Ever so often, I meet Communications Professionals and get asked about great writing--and how one can acquire a compelling writing style. I ask them to begin with Robert Gunning and his Ten Principles of Clear Writing. Robert Gunning is a respected American writer, who has consulted with over 100 newspapers including the Wall Street Journal and the United Press International. His 'ten principles of clear writing' are a highlight of the immensely popular title'News Writing and Reporting for Today's Media':

- Keep sentences short, on the average.
- Prefer the simple to the complex.
- Prefer the familiar word.
- Avoid unnecessary words.
- Put action into your words
- Write the way you talk.
- Use terms your reader can picture.
- Tie in with your reader's experience.
- Make full use of variety.
- Write to express, not to impress.

There, you have it. Ten ways to transform your writing. And, inspire Great Communications.