Whether you're writing for a funder, a stakeholder or a general audience, they have these things in common.
Many of us learned how to write in school or university. The reader was, in effect, a captive audience. Whether they wanted to or not, our teacher or professor had to read what we wrote!
Writing for a professional audience is very different. They aren’t obliged to read your proposal, article or report. So put yourself in their shoes. It is very likely that the person reading your document:
1. Is busy and overloaded – so you need to get your message across quickly and easily
2. Gets distracted regularly – so you need to grab their attention and hold it
3. Has multiple priorities – so you need to speak to what matters to them
Stay tuned to future posts, where I will provide tips on how to write more clearly and concisely, and engage your audience in a meaningful way.
Leah Geller is a science communicator and writing coach.
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