Keep it short and simple. Easier said than done.

As an undergrad magazine journalism major, I was encouraged to be descriptive without going overboard. As a web writer, I’m encouraged to keep my sentences short and shy away from long paragraphs. As a writer, I’m torn. While I want to get the message across and keep it short and sweet, the writer in me wants to shout from the rooftops how AWESOME and AMAZING our programs and services are. And, let’s face it, flex my writing muscles.

To help other web writers/editors keep the process of writing for the web as easy as possible, I’ve compiled a list of some tips I’ve picked up along the way. They’re culled from my experience working as a web writer/editor, as well as my undergrad days.

1. Cut the adjectives–and the adverbs. Not only do they clog up sentences; they also confuse readers, who may not remember what you were actually talking about five adjectives ago. Adverbs do the same, and are often wastes of space. For example, instead of saying “quickly,” just use “as soon as possible.” It’s more direct and specific.

2. Don’t write anything you wouldn’t say in person. A great professor of mine at Syracuse always extolled this rule. Would you really describe something as “integrated with cutting-edge technology”? Probably not. Unless you’re a vendor. Then you love phrases like that. Our prospective students, however, will probably think it’s cheesy and not very specific. Which leads me to my next point.

3. Be as specific as possible. Instead of writing about the “practical experience” gained at your college or university, use concrete examples of this education in real life. Do students learn resume-writing skills, get jobs faster upon graduation, or obtain valuable internships because of their experience at XYZ University? If so, say it. Even better, use real-life examples, such as spotlights on specific students enrolled at your school. Their individual stories are far more interesting, and prospectives will read them more often.

The end of celebrity

A New York Times article on Michael Jackson and the demise of fame in a digital world:

When the Beatles were on “The Ed Sullivan Show” in 1964, more than 70 million people watched, that is, more than one-third of the entire population of the United States. Yes, the Beatles were that good. But at the time, there were three networks and the radio. No Facebook, Twitter, video games, movie multiplexes, Sirius radio, malls or a dozen other potential drains on an audience.

There weren’t a lot of rock bands, either. George Harrison was the only Beatle who’d visited the United States before the group landed for that historic performance — his sister lived in Illinois — and when he returned to England he gleefully informed his mates that nobody in America could compete.

Likewise, Michael Jackson had MTV, which was the place for music videos, and as close to an Ed Sullivan platform as he needed. Of course, it’s been a long time since MTV played hour after hour of prime-time videos. Today, you watch music videos on YouTube, but because there are no programmers to curate what you see, every artist has to compete with thousands of others. And now that anyone with a computer has a miniature studio, and anyone with a Internet connection can post a song, there are more genres, subgenres and artists than ever.

That’s why even Michael Jackson would have a hard time becoming Michael Jackson these days. Come to think of it, Farrah Fawcett, who also passed away this week, would never have become Farrah Fawcett if she showed up in that red, one-piece bathing suit today. In the ’70s, she became the fantasy of choice for every post-pubescent teenage boy in the country, selling 10 million posters of her iconic, high-beam smile. Now, there are so many vixens grinning seductively from so many Web sites and lad mags that no single woman could ever commandeer the public imagination in quite the same way. There is no “this year’s model” anymore. There is this week’s model, and that’s about it.

Success is a blip. Celebrity a myth. The rules have changed.