projected refers to an estimate for the future.

Here’s a correct use of the word. “A projected 5,000 people will hold shares in this mutual fund one year from now.”

To speak about current shareholders, you could say, “An estimated 5,000 people hold shares in this mutual fund.”

Are you using “projected” and “estimated” correctly?

Reader challenge: Fix the metaphor overload

/26 Comments/in /by

Metaphors are “Poetry for Everyday Life,” as New York Times op-ed columnist David Brooks said in his April 12 column. However, it’s best to stick to one metaphor per sentence.

Brooks highlighted the following sentence as “clunky” because it uses four metaphors.

Britain’s recovery from the worst recession in decades is gaining traction, but confused economic data and the high risk of hung Parliament could yet snuff out its momentum.

How would YOU fix the metaphor overload and make this sentence more powerful?

Please post your reply as a comment on this blog post.

Reader question: How can I become a freelance financial writer?

/7 Comments/in , , , , /by

Aspiring freelance financial writers seeking advice contact me occasionally. If you’re one of them, here’s some advice.

“Freelance financial writer” is made up of three words, each of which contains clues to the freelance financial writer’s success. I discuss them below in order of importance.

“Writer”: Polish your wordsmithing

Do whatever you can to improve your writing, including

“Financial”: Learn about the business

I took many great classes through the Boston Security Analysts Society on my way to earning my CFA (chartered financial analyst) credential. Your local society of the CFA Institute, other professional societies, or colleges may offer relevant classes in person or online.

Industry experience helps, too. I took my first job in financial services back in the 1980s.

“Freelance”: Learn how to survive

You may be a great writer with a strong command of finance. But if you can’t run a business, you’re lost.

Here are some online resources for learning more about freelancing:

“Freelance financial writing”

Here are some relevant posts from my blog. While they’re aimed at CFA charterholders, they’re relevant to others who understand investments.

If you have more suggestions for aspiring writers, please leave a comment.

If you’re in New York City, you can pick up more writing tips from me at my New York Society of Security Analysts presentation on “How to Write Investment Commentary People Will Read” or the  annual writers conference of the American Society of Journalists and Authors.

Guest post: “Using Clause Analysis to Fix Your Complex Sentences”

/1 Comment/in , , /by

If you can’t figure out why your written sentences are too long, then you’ll find a useful tool in this guest post by Joe Croscup. Joe was a wonderful assistant when I taught “How to Write Blog Posts People Will Read” last year. He is also an excellent freelance proofreader, with an eagle eye for catching inconsistencies.

Using Clause Analysis to Fix Your Complex Sentences

By Joseph Croscup

Financial markets are complicated. However, you must not allow your sophistication and knowledge to interfere with clear and concise writing. Understanding your clauses can help.

Common problem in financial writing

Financial writers often make two-part cause and effect statements. They say, because of a factor, the following fact, conclusion, or prediction is true. Therefore, the standard sentence contains at least two clauses. When a writer qualifies the cause or the effect, or both, a sentence is soon cluttered with three or four clauses.

Sentences overpopulated with clauses are unclear and imprecise. The reader confuses the relationship among the parts. Tortuous or excessively long sentences deplete attention and obfuscate meaning even when grammatically perfect.

No one aims to write overly complex sentences. When financial advisors report on the market in real time, it’s easy to see how confusing sentences are drafted. Writers are still formulating their thoughts during composition. However, a timely but muddled report offers little insight.

Solution: Recognize the words that identify new clauses

Your sentences are likely to confuse if you use too many clauses. If you don’t know how many clauses you’ve got, use the list below. The list contains words that act as dividers between clauses. Whenever you see one of these words, you may have started a new clause. However, be careful because some of these words−such as “and,” “or,” and “that”−sometimes play other roles in sentences.

  1. Coordinating conjunctions−“and,” “but,” “for,” “nor,” “or,” “so,” and “yet”
  2. Subordinate conjunctions−“after,” “although,” “because,” “except,” “if,” “unless,” “when,” “whether,” “while,” “though,” “unless,” “that”
  3. Prepositions introducing a clause or phrase−“after,” “except,” “before,” “until,” “concerning,” “according to,” “because of,” “instead of,” “together with,” “owing to”
  4. Conjunctive adverbs−“however,” “indeed,” “moreover,” “nevertheless,” “therefore,” “thus,” “furthermore,” “then,” “accordingly,” “also,” “besides”
  5. Transitional expressions−“for example,” “in fact,” “in addition,” “namely”

By memorizing this list−or keeping it handy−you can quickly see if your sentences have too many parts or if they are too complex. Then you know where you need to wield your editor’s pen.

