#Signpost writing series#

In this book, Bell gives a total of 14 so-called signposts that are crucial in your story. It’s the method by James Scott Bell, called: Super-structure: The Key to Unleashing the Power of Story. So, below you will find one way to outline your next book. Ultimately, you’ll find one that’s right for you.

And as a writer, it’s always good to try out different ways to plot. If you’re a plotter, you might spend too much time on outlining, and when you’re a pantser, you might spend too little time on outlining.Īs you probably know, there are a lot of different methods to outline your story. However, it can still be a huge and daunting task. Need help writing reports? Ask us about our online report writing training and one-on-one executive mentoring.Outlining your novel is usually one of the first steps before you start writing.

Not only will they encourage your reader to begin reading, they make the information easier to find when decision makers and others need to refer back to the report to find important information. Finally, make sure each bullet point follows a consistent grammatical structure (known as parallel structure).Ĭlear signposts are critical in business reports. Intersperse each list with paragraphs and headings. If each point goes over 1 or 2 lines, consider converting the list to well-structured paragraphs. Simply putting a bullet point in front of a paragraph or creating a long list will not make your report easier to read. Provided each point in the list follows a consistent grammatical structure, and has no more than 5 to 8 bullets, lists are physically easier on the eye. Used appropriately, bulleted lists can increase readability by grouping items into ‘chunks’ or by providing a brief summary. That is, only capitalise the first letter of the first word in the heading and any proper nouns (e.g.

Write the headings and subheadings in sentence case. In a business report, aim for 2 or 3 headings or subheadings per A4 page. They also break the text into manageable chunks. In business writing, effective headings guide your reader by giving them key information. A startling headline will grab your attention and make you want to read the article. Media outlets understand the power of headings.

#Signpost writing series#

The last sentence in the paragraph or series of paragraphs that summarises the main point of the topic. The transitional sentence links ideas from the previous paragraph to the new aspect. The first sentence of a paragraph that introduces a new aspect of the topic of the previous paragraph. They may include more specific information such as facts, statistics or examples. The sentences following the topic sentence that provide further information relevant to the topic. The first sentence of a paragraph that introduces a new topic and tells the reader what the paragraph is about. The topic sentence is usually worded in broader terms rather than containing specific information. Two common traps when writing paragraph are including unrelated ideas in the same paragraph and repeating the same idea in different parts of the report. If your paragraphs are poorly structured, you will quickly lose your reader. Known as the topic sentence, the first sentence in the paragraph becomes your signpost that alerts the reader to what follows. In business reports, paragraphs are usually no longer than 5 or 6 lines.Įach individual paragraph must be well structured. Depending on the type of report, you could also consider tables, graphs and text boxes that summarise key points.Ī paragraph is a group of sentences that discusses one idea or one aspect of an idea. The 3 most commonly used devices to break up text in business reports are paragraphs, headings and lists.

So how do you overcome this common communication barrier? Even the most motivated reader is likely to be deterred by a report with pages of unbroken text. Enticing your reader to begin reading your report may be your biggest writing challenge.