SUPERCHARGEYOUR WRITING

for Instructional Design

CONNE MALAMED@ELEARNING COACH

Informative1

Audio Scripts2

Video Scripts3

Technical6

Stories7

Test Questions8

Microcopy4

Persuasive5

Glossaries9

Copywriting10

There are at least ten types of writing that instructional designers might be

involved in as part of their jobs.

STEALLIKE ANARTIST

The thesis of this book by Austin Kleon, is that you should find concepts and

works that inspire, then use in your own way and make it your own.

“Every new idea is just a mashup or remix of one or more previous ideas.”

Austin Kleon, Steal Like An Artist

Many psychologists agree that creativity is not about doing something

original. Rather, it’s about mixing existing ideas in a new way.

PLAGIARISM

Of course, no one is talking about plagiarism!

We’re talking about borrowing from things that get you inspired and making

them your own. The art comes in when you make it your own.

JOURNALISMADVERTISING

HOLLYWOOD UX & UI

Here are four industries you can look to for writing inspiration and ideas.

STEALLIKE ANARTIST

(from advertising)

1. KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE

Advertisers do a lot of research to learn about their audience. You should too.

Are you writing for an audience of baristas or an audience at a conservative

financial institution? Hang out with the audience and use their words.

2. FIND THE RIGHT VOICE

Attitude

Tone

Personality

Mood

Advertisers find the right voice for the audience. Not your voice, but the voice

that will connect. Will you write as the boss, the colleague or the teacher?

Congratulations on the new job! I was embarrassed my first day because I couldn’t answer all of the customer questions about the menu. Definitely study it tonight.

Teacher Colleague

Restaurant Training

The first task for a new waiter-in training is to memorize the menu. In any given day, a waiter will receive numerous questions about the food choices and he or she must be prepared with answers.

3. PASSIVE TO ACTIVE

Passive sentence construction isn’t wrong, it’s just not very dynamic.

Advertisers speak directly to their audience with an active construction.

The subject is doing the action.

I heard it through the grapevine.

The subject is NOT taking a direct action.

ACTIVE CONSTRUCTION

PASSIVE CONSTRUCTION

It was heard by me through the grapevine.

I’m a hot air balloon, I could go to

space.

A hot air balloon going to space is

analogous to me.

Pharrell Williams would not have had a big hit if he used passive sentence

construction!!

Here’s the third sentence from the song Happy in both active and passive

construction.

STEALLIKE ANARTIST

(from journalism)

4. WRITE HEADLINES NOT TITLES

Journalists use attention-grabbing headlines. Why don’t we?

Little girl’s next move totallyalarms her parents

AOL writes great headlines. I click on them even when I’m busy and when

I’m not even interested in the topic!

You’re probably cookingyour bacon all wrong

Dr. Oz says one thing may be more vital than exercise

The headlines pique the reader’s curiosity.

eMail Ettiquette for New Employees

How to Achieve Active Listening

Hand Washing in the Hospital

The Boss Wasn’t Happy with This eMail

This Surprising Technique

Increased Sales by 50%

Did you know hand washing

could save your life?

Three boring course titles made into more interesting headlines.

5. USE TEASERS IN MENUS

Journalists

use teasers

to get us

hooked.

We can use teasers in menus and title screens. Here is an example menu

from a course I made for physicians.

STEALLIKE ANARTIST

(from Hollywood)

6. GIVE YOUR PROTAGONIST AN OBSTACLE

Hollywood script writers give their protagonists an obstacle that they don’t

want to face, according to Lisa Cron, author of Wired for Story.

7. MAKE THE PROTAGONIST CHANGE

According to Ms. Cron, the most significant aspect of story is how the

protagonist changes. This is what captures our curiosity, more than plot.

“A story is how what happens affects someone in pursuit of a difficult goal and how they change as a result.”

Lisa Cron, The eLearning Coach Podcast #4

Here’s an example of a story with an obstacle that I wrote to teach residents

how to teach in short lecture/conversations, called “Chalk Talks.”

As usual, a super hero saves the day.

STEALLIKE ANARTIST

(from UI and UX)

8. REMOVE TO IMPROVE

The user experience and user interface community have ideas for writing

microcopy– the small instructions and messages that users need.

In the assignment for this chapter, you actually write two assignments in one: a set of instructions and an information structure (such as description, definition, or other) integrated within those instructions.

In this assignment, you will write a set of instructions. Integrate a description or definition within the instructions.

Deleting extraneous words is one way to supercharge your microcopy and all

of your writing. Here is the before and after.

On the left are terms and on the right

are definitions. Drag the correct term

to its definition.

Drag the term on the left to its correct

definition on the right.

Before and after for eLearning microcopy.

9. ADD PERSONALITY

Great Scott!You have a past timer running. Travel back in time to edit it (or just click this link).

Have you noticed this trend for giving user interfaces some personality? This

example is from Harvest Time Tracking software. We can do that too.

This type of message will only frustrate users and learners. It’s impossible to

understand and has no personality. It’s from an error in a shopping cart.

We’re sorry to see you go, but hey, no hard feelings, hopefully we will see you back one day.

Here’s another example message with personality from when I unsubscribed

from a newsletter.

Google displays this friendly notice when you’ve checked your notices.

STEALLIKE ANARTIST

THANK YOU!Connie Malamed

theelearningcoach.com

@elearningcoach

Are you getting my monthly newsletter? If not, you’re missing out on articles,

tips and freebies that will make you better at designing learning experiences.

Go to theelearningcoach.com and enter your email address in the form in the

upper right. Your email address will never be shared.