Over the years we’ve found that written English often resembles a machine. To be sure, one with complex and intimidating rules of operation, but a machine nonetheless.

The good news is that any complex machinery—no matter how intricate—is made up of smaller, simpler machines. In the world of engineering, these are the pulley, wedge, lever, screw, wheel and axle, and inclined plane. In writing, they are diction, grammar, punctuation, syntax, logic and rhetoric.

Diction
Word choice controls the spin of your story

While English boasts almost one million words, the active vocabulary of the average English speaker is estimated to number only between 6,000 and 10,000 words. On the other hand, the average passive vocabulary is thought to approach 50,000 individual terms. Therefore, writers wishing to engage the full experience of their readers must develop active vocabularies at least five times that of the average. At Stiff Sentences, each writer takes on this mission, and undertakes a rigorous program of professional development to achieve it.

Grammar
There are no rules (break them at your peril)
It’s a paradox that, while there is no universally recognized authority over English grammar, there is no shortage of people willing to take up the position. Opinions about what is grammatically correct vary widely. Stiff Sentences clients in Canada, the US and the UK have divergent notions of what is permissible, and their own target audiences hold equally irreconcilable views. The bottom line is this: unless you respect the grammatical conventions of your intended audience, you’re going to appear uneducated.

Punctuation
A well-punctuated sentence maintains the momentum

Today, awash in a sea of information, readers demand a compelling, fast-moving text unencumbered by the halting effects of inelegant punctuation. A smooth-flowing read is the surest route to swift comprehension; nothing must stand in its way. The trouble with punctuation is that it changes over time. Conventions of the past such as parentheses (used too frequently) double hyphens and exclamation marks are now virtually obsolete. Keeping track of the changes is challenging but critical.

Syntax
Word order is often as critical as word choice

It’s a true pleasure to be drawn down a page teeming with fresh ideas. For writers, achieving that effect depends as much on great syntax as it does on logic. Syntax is the delicate art of word order. At Stiff Sentences, syntactical expertise is one of the six basic skills writers must demonstrate with consistency. One of the challenges faced daily by Stiff Sentences clients is achieving consistency of voice in long documents—such as proposals and reports—which are typically drafted by in-house staff. Using a proprietary Document Transformation Process, Stiff Sentences writers work as teams to achieve a common voice throughout even massive texts. The process allows rapid scanning of each sentence of a document for some 60 characteristics.

Logic
Weak logic erodes credibility

Aristotle said it first: humans measure the likelihood of truth by assessing how closely an argument adheres to the principles of logic. If a premise leads to a logical conclusion, the argument is accepted, and the next premise can be confidently delivered. Failure to be logical results in skepticism and, eventually, disbelief.
Some commercial writers insist that plain language is the saviour of corporate communication. We disagree. The issues our clients deal with on a daily basis are complex. Their vocabularies are necessarily unique. We maintain that eloquence—not simplicity—is the more ambitious goal. We respect the intelligence of the reader, and create texts that engage, educate, appeal and persuade without dumbing down the message.

Rhetoric
The art of persuasion

These days rhetoric has something of a bad reputation. But while empty speeches and flowery prose are rightly damned as overly rhetorical, every piece of persuasive writing must rely on rhetoric for its effect. The object is always the sympathetic conviction of the reader, an attitude known colloquially as buy-in.

Detailed knowledge of rhetoric is required to write anything convincingly. Individual print, radio and television advertisements typically rely on a single rhetorical device, while documents for broad public consumption often feature dozens—even hundreds—of devices working in harmony. Each year, Stiff Sentences writers use the proprietary ACE method to create more than 1,000 headlines, taglines, banners and titles that take full advantage of our rhetorical knowledge.