Expressing opinions in writing requires a lot of thought and care.
When I write an opinion column, I think about the readers who will disagree with me. What will they object to, and why? How can I refute their arguments before they make them? How can I persuade them and perhaps even change their minds?
Success or failure in business and life often comes down to being able to express your ideas clearly — and convince others to agree with them. You don’t have to become a newspaper columnist. Just learn how to write persuasive reports, letters and emails.
Think about ways to grab your readers’ interest at the beginning of your piece and keep it to the end. (Always remember: The easiest thing for a reader to do is to stop reading.) Describe and explain your subject or issue in ways that make readers care about it as much as you do.
Back up your opinions with well-researched facts and sound logic. Do your homework and be able to answer questions and objections. If your writing will be read online, consider including a few — but not too many — links to source material or relevant online articles that back up and elaborate on your points.
If you are writing about a problem, suggest possible solutions. Don’t just criticize and complain; anyone can do that. Think about how your suggested solutions or course of action fits with your readers’ interests and desires. How can you get them on your side?
If you criticize someone, focus on their specific words or deeds, not on them as people. Personal attacks turn off readers.
Make sure your language is clear and concise, avoiding jargon and clichés. Write in active voice, not passive voice. Focus on nouns and verbs, not adjectives and adverbs. Omit needless words.
One last thing: All good writing is the product of much rewriting. Go over and over your piece, honing your prose for clarity, simplicity, brevity and impact. Then show it to people whose opinions you respect and see if they have ideas for improvement.
Tom Eblen is literary arts liaison for the Carnegie Center for Literacy & Learning and a former columnist and managing editor of the Lexington Herald-Leader. He will teach a three-session class, Effective Opinion Writing, on Feb. 23, March 1 and March 8. To enroll in that class or other winter/spring writing classes at the Carnegie Center, go to: Carnegiecenterlex.org.