The Yahoo! Style Guide: Establishing a 'Voice' for a New Generation of Writers

In 1919, William Strunk, Jr. and E.B. White published The Elements of Style, forever defining the proper usage of the written word. Nearly a century later, with Internet access to seemingly infinite information, writers have a worldwide audience to entertain and enlighten. But where can Web-based writers find the most helpful advice for improving their craft? The answer is loud and clear: Yahoo!

"The Yahoo! Style Guide" is a groundbreaking resource that at last recognizes the many issues of writing for the Web. After fifteen years of expert research within the company, Yahoo! editors and content contributors launched "The Yahoo! Style Guide" book and an in-depth corresponding website.

As a writer who relies on the Web for publishing and establishing a readership to build my career, I have found "The Yahoo! Style Guide" to be an indispensable resource. Writers can reference the 'Word List' for common questions regarding abbreviation and proper usage. Or for the less technologically educated, online writers can better know the behind-the-scenes segment of Internet publishing known as HTML coding.

But in this writer's opinion, the most helpful advice lies in the reader-focused information within the 'Writing for the Web' tab. Within this section, the pressing issue is to write according to readers' convenience and interest. And according "The Yahoo! Style Guide," the need to keep online readers attentive is urgent:

"Your content has a few seconds-three or less!-to encourage people to read more, to take action, or to navigate to another of your pages."

That means by the time you finished reading the very first sentence in this article, you could have loss interest and clicked elsewhere. But assuming you're still with me, reading this online writing tutorial, I will continue...

Three seconds. That's the deadline. Three seconds. So what's the trick to engaging an online audience? Load the important information, the who/what/when/where/why at the top of your article. Hook the reader with facts from the very beginning.

But a question remains.

Now that your audience gets the gist of the article, why continue reading?

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This is where the voice of "The Yahoo! Style Guide" should resound with writers the world over. Sentence structure, punctuation, vocabulary. These are the basic supplies found within every writer's mental toolbox. But variations on these three elements alone can make any piece a better experience for the reader.

For example, let's read that previous statement again:
"Sentence structure, punctuation, vocabulary."

This is not a sentence. Not in the technical sense of the word. (Neither is that!) Where is the verb? The action? While grammar school teachers may shudder at the thought of sentence fragments, writers with a flare for engaging readers know better. Chopping at the usual subject-verb-object, subject-verb- object format can be quite refreshing for the reader. It breaks the monotony. It keeps the flow. It establishes a voice.

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How else can we writers establish a voice? Well, aside from varying sentence structure, a trick I often use is varying sentence length.

For example: After a wordy sentence, swollen with the styling of skilled alliteration or
smothered with metaphor, try following with a simple subject-verb-object sentence. It's that easy!

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Even simple punctuation can play a great deal in crafting a reader-friendly Web article. Text riddled with commas or decorated with far too many exclamation points can really distract a reader from your work. "The Yahoo! Style Guide" warns against too many comma splices, which could easily confuse a reader. Keep it simple.

For example: At risk of losing an Internet audience, writers often try to churn out deep,
descriptive copy that to them looks like a winning article, but due to over- punctuation--- far
too many commas and dashes---readers lose interest and click elsewhere.

Oh dear. That's a lot to swallow. So look at this revised version and see the difference:

Instead, writers should strive for concise copy. Get to the point. Be mindful that too many
commas or dashes can muffle the strength of a writer's true voice.

Doesn't that look and sound better?

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This same simplicity can be said for a writer's word choice. Don't treat your readers to an SAT-level vocabulary exercise when they want to read a friendly service piece. Write for a readership that will understand your work.

For example: Far too many writers strive to dazzle with their Thesaurus, often
losing readers' attention to exorbitant words.

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These are just a few lessons found within "The Yahoo! Style Guide." Explore the website for yourself and discover more literary devices and helpful advice for Web-based writers. The resources are many.

But remember, writing with a distinct style and consistent voice in your work is a skill that all writers should master and that all readers will appreciate.