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Write it Right Wednesdays

When writing, after you introduce a person only refer to them by their last name thereafter 

This post is especially for my writers – those of you who blog, freelance, etc. – because it will help you write clearer for readers. Whether a story is short or long, whether it’s easy content to understand or more complex, the reader will only continue to read if it’s written well. One easy way to keep readers engaged when writing about people is to use their full name the first time and only by their last name thereafter. This cuts down on word count, repetitiveness, and helps readers to stay along with the story. Let’s look at two examples…

Example #1: Mary Smith introduced her kids to exercising and healthy eating. “It’s important to me that my kids understand the benefits of a healthy lifestyle and take full advantage of its benefits,” Smith said. 

Example #2: Patrick Jones has played in basketball leagues around Metro Detroit since he was 10-years-old. All Jones’ hard work through the years paid off because he was drafted by the NBA after college.

Now, this can be a little tricky if you’re interviewing a couple that has the same last name, or family members that share the same last name. If that’s the case, when writing you must refer to them by their first name only after you introduce them to readers with their full name. Let’s take it a step further and say you’re writing about a father and son and they have the exact same first, middle, and last name. You would have to call them by their last name and add ‘Jr.’ to the son’s last name, and/or ‘Sr.’ to the father’s last name. For example: John Smith Sr. and John Smith Jr. work at candy shop Sweet Pieces in downtown Detroit. Smith Jr. took over the business from his father in 2005. The same principle applies if a mother and daughter have the exact same name too.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]