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Tips: Writing
 "Anything is better than not to write clearly. There is nothing to be
said against lucidity, and against simplicity only the possibility of dryness.
This is a risk well worth taking when you reflect how much better it is to be
bald than to wear a curly wig." Somerset Maugham
"In literature the ambition of the novice is to acquire the literary
language, the struggle of the adept is to get rid of it." George Bernard
Shaw
"Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler."
Albert Einstein
- Getting down to business…
- Overcoming writer’s block
- Quick tips: Writer’s block
- Tips on getting started
- Tips to keep writing
- Tips on writing effectively
- Writing persuasively
- Be interesting to read!
- How to be boring (Zzzzzzzzzzzz)...
- Writing clear, effective copy
Composing is the result of your prewriting: the ideas you generated and your
planning. When you begin writing, forget the rules. You can go back and change
things later. Use your planning materials to guide you, but don’t be afraid to
change the plan.
Have faith in your own voice. Don’t be afraid if you can’t quite find the right word or phrase, if the sentences aren’t quite right, or if the
paragraph and overall structure isn’t exact. The most important thing is
to just write, to get the words on the page.
Before you begin to write, ask yourself:
 | Do I have enough information to address my reader’s needs? If not, go
back and collect and plan. |
| Does the information support a single purpose? Information should persuade
or inform. In the finished draft, everything should be connected to the
overall meaning and purpose. |
| Do I see an order in the material that will deliver the information
according to the reader’s needs? In writing, you are applying order to
chaos. Use your plan as a guide, but be flexible. If drafting reveals a
better way to order a draft, and it often will, GO FOR IT! |
| Am I writing to meet the needs of my reader? Keep your reader in mind as
you draft. What do they need to know? How are they expecting me to present
the message? |
Everyone experiences writer’s block. Here are common causes and solutions:
SETTING UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS: The writing you produce will never meet the
ideal in your head. Don’t worry about it. You can go back and fix it as you
write or later on.
FOCUSING ON INAPPROPRIATE SKILL: This is the number one cause for freeze up.
Don’t worry about getting grammar, spelling, punctuation, usage, mechanics, or
structure exactly right. In fact, don’t worry about it at all. You have to
write badly to write well. To use a golf analogy, try stepping up to the tee
and think about stance, grip, takeaway, tempo, follow through, keeping your head
still, shifting your weight, etc. You’ll miss the ball. Focus on hitting the
ball to the target, that is, creating meaning for your reader.
SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS: Again, think of the golf analogy. You are playing with new
partners you want to impress. You think about not making a fool of yourself
rather than focusing on your task at hand. This can be disastrous. In writing,
however, you get infinite mulligans, that is, do-overs. You can rewrite as many
times as you want to get it right.
TRYING TO BE SOMEONE ELSE: Okay, golf again. Your playing partners are all
playing drivers on a particularly narrow, difficult hole. You always play the
safe club, an iron, but feel compelled to play a driver, which is harder to
control, and knock it into the woods. Use your own voice.
WRITING FOR SOMEONE NEW: Writing a memo to a president or vice-president is
always fun. Try to be natural and use your own voice. Get feedback on your
drafts from coworkers.
PRAISE: After receiving praise, a writer sets even higher standards than
before. A final golf analogy: Golfers who start to play well tend to put
pressure on themselves to always perform. They get extremely disappointed when
they don’t. The best advice is to trust yourself.
TELLING BAD NEWS: Writing a report on a bad sales month or writing a memo
about a bad situation with another employee is difficult. Your censor kicks in.
Get down what you want to say and have a trusted coworker read it for tact and
diplomacy.
| Write introduction last |
| Start with the section you are most comfortable writing |
| Freewrite or brainstorm |
| Take a break |
| Keep a notebook or journal |
| Find similar memos, letters, or reports |
| Practice, practice, practice. Most of us write a lot as part of our jobs.
