"Suit the action to the word, and the word to the action."

- William Shakespeare

Invigorate your prose. Use vivid verbs and sparkling nouns. Infuse your instructions with energy. Put passion in your prose.

Write instructions in the command form. Speak directly to the user. Use the form, "You <action> or simply, "<Action>."

Write descriptions in the active voice. Put the action in the verb. Give each sentence an actor and an action. Save the passive voice for just transposing subjects when you need to maintain topical continuity.

Pay attention to rhythm. Read your work out loud. Readers "hear" what they read with their inner ear. Listen to the cadence: the energetic rhythms of your voice.

Vary the length of your sentences. Establish a breathing rhythm. If you put short sentences between longer ones, you give the reader mental room to breathe.

Emphasize important points. If you are introducing a new concept, or an abstract idea, place it at the end of a sentence where it will receive the most stress. Conversely, place simple, concrete and familiar concepts toward the beginning of sentences to give readers a running start.

Check List

• Write with vigor. Put passion in your prose.
• Speak directly to the user. "You <action> or simply, "<Action>."
• Use the active voice. Avoid using the passive voice.
• Put the action in the verb. Choose verbs that engage, attract, excite and conjure.
• Do not hide action in nouns: the selection of, the deletion of. Express the action as verbs: select and delete.
• Do not hide action in adjectives: is indicative of, is representative of. Express the action as verbs: indicates, represents.
• Read your work out loud. Listen to the rhythm. If you enjoy saying it, others will probably enjoy reading it.
• Vary the length of your sentences. Create a breathing rhythm. Put short sentences in between long ones.
• Give readers a running start. Put simple, concrete and familiar concepts toward the beginning of sentences so readers can move past them quickly.
• Put the important stuff at the end. Place the most abstract, important or unfamiliar concepts at the end of sentences where they will receive the most emphasis.