Chances are that every time you sit down to write — whether it’s a report or a speech or a white paper or an op-ed — you hear a little voice. It’s your high-school teacher or college professor reciting the rules of writing: Use the active voice. Choose strong verbs and nouns. Show don’t tell.
Write to Reward Your Reader
Five tips backed by neuroscience and psychology.
November 18, 2020
Illustration by Asia Pietrzyk
Summary.
From metaphors to complex turns of phrase, brain scans are showing us in new detail exactly how we respond to language. The big takeaway? You can actually write in a way that rewards our most primal learning needs, releasing pleasure chemicals in the brain. Whether you’re writing an email to colleagues or a big report for the board, here are five tactics that will help get your message across: 1) Keep it simple; 2) Keep it specific; 3) Keep it stirring; 4) Keep it social; and 5) Keep it story-driven.
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New!
HBR Learning
HBR Learning
Writing Skills Course
Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning’s online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Writing Skills. Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.
Capture your audience's attention with smarter emails, Slacks, memos, and reports.