| » About good comms » How to ... » Plan your comms » Know your audience » Write 'intros' » Write body copy » Use quotes » Write 'outros' » Write headlines » Interview » Edit copy » Use photos |
» Top tips |
|
Use of quotes to spice up a story
We’ve established that direct quotations can liven up your story and make it more real for the reader. However, applied with too heavy a hand, quotations can ruin an article. Be selective and don’t overload your writing with quotes – one or two paragraphs of quotations per story is ideal. Use quotations to provide a punch line – a pithy statement that sums up lengthy explanations. Use quotations to introduce a personal perspective. Do not waste a quotation on statistics, technical information, or background material – these should be covered in the main narrative of the article. Use quotations to give impact. Note the differences in the examples below – which is more appealing to read? “Construction on the new offices should begin in July,” says facilities manager Fred Bloggs. “The project will accommodate 40 additional staff and take eight months to complete. It will provide modern, spacious offices for everyone in the region and the whole team is excited by the project.” Construction of the new office block will begin in July and continue for eight months, according to facilities manager Fred Bloggs, who says that the project will provide accommodation for 40 additional staff. Use double speech marks for quotes. For quoted speech, the marks go at the beginning of each paragraph and only appear at the end of the quote. » On to Writing 'outros' © Adrian Ruck MCIPR |
