Part 25 (2/2)

To improve the diction of his article, the writer should elieneral, colorless words, (4) tere reader, unless they are explained, (5) words with a connotation inappropriate to the context, (6) hackneyed and mixed metaphors The effectiveness of the expression thened by the addition of specific, picture-ures of speech that clarify the ideas and stiination

Sentences ra, loose sentences into shorter ones, (3) by using short sentences for eth, (5) by transferring i of the sentence

Every paragraph should be tested to deterhts, containing not more than 100 words, with i

Finally, revision should eli, punctuation, and capitalization Every reatly to its chances of being accepted

CHAPTER IX

titLES AND HEADLINES

IMPORTANCE OF HEAD AND titLE Headlines or titles, illustrations, and nas that first catch the eye of the reader as he turns over the pages of a newspaper or azine When the writer's name is unknown to hi re” value of the headline is fully appreciated not only by newspaper and azine editors but by writers of advertisee of a newspaper increase its sales, so, also, attractive titles on the cover of a ood headline in an advertise to sell

A good title adds greatly to the attractiveness of an article In the first place, the title is the one thing that catches the eye of the editor or lances over the copy, and if the title is good, he carries over this favorable ie or two of the article itself To secure such favorable consideration for athe hundreds that are exae In the second place, what is true of the editor and the manuscript is equally true of the reader and the printed article No writer can afford to neglect his titles

VARIETY IN FORM AND STYLE Because newspapers and es, there is considerable variety in the style of headlines and titles given to special feature articles

Soe of the regular edition; others have pages only half as large Soht-column display heads on their special articles, while others confine their headlines for feature stories to a coluularly e to the ”lines,” ”banks,” and ”decks” in their news headlines This variety in newspapers is azines

Despite these differences, however, there are a few general principles that apply to all kinds of titles and headlines for special feature articles

CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD titLE To accomplish their purpose most effectively titles should be (1) attractive, (2) accurate, (3) concise, and (4) concrete

The attractiveness of a title is measured by its power to arrest attention and to lead to a reading of the article As a statement of the subject, the title makes essentially the same appeal that the subject itself does; that is, it may interest the reader because the idea it expresses has timeliness, novelty, elements of mystery or romance, human interest, relation to the reader's life and success, or connection with fas Not only the idea expressed, but the way in which it is expressed, ative form, the title may pique curiosity By alliteration, balance, or rhyme, it may please the ear It permits the reader to taste, in order to whet his appetite It creates desires that only the article can satisfy

In an effort to make his titles attractive, a writer eration The lurid news headline on the front page of sensational papers has its counterpart in the equally sensational title in the Sundayunwholesome subject-matter for special feature stories applies to sensational titles So, too, exaggerated,headlines on news and advertise titles on special articles To state iven, to arouse expectations that cannot be satisfied--all are departures from truth and honesty

Accuracy in titles involves, notstatement, but complete harmony in tone and spirit between title and article When the story is familiar and colloquial in style, the title should reflect that informality When the article ood title, in a word, is true to the spirit as well as to the letter

Conciseness in titles is imposed on the writer by the physical lie Because the width of the colue is fixed, and because type is not made of rubber, a headline h in fra titles for articles it is not always necessary to conform to the strict require of news headlines, it is nevertheless ie number of titles will show that they seldom contain more than three or four important words with the necessary connectives and particles Short words,the titles in the publication to which he plans to send his article, a writer can fraraphical requirements

The reader's limited power of rapid comprehension is another reason for brevity A short title consisting of a slance Unless the reader catches the idea in the title quickly, he is likely to pass on to soe over long ones

Concreteness in titles makes for rapid coes are called up by specific words; vague ones usually result froeneral, abstract terue impressions

SUB-titLES Sub-titles are often used to supplement and amplify the titles They are the counterparts of the ”decks” and ”banks” in news headlines Their purpose is to give additional inforreater interest, and to assist in carrying the reader over, as it were, to the beginning of the article

Since sub-titles follow immediately after the title, any repetition of important words is usually avoided It is desirable to maintain the same tone in both title and sub-title Occasionally the two together th of the sub-title is generally about twice that of the title; that is, the average sub-title consists of fro articles and connectives The articles, ”a,” ”an,” and ”the,” are not as consistently excluded from sub-titles as they are from newspaper headlines