How to Write for the TAW Newsletter

As you begin writing your From The Battlefield article, here are a few best practices to keep in mind.

Start With the News

Follow the inverted-pyramid style of writing: Lead with the most important information, followed by the supporting information.

Answer the Important Questions

When deciding what information to include, put yourself in our audiences' (TAW members, potential recruits, the gaming industry, et al.) shoes. What questions would you have? Not every article will answer "who, what, when, where and why," but most articles will. What is happening? When will it happen? Who will it affect, and how? Why is TAW making this announcement?

Be Concise

Above all other advice, this is probably the most important:

• Get to the point quickly.
• Weed out redundancy.
• When quoting sources, briefly paraphrase the most important information and tell readers where they can find the rest. Providing a link works, too.

"Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should contain no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts. This requires not that a writer make all his sentences short, or that he avoid all detail and treat his subject only in outline, but that every word tell." -The Elements of Style

Be Clear

Avoid jargon unless absolutely necessary. Keep in mind that not all From The Battlefield readers are familiar with the terms and acronyms that are common in your unit / division, and take every opportunity to help readers by translating TAW-isms into plain language. At a minimum, acronyms should be spelled out on first reference (or avoided entirely).

Make It Scannable

Help readers' eyes land on the information they need:

• Put one main idea in each paragraph.
• If your article uses subheadings, make them descriptive and meaningful.
• Use bulleted lists and tables.

Consider Time Elements

Check with the NEWS team to determine when your article might be published. Keep the publication date in mind when writing in past, present or future tense.

Strike the Right Tone for External Readers

The newsletter not only informs internal members of happenings, but a tool to reach out to external readers (non-TAW members), too. All From The Battlefield articles should sound like they come from the same place for external readers to convey a sense of community and authority, and to avoid confusion on TAW's structure. To that end:

• "TAW is providing," not "we are providing."
• "Members are required," not "you are required." Exceptions: In articles in which readers are directed to follow a series of commands, it may be preferable to use "you" instead of "members."

For more information, visit the From The Battlefield wiki.