I’ve been working on a new expanded version of “Writing In InDesign” for my peers in ministry. (I haven’t figured out how to add the updates into the first edition.) I may write “Drawing In InDesign” first. Then I’ll do a radically expanded 2nd edition of “Writing In InDesign”—but that’s all in flux. I also received this in an email this morning:

From Don in Colorado:

I was up until 3:am reading Writing in InDesign. I can tell you’ve put a lot into this.  It’s the best 5 bucks I’ve spent all year.  I know it will become a lifetime companion reference book for me.  Thank you so much!

Writing in InDesign gives you layout power

You can use a subhead for clarity, a kicker as a small lead-in style to emphasize a header, lists to recapture the reader’s attention with their rhythmic order, a sidebar for peripheral information to entertain the good readers, a table for overly complex lists, and much more.

You can see on the page, as you write, how clearly the content is being communicated—or not. It helps you change your content into something that communicates clearly and easily to your readers. It lets you see boring areas and fix them as you write. It provides the control you need to speak to your specific niche—emphasizing unique niche concepts as you go. You can also see when you’ve gone too far and lapsed into mere busyness and clutter.

Basically writing in a page layout program gives you tools that word processors have a hard time even imagining—which could not be accomplished if they were imagined. You will learn to communicate much more clearly. In fact, you need to be praying in that direction as you write. I find that some of my best stuff comes while praying in the Spirit as I write. I pray for the readers and that I can help them. This really seems to give me the focus I need (and the power and guidance from the Lord) to produce writing that communicates.

Related articles

• My newest book: Writing in InDesign (bergsland.org)
• Writing books in InDesign (bergsland.org)