Does your writing feel dead? Here's how to spark more life into it

Big things in a small space. Mining meaning out of millions of minutes. A lifetime on a page. 

There’s a place where you can see brilliant writing.

Often it’ll be about someone you never knew. And now sadly never will.

Sometimes, it will make you raise an eyebrow and you’ll discover something amazing.

And it always stays with you afterwards.

What am I talking about?

The last page in The Economist, the obituary.

In 1000 words a person’s life is distilled.

A light is shone here and there on pivotal moments.

What made them them.

Turning points.

Challenges.

How their life influenced the world.

Since 2003, Economist writer, Ann Wroe, has been writing about those who recently passed on.

And she’s amazing at it.

It is so informative.

And it’s also a fabulous lesson in writing.

How to summarise and crystallise.

How to zone in and illuminate.

How to engage readers in a story that covers decades in a few paragraphs.

Now it’s likely that most of your writing is emails or reports and you’re not writing obituaries as part of your job.

However, like Ann, you want to engage your readers and communicate clearly without waffle and padding.

I’m often asked by clients about how they can do this.

One of the best ways is to read good quality writing.

And Ann Wroe’s obituaries are brilliant writing.

Here’s one of my favourites.

It’s about Emma Morano, who at 117 was the oldest woman in the world.

Her obituary covers over a century of living in 962 words.