Insights archive
Red Pony is a team of writers, editors, Microsoft Office template developers and communications trainers. We have been writing about our areas of expertise for over a decade in our Red Pony Express newsletter.
This collection features the best articles from the last 10 years.
Keep it simple, stupid – it's the law
Do you ever find yourself wading through a swamp of verbal sludge issued from a torpid governmental organ and wonder, ‘Does it have to be this complicated?’ The answer is ‘no’ – in fact, in the USA it’s now illegal to be.
Document exchange services
As a writing and editing business, Red Pony had always relied on email for document exchange and project management, especially since many of our clients are located in other cities and sometimes other countries.
The importance of version control
The release of a new novel by acclaimed US author Jonathan Franzen has served to highlight the importance of version control. Apparently the version of his new novel Freedom launched in the UK earlier this month was printed using the wrong file.
Putting yourself in your client’s shoes
The lesson is this: always try to clarify in your mind who you are writing for—before you begin writing. Avoid making assumptions about the prior knowledge of your readers, particularly when writing for a medium as widely disseminated as a company website.
Fulsome prison blues
Sometimes words betray us; they don’t necessarily mean what we think they mean. We can go for years misusing relatively common words or phrases, getting them ever so slightly (or totally) wrong. It can be quite embarrassing, especially once we find out we’ve been getting it wrong all our lives.
Five tips for creating a compelling executive summary
Writing the executive summary is generally the most important and therefore daunting task in creating any document. As the name suggests, this section must target the decision makers—and it may well be the only part of the document they read. Therefore it is vital that it provide a concise, accurate and compelling summary of everything that follows.
Large document, looming deadline: a 4-step survival guide
When faced with a daunting task such as this, it can be tempting to run for the hills, or at least bring forward your annual leave. Here’s a few survival tips to help you deliver.
Document localisation
What’s the lesson? Know your audience. Especially if a document is to have international exposure, it pays to carry out ‘document localisation’, in which the document is edited with specific sensitivity to another English-speaking market. This can involve identifying catastrophic missteps such as ‘bluegum’ but more commonly involves removing local idiosyncrasies that may be confusing or ambiguous to an overseas reader.
Rogue adjectives and adverbs
After wading through the fragrant fields of florid prose that can be the unmistakeable hallmark of some popular fiction, you may think overuse of adjectives and adverbs wouldn’t be such an issue in the drab world of business writing. Well … you’d be right, up to a point.
Using industry awards for a PR boost
Have you ever considered entering your organisation for an industry award? If not, you may be missing out on a golden opportunity for some excellent free publicity.
Bulleted lists
A bulleted list is an asset when you are supporting your argument. It’s a liability when your discussion is so underdeveloped that you rely on dot points to make your case for you. Only use them once you have already made your central point in the text and simply wish to provide some supporting evidence, examples or instructions.
Politics and the English language
In 1946, George Orwell wrote one of the most prescient and influential essays, 'Politics and the English language’. In it he asserts that lazy writing prevents critical thought and ultimately leads to a corruption of political life.
Why you need a style guide
A style guide is a useful tool (and, for a professional organisation, an indispensable one) for establishing the acceptable writing style or tone of documents as well as their physical appearance.
Lorem Ipsum
Have you ever come across the dummy text known as Lorem Ipsum? This is the text widely used in the printing industry to demonstrate how a publication will look when it’s printed.
The case for case studies
Where have you been and what were the lessons you learned from the experience—positive and negative? Your clients and customers will be looking for this information too. They know that the best indicator of your future performance is your past performance.That's why a selection of case studies can be a very valuable addition to your website or suite of marketing materials.