I just erased an entire blog post that was intended for this spot. I had an interesting anecdote to start things out and tied it to an important business principle, but when I read it back it bored me. It did not pass the “So What?” test, so I ditched it and started over.

I am usually fascinated with my own writing, so this was fairly unusual, but I  figured it was best to cut my losses and write something else, rather than waste your time by subjecting you to a pointless story about a car ride from a friend’s house.

When writing a blog or email newsletter, we should always be willing to give our writing the “So What?” test.  Every time we post or send an article, we are sharing information that we hope will be compelling to our readers in some way. It might be useful or entertaining or thought-provoking — or in the best cases all of the above — but it must always be purposeful.

In most cases, writing for email newsletters and business blogs should be more journalistic than journal-ly. It is always nice to reveal a little about yourself, but beware the urge to be self-indulgent and taking too long to get to your point.

Some personal stories are indeed interesting and relevant, but some are not. It is our job to be self-aware and make those calls.

So be human and write with personality, but stay on point and keep the unproductive personal revelations to a minimum. And that is something I can never remind myself of too often.

As any parent with young children will tell you, kids have no problem asking questions. Even the simplest declaration can set off an avalanche of inquiries that would make the most experienced journalist proud. They leave no possibility unexplored and are committed to revealing every detail.

When writing a story for your email newsletter or blog that requires fact gathering via research or interviews, it is important for us to ask all the right questions as well. I have learned over the last 25 years or so that the most important part of the story-writing process is making sure to ask the questions that your readers would ask if they had the same opportunity.

Of course, we all know about the six biggies – who, what, why, where, when and how – and if those are all answered you should be in pretty good shape. In reality, though, it is not always that simple. Unless you are writing about an upcoming church bake sale, you need to understand the subject as well as possible and then get at the heart of what your story should really be about.

If it is profile of a supporter, for example, don’t waste time asking about resume stuff, ask about what motivates them to be part of your organization. Ask them who they respect. Ask them what advice they would give the next generation of supporters.

Here’s another helpful hint: Listen to what they are saying. It is really easy to write down their answers and move on instead of listening and following up with another question that could shed light on something you did not expect. Many times, that is where the best stuff comes from.

So while I am not recommending that your treat your next interview subject like a parent who just announced the family is going to the zoo tomorrow, I do encourage you to take a moment to think about what you need to ask. Make a list of questions ahead of time that covers all the bases, and then step back and ask yourself what else someone reading this would want to know. Go beyond the obvious to get to the place that allows you to tell a great story.

And that will be a huge step toward making you a better writer.

I have developed somewhat of a bad habit at home. I don’t necessarily think it’s bad, but based on some recent body language I have received, I may need to rethink my position on it. Every once in a blue moon, I may correct someone on the way they are using a word or phrase. Not in an obnoxious way, of course, but more in the saying back the correct word in a childlike tone as if asking if that is what they really meant to say way.

See, I told you it wasn’t obnoxious.

What else am I supposed to do? I am a writer. An editor, for Pete’s sake. It is my vocational duty to enforce the rules of proper word usage on those I love. I think Strunk and White would be proud of me.

It is important to note that there are many similar words from which one may choose to communicate a thought, but far too often people use words that simply do not mean what they think they mean. And I am not talking about using words that are not even words – such as irregardless. I mean choosing the exact word that means precisely what you mean and nothing less.

When writing your email newsletters and blogs, don’t give in to the temptation to be close enough. If you can’t think of the right word, leave XXXs and come back to it. Use a thesaurus or online dictionary or tweet your conundrum and see what responses you get. (That was a test – a conundrum is a riddle with an answer that is or involves a pun –  clearly not the right word but used like that a lot.)

Even the most mundane pieces can come to life when time is taken to choose words carefully. Your readers deserve your best effort.

What are some of your favorite misuses of words?

Tips for Better E-newsletter and Blog Writing (No. 10)

As a longtime editor and reader of intern-penned articles, I often was faced with explaining why their papers were overwhelmed with red ink. My opening line was usually, “It’s not as bad as it looks.” Although, usually it was.

I then would go through their stories — item by item — and explain the reasoning for my suggestions. We would spend time working on bad grammar, inconsistent style and faulty construction, but what I really tried to focus on was the concept that writing is about communicating an idea. It is about gathering facts and presenting them in an unbiased fashion so the reader can draw their own conclusions. Or it is about having a point of view and revealing it in a compelling way.

Certainly, good writing requires a fundamental and technical understanding of the language and the rules that we must follow. But it is the art of writing that captures people’s hearts, builds trust and changes opinion.

So like I would tell my interns, let’s works on the nuts and bolts as we go along, but put your energy in the message. Tell your story. Let it fly and then come back and clean it up. No one will care about a missed comma when they have been moved.

And even if they do, at least it’s a comment on your blog.