Q&A If you’re aware of the questions a reader might ask then cut to the chase and just answer them. Obviously this depends on knowing what your audience are actually after – there’s nothing quite as sad as Frequently Asked Questions that no one asks, frequently or otherwise. They make a brand look lazy and irrelevant.

Problem>solution>results The classic case-study format. Not particularly imaginative in its naked form but a solid basis on which to build.

Past>present>future Explain how something came to be, what the current situation looks like and where it could go next.

The great American novelist Elmore Leonard summed this up nicely when he said, ‘If it sounds like writing, I rewrite it.’

No, going from nothing to something is a four-stage process during which you research, plan, write and review.

Finally, a really useful technique for the Writing stage is to create a ‘core story’. This is just a fancy phrase for a document that contains everything important about your subject, written up under appropriate headings to a good (but not finished) standard. It’s a content pool that will itself never see the light of day – it’s almost certainly t

you need to dig deep until you’re 100 per cent clear about: •The nature of the job •The identity of the audience •The problem you’re trying to solve •The big idea you need to build on •Any key messages your copy must contain •The tone or personality of the finished piece •When it needs to be done by •Where to go for further information

Find a piece of copy that really makes your toes curl, then write a short analysis of why it’s so bad – a couple of paragraphs is enough. Justify your criticism as objectively as possible. The copy you choose can come from any source – packaging, advert, website, brochure and so on. To keep things simple, pick something reasonably brief – say under

If we had to summarize Read Me in one sentence it would be this: Write like you speak, but speak well.