Are you familiar with narration? (Hint: You’re experiencing it right now.)
Narration and tone are important aspects of writing that are often discussed without being named. I’ve heard clients and colleagues gesture at them in various ways. For example:
“We need you to make sure the proposal is written in one voice.”
“We don’t want to sound ‘salesy.’ Make sure it sounds scientific.”
“There needs to be a sense of urgency.”
In each of these instances, people were describing how they wanted the writing to be experienced by readers. There’s a lot to unpack here, so let’s start with a few basic guidelines that apply to any work of nonfiction, including technical writing and business-to-business (B2B) communication.
Know Your Audience and Their Expectations
Writing is always a two-way street. If you don’t take the needs of your intended into account, you will lose them quickly. How do they expect you to sound? What narrative approach will make them most receptive? Should it sound laid back and folksy, or would a sanitized, clinical tone be more appropriate?
Know Your Intent
What is your goal as an author? Do you intend to persuade the reader? Then they will have to trust you. How will you gain their trust? Do you intend to entertain the reader? Or are you aiming for the ever-elusive transparent narrator—the honest broker who just delivers the facts and never, ever, ever puts a thumb on the scale (sarcasm intended)?
Be deliberate, make a choice, and be consistent throughout the narrative.
Be Real
Say what you mean. Passive language is the carbon monoxide of nonfiction writing. It leaks in undetected and puts readers to sleep. Active language, on the other hand, is conversational, relatable, and inherently engaging. Consider the differences between these two sentences:
It was determined that the team would combine indicators 11 and 17 to produce more actionable data.
We determined that combining indicators 11 and 17 would produce more actionable data.
Ok, they’re both boring. That said, readers cannot relate to the disembodied voice featured in the first example—so don’t make it hard on them. First-person pronouns such as “we” remind readers that you are a real person.
Write Well
If your writing is poorly crafted and riddled with typos, no one will take you seriously. Worse, bad writing reflects poorly on the author and undermines the credibility of their message and/or organization. At the very least, proof your work, have a friend who’s a good editor proof it, and use editing software to catch all the really bad stuff.
If you’re too busy to put in the time, or if writing isn’t your thing: Hire me! Writing is very much my thing, and I’d love to help you out.
I could say a lot more about narration and tone in nonfiction (not to mention fiction), but hopefully this little primer will get you pointed in the right direction.
Write on!
William