At first, it may be difficult to untangle your sentences. Unlike a juggler, a writer is not always aware of how many plates he has suspended in the air. Knowing these key words will help you to determine relationships and more easily spot problems.

Poll: Want a weekly writing tip?

/in /by

Would you like the option of receiving a weekly writing tip in your email in-box? Please answer the poll in the right-hand column of this blog. I won’t start this new e-communication unless there’s demand.

There are other writing tips newsletters, but I’m not aware of any tailored to investment and wealth management topics.

You may read the writing articles in my monthly e-newsletter. But it’s not easy to change a bad habit with just one reading of a practical tip. You can benefit from regular reminders.

It will be easy to subscribe, if I offer this writing tips newsletter. Please note: I will only add you to the distribution with your permission. No one will be spammed.

I look forward to learning your opinions! Please answer the poll in the right-hand column of this blog.

Investment writing challenge for my readers

/12 Comments/in , /by

Change one word in the following line to make it a more effective sentence.

The Standard and Poor’s 500 Index rose and the Barclays Capital Aggregate Bond Index fell.

Post your rewrite in the comments.

I’ve got a writing lesson in mind as I pose this puzzler. I’ll circle back later to explain it, although I wouldn’t be surprised if one of my savvy readers beats me to it.

Quick check for writers, with an economic commentary example

/7 Comments/in , , /by

You CAN edit your own writing.

First-sentence check

Here’s a tip that will help you check how well your piece is structured. Read the first sentence of every paragraph. In combination, do they give the reader a good idea of your main points? If so, you’ve written something that’s likely to survive a busy reader’s scrutiny.

This first-sentence check works because strong business writing typically starts each paragraph with a topic sentence that summarizes the paragraph’s main point or topic.

You can also incorporate the first paragraph into your quick check of your writing. When I write something longer than a blog post, I like to set up my main points in the first paragraph.  This lets me convey my argument to readers who don’t have the patience to read any more.

Example: “Today’s employment report” by Cumberland Advisors

Let’s use “Today’s employment report,” a piece of economic commentary by Cumberland Advisors in Sarasota, Florida, to test the first-sentence approach to checking your writing.

Below you’ll see the first sentences of the first six paragraphs of the commentary. By the way, I’m not copying all of the first sentences because I don’t want to infringe on the firm’s copyright.

  1. Today’s employment report is a disappointment.
  2. Markets got ahead of reality; this is weak economic recovery.
  3. The United States faces the worst employment conditions seen during the entire Post World War II period.
  4. The human tragedy is large.
  5. If you look at the U-6 unemployment rate, you realize that 1 out of 6 in the labor force has either no income or pay that is less than it was three years ago.
  6. To understand the dynamic at work in the US one has to drill into the headline number.

After reading these sentences, do you have a sense of the author’s opinion on the employment report? I think so. To check the relationship between this six-sentence summary and the original commentary, go to “Today’s employment report.”

I like the commentary on the Cumberland Advisors website. It states opinions in an appealing style. I almost feel as if I’m in a conversation with the firm’s investment professionals. You can read more by visiting Cumberland’s commentary archive.

What if your writing flunks?

If your writing flunks the first-sentence test, you may simply need to tweak your content.

For example, if all but one of your first sentences work, you can zero in on the problem sentence’s paragraph of origin. Your problem may be that the topic sentence doesn’t sum up or introduce the paragraph’s main point. You can fix this by rewriting the first sentence.

Alternatively, the offending first sentence may be a sign that the entire paragraph doesn’t belong. Perhaps you’ve gone off on an unnecessary tangent. If so, you can axe the entire paragraph.

Another possibility: Your sentence and paragraph are fine, but belong higher or lower in the commentary. Move the paragraph and you may be set to go.

 

Image courtesy of Jonathan Baker Photography via flickr licensed under CC BY 2.0

“Omit needless words”–Excerpt from Strunk’s The Elements of Style

/in , , /by

“Omit needless words,” advises William Strunk in the original edition of The Elements of Style, a bible for writers. He then says

Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts. This requires not that the writer make all his sentences short, or that he avoid all detail and treat his subjects only in outline, but that every word tell.

I agree.

Read the rest of Strunk’s advice on needless words.