Writing support - Writing for the web - British Council

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	As writers, we need to make decisions about the information we supply; and the way in which we supply this information. This section offers advice on writing plans, quality control, decision-making and English usage.

Editing skills

	Writing support

Whatever our writing experience, we can all benefit from the support of other writers. Whether it's in-depth advice or the latest tips on best practice, this support can help us to write more quickly and easily, and with confidence.

		Standard content site
		We have created a standard site that includes content for the most common pages and customer journeys from British Council country sites. This site offers you off-the-shelf content, so you can get on with writing content that's specific to your country. You can view an example of a services page (e.g. IELTS) and an example of an events page (e.g. Magic Pencil exhibition), which show the best way to construct a page, format headings and sell your offer online.

		Training
		If you have attended one of the corporate training sessions, or have editorial responsibilty for your website, you can use these training materials to support your own training.

		Writing exercises
		Our downloadable exercises give you practical information on basic web writing; creative communication and British Council editorial standards. Each of these exercises explain a writing convention with an example and an exercise, so you can develop your writing skills with bitesize lessons.

		The writing plan
		When we write, we make decisions about the information we supply, and the way in which we do this. A writing plan (editorial strategy) formalises these decisions so that we can organise and write our content quickly and easily. Find out how to create a writing plan.

		Breaking writing habits
		We all develop writing habits; styles, speeds and standards that we're comfortable with. However, what's good for us, isn't always what's good for our customers. We can find it difficult to be critical of our own work. These exercises can help to edit our writing and maintain an objective (professional) distance when preparing copy.

		Recommended reading
		There are hundreds of books on writing: how to write for the web; how to punctuate; how to communicate more effectively; how to be a copywriter; how to improve your grammar; and how to write shorter sentences. Here you'll find a few of the most useful books for new and experienced writers and editors.

		George Orwell's writing rules
		George Orwell, writer of Nineteen Eighty-four and Animal Farm, began his career as an advertising copywriter. This experience helped him to create a few simple writing rules, which we can use to ensure our writing is clear, direct and effective (whether we are writing a short story, poem, web page, magazine article, news story, advertisement or direct marketing mailout).

Copy editing

English usage guidelines

Grammar glossary

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