How to Write Good Text – Ten Rules

1. Be short. Don’t think of what you want to say. Think of what the reader needs to know. And make it easy for him. Don’t publish texts with paragraphs which cover more than eight lines.
2. Be short. A sentence should not contain more than a maximum of 14 words. Better go with twelve. If you have longer sentences, break them apart.
3. Easy on relative clauses. It’s ok to use one now and then. But stay with main clauses whenever possible.
4. Easy on adjectives. Don’t use them for colouring purposes. Information does not need colour. Use adjectives only if they provide additional information.
5. Try to apply an information path. Each sentence starts with what the reader already knows. And it ends with something he doesn’t. New information from a previous sentence is given information for the next one.
6. When structuring your text, start with the relevant information. Decrease the information value as you go along. Don’t expect the reader to be attentive to information provided in the last sentence.
7. Again: don’t write for yourself, write for the reader. Think of who your reader will be.
8. Be precise, be clear, be as objective as you can. Don’t start sentences with „I think“ and „In my opinion“. It’s clear to everyone that what you write is your opinion. You only waste time and space by making this clear.
9. Easy on foreign words and loans. They reduce the number of readers who finish the text. People tend to turn away if there is a word they don’t understand.
10. Never think that your text is perfect. But don’t try to make it perfect either. If you stick to the rules, your text will be good. Just always give your best.