Some Dos and Don’ts of Writing for Advocacy

DO observe the Four C’s of Written Advocacy: be CLEAR, CONCISE, CONVERSATIONAL, and, of course, COMPELLING.

DON’T think your letter or postcard to an elected official won’t matter. Local officials generally read the mail they receive. Members of Congress (MOCs) get too much mail and email to read it all themselves, but they have staff to handle their incoming communications and record how every constituent who writes feels about every issue. The numbers get reported to the MOC, and sometimes staff will pull a few particularly well-written and/or well-argued letters for the MOC to read. MOCs often read op-eds in home district newspapers, as do many other constituents who might be inspired by your words to call or write to their elected officials, too.

DO recognize that your pen (or keyboard) has power. See above. One of the keys to effective advocacy is communicating a clear message. As a writer, you know how to do that. It’s your superpower! And you may not realize this, but you’re already an advocate. Yes, you. Have you ever successfully argued your way out of a parking ticket? Have you advocated for your child at school? Have you ever had to take on the healthcare system for, well, anything? Yes? That makes you an advocate. Now pick an issue and start writing.

DON’T get too discouraged when you’re writing for advocacy purposes. Think of it like anyother form of writing: you work hard on a piece, but instead of submitting it for literary publication, you send it out to change a piece of the world. There’s a lot of rejection, a lot of waiting for something to happen. But you can rack up small victories on the way to success. And when you finally win even a portion of the change you seek, knowing you’ve made a difference feels as good as your first published piece.

DO consider using your social media channels for advocacy. If you do, consider what you write there carefully, just as you would anything else you write. And...

DON’T get sarcastic or snide when you’re using your writing to advocate for a cause. The temptation can be strong. Very occasionally, it works. But far more often, it will hinder rather than help your cause.