Web writing is a learned art. If you are charged with providing content to your school district or college Web site, keep in mind these key points from Web-writing instructor Ronnie Lipton:

• Shorter is more accessible.  Lipton encourages her students to keep Web pieces concise.
   
• Chunks are easy to process.  Lengthy sentences and paragraphs take too long to read. Chop up text for easier consumption.
   
• Active verbs are attention-grabbers.  Avoid passive voice, and keep language lively.
   
• Accuracy is critical.  Make sure your facts, names, and numbers are correct. Have a colleague glance at your writing, or read it the next day after a good night’s sleep.
   

Ronnie Lipton is a writing coach, the author of three books on communications, a freelance reviewer of books for Oxford University Press, and the director of a private firm that consults with organizational communicators on effective writing, editing, design, and marketing.

--Ella Wilcox, February 18, 2009, © MENC: The National Association for Music Education (www.menc.org)