Yes, Engineers Can Write Better, Part 2

By Jon Titus | July 28, 2010

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Thank you to the people who provided comments for the first column entry about engineers and writing well.  I have corrected minor errors and appreciate knowing about them.  See: www.devmonkey.edn.com/blog/jon-titus-blog/yes-engineers-can-write-better. (Every writer needs helpful critics.)

The previous column explained that engineers must establish clear objectives before they create an outline or an abstract. The following information describes how to structure the contents of an article, report, memo, or other written material--as well as oral presentations.

When you read a mystery story or a novel the author usually builds to a conclusion at the end of his or her book. Many technical writers take the same approach. Until about 160 years ago, newspaper writers took that route, too.  They used the first few paragraphs to set the stage and then build to a dramatic conclusion.  During the US Civil War, or the War between the States, newspaper writers had to take a different approach because telegraph lines could get cut during a transmission and the big build-up conclusion wouldn't get through. They adopted the "inverted pyramid" style that got to the conclusion right away and then filled in less-important details as they continued to write.

The inverted-pyramid style puts the conclusions at the start of an article and then provides explanations and details. In many cases, you do not need a final concluding or wrap-up paragraph when you the the inverted-pyramid style. Why use space to duplicate what you already wrote?

Readers like the inverted-pyramid style because they get important information right away and they can determine quickly if they want to read your article.  Even if they read only halfway through, they still get most of the important information.

So, when you create an outline based on objectives, you might start with something like:

1. Introduction
2. Point A
3. Point B
4. Conclusion

In an inverted-pyramid form, your outline would look like this:

1. Conclusion
2. Point A
3. Point B

In this form, you do not usually need a separate Introduction section.  You can include one or two brief introductory sentences in the Conclusion portion of the article, but as you become a better writer you'll find you (and your readers) can do without them.

Many times when I receive an article to edit, the authors follow the pyramidal style that places the conclusion at the end.  Often I can move the concluding paragraph so it starts the article and eliminate most or all of the introductory information. This technique deletes extraneous information, places important information at the start, and "tightens" an article so readers can go through it quickly and grasp key points.

Donald Murray wrote in his book, Writing for Your Readers, "Good endings are not summaries or conclusions built of words rather than information. Good endings are not rhetorical devices or fancy phrases. Good endings, like leads, are constructed of information that matters to readers." Murray continued, "Deliver a solid piece of information--and stop."  Good advice.

The inverted-pyramid format also has a hidden benefit.  When editors I know eliminate information from an article so it fits into a given space, they start at the end and cut upward. Thus, less important information at the end gets cut and doesn't greatly affect a story. (Good editors always consult with authors to ensure cuts do not alter a story.)

Unfortunately, "Writing for Your Readers: Notes on the Writer's Craft from the Boston Globe," by Donald Morison Murray is out of print.  Try www.abebooks.com for used copies. The book is worth tracking down.

Nice job, helpful information

By Anonymous July 29, 2010 - 1:13pm

Good information, Jon. Thanks for sharing it with your colleagues out here. I can see how to use the inverted pyramid to help improve my written materials and give my bosses and others the key information right away.

Helpful .. but there are down sides...

By Anonymous August 4, 2010 - 5:27pm

Good info ..
I noted you stayed with pyramid style... and I still prefer it.
The journey is most of the "fun"... and it adds additional insight into author's conclusions.
Thank you.

It appears most newspapers work with inverted pyramid style.. primary reason: the short attention spans of modern public...

Too bad...
Very little understanding of a subject can be put in a sound bite or a headline... (generally)
Many headlines.. misrepresent the content of the attached story!

writing for readers

By Anonymous August 4, 2010 - 6:05pm

need to get book.

Again, I agree

By Rick Lyons August 4, 2010 - 9:24pm

Hi Jon,
Again, I agree with you. Important information should be presented early on. When I work with an author to convert a unedited manuscript into a published article for the "DSP Tips and Tricks" column of the IEEE Signal Processing Magazine, I tell the author, "After your audience reads your article's title, in your first paragraph you have 15 seconds to convince the reader to keep on reading." So I encourage the author to immediately state, specifically, what useful signal processing scheme is described in the rest of the article.

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