One human. Thirty
years of experience
Fogcutter is one human (me) with 30 years of content experience, and a bunch of other great humans I can call on for design, UX work and development.
The right words for any subject
I write words for people who need them, and help those people talk to their audiences in the right way. I’ve been writing since 1997, when I got my first job as a staffer on a local newspaper.
I’ve written for dozens of businesses and organisations, about hundreds of topics. I am a generalist, and pride myself on being able to write about anything, for anyone.
Sounds too bold? Here’s how (and why) it works.
What’s so good about being a generalist?
I’ve written about renewable energy for cold stores, financial markets in Asia, globe makers in East London and public access to the English countryside.
I’ve written every piece of copy for a funding application portal, from the click here buttons to explaining exactly what financial documentation you need to submit to be in with
a chance.
I’ve created video scripts about disinfectant and written LinkedIn posts about elastic bands.
But here’s the thing that sets a generalist apart from a specialist writer about, say fridges or the roofing industry.
I’m not really writing about these things. I’m writing for the reader.
(I’m not saying specialists don’t write for the reader. Just that specialists can be a little, well, too specialist.)
And that means, no matter what I’m writing about, the reader comes first. Assumed knowledge can’t obscure understanding. Techno speak doesn’t obliterate clear, plain English.
The three rules
of generalists
1 Don’t assume knowledge
Assumed knowledge kills content. It makes readers feel confused, stupid and then bored. And then you’ve lost them. A generalist starts from the point of the reader and learns as they go.
2 Learn from the knowledgeable
Every organisation has brilliant people who know and love their subject. Talk to them, discover what they know and use their knowledge to explain the subject.
3 Put the writing first
Our job is to convey information as clearly and easily as possible, and that’s only possible with good writing. Because we’re not immersed in any one industry, we see how you’re failing to talk to audiences in a language they understand.