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:
"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:
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:
For more information, visit the From The Battlefield wiki.
Awesome Post DocKaj!
:) he is perfect replacement of you cherry while you were in NEWS
I take that as quite a compliment Ayumi, thank you