Writing for the small screen

Most of your readers read on a phone, while walking, waiting or flicking through dozens of posts. That's why writing for the small screen is different from writing for paper.

Write short sentences. On a phone, a long sentence turns into a block readers skip without reading.

Let paragraphs breathe: two or three lines, then a blank line. White space rests the eye and invites people to keep reading.

One idea per paragraph. If you keep needing the word "also", you're trying to say more than one thing.

Lead with your best line. The first line shows before the "more" button, and it decides whether readers tap or keep scrolling.

Exercise: take the last caption you wrote and cut a third of the words without losing the meaning. You'll be surprised how much stronger it gets.