FUNKY WINKERBEAN reprinted by permission of United Feature Syndicate.
- Use quotations that have meaning. Don’t quote anyone
who says, ”I had a lot of fun.” The quotation is short and
doesn’t give the reader any specific information. Ask the
source for a definition of fun, and you’ll get quotations
that have meaning, such as, “It was fun when the senior
men wore the cheerleaders’ uniforms and led the cheer at
the pep rally.”
Figure 18.3 gives a checklist to help you can evaluate your writing.
Remember, the yearbook story is the only historical record most
people will ever have about this year at this school. People want to pick
up their yearbooks in two or three decades and have the pictures and
words take them right back to the scene. To make your writing do that,
be accurate. Check the office list against another list to verify the spell-
ing of names. Recheck every story and caption to be sure that it includes
the names, dates, details and facts about each event or organization.
(^414) MIXED MEDIA
Source: Reprinted with permission from Scholastic Yearbook Fundamentals, 2nd edition,
Columbia Scholastic Press Association, New York, N.Y., p. 44.
- Use plain words, not fancy ones. Always use the familiar word.
- Use mainly short words.
- Use descriptive adjectives, never editorial ones.
- Use simple sentences. Avoid compound and complex
sentences. - Use mainly short sentences, but vary the length.
- Paragraph frequently.
- Use the active voice.
- Delete all unnecessary words, sentences and paragraphs.
- Write clearly.
- Write to express, never to impress.
- Read copy aloud. Revise, rewrite. Read again and revise.
- Be satisfied only when you like what you have written.
FIGURE 18.3
CHECKLIST FOR GOOD
WRITING