If you don’t, try to write something everyday. Start communicating by
e-mail instead of by phone. Write more memos instead of directly
communicating. |
| Time and place. Write during a part of the day where you won’t be interrupted, for
example, early morning or late afternoon. If possible, forward your phone
and shut your door. Or go to a quiet part of your building. |
| Learn to write with a word processor. This will save you tons of time. |
| Don’t worry about failure. Consider your first draft an experiment. |
| If you’re stuck, free write. Free writing is completely uninhibited
writing. Just get words on paper. This works miracles. |
| Dictate your draft. We try to write like we speak. Talk your draft out
loud. |
| Work with others. Ask a coworker what he or she would say or how to say
it. |
| Write intro last. This is always the hardest part to write. Usually you
know how to write it better after you’ve written the rest of the draft. |
| Sleep on it. Sometimes it’s better to put off writing, especially just
after researching or planning. Allow your ideas to ferment. |
| Keep going. Looking back will cause you to freeze up. You’ll see an
error and start focusing on mistakes. You’ll realize the structure or
wording is not quite right. Or you might be tempted to check a fact or
detail. Remember that you can go back and edit and proofread later. Don’t
look back. |
| Set quantifiable goals. Establish the number of words or pages you want to
write for a given time period or project. Quantity will keep you focused on
getting the writing done. You can work on quality later. |
| A thousand mile journey starts with a single step. Focus on the part, not
the whole. Writing a 50 page proposal or business plan is daunting. Writing
a paragraph or page at a time isn’t. |
Tone
Tone is how you sound on paper. It conveys attitude and creates an image of
you and your company. Sound stuffy or angry and that’s how you’ll be
perceived. Sound helpful, friendly, and concerned and that’s how you’ll be
perceived.
Tone has a lot to do with how your message will be interpreted and responded
to. To be most effective, write in a natural, conversational style; don’t use
corporatese.
| Not: Please find for your consideration the attached proposal. Please
advise at your earliest convenience your opinion of this project. |
| But: Here’s the proposal you requested. Let me know as soon as possible
what you think. |
Use concise, simple, plain language
Use informal, not formal, language. Write to express, not to impress. Err on
the side of informal.
| Not: As per our recent memo, enclosed herein is the heretofore unreleased
expense form. |
| But: Here’s the new expense form mentioned in the recent memo. |
Be pleasant without gushing; avoid expressing anger.
| Not: Your recent letter has me totally confused. |
| But: Thanks for your recent response. I have a couple of questions. |
Also, don’t be afraid to use contractions.
Most business writing is persuasive. Even reports often have the intention of
getting management to accept recommendations.
| Cut to the chase. State your reason for writing right away in the first
paragraph. |
| Get your reader’s attention in the heading and opening paragraph, for
example: "Re: Cutting expenses through reorganization." |
| Use facts, opinions, and statistics to support your position. Tell your
audience what this information means and prove to the reader why the action
requested makes sense: "Reorganizing our department will save $6,000 each month by streamlining
work processes and reducing our reliance on outsourcing." Or "Our quality improvement director believes my proposed structure for
reorganization is the most effective way to streamline our work." |
| Eliminate unnecessary facts and figures. Delete the "warm up"
paragraph that contains relevant, but not essential, information. Background
information might be necessary, but don’t lead with it or you may lose
your reader. Focus on information that supports your point. |
| Tell the reader how to respond, for example: "Please present my findings and recommendations on the proposed network at
the Executive Leadership Council meeting next week." |
| Give the reader a reason for responding to your request, for
example: "To ensure next quarter’s sales are back on track, please review
Marketing’s strategic plan immediately." |
| Emphasize benefits, not features, for example: "WordPro’s ability to convert all types of documents will save money
currently spent on vendors." |
| End with power. Clearly restate and be specific about the action you want
taken. For example: "Please call me to confirm that we will meet on April 19 to discuss the
sale." |
| Delete unnecessary closings. |
| Speak to your reader’s life, emotions, and needs and desires. |
| Tell a story. |
| Write about people. |
| Write in a personal style, like a letter to a friend. |
| Include important news and major issues. |
| Answer important questions the reader might have. |
| Address subjects that interest the reader. |
| Tell the reader what they already know. |
| Use big words, long sentences, and long, unbroken paragraphs. |
| Keep all sentences the same length. |
| Write without direction or point of view. |
| Put the reader first. It seems simple but we so often forget it. I don’t
know how many proposals and memos I’ve reviewed that didn’t really
address the reader’s needs. What does the reader really need to know? |
| Organize your points. As we discussed, organize in a manner most effective
for your reader. Don’t be afraid to hit them over the head: tell them what
you are going to tell them, then tell them, then tell them again what you
told them. |
| Break your writing into short sections. Don’t be afraid to use numbers
or bullets. Use subheads if you have a lot of copy. People read these first.
Keep paragraphs to two or three sentences. |
| Keep sentences short. Long sentences tire readers. More than 40 words is
unreadable. Average 14 to 16 words. But remember to vary length or you will
sound dull. |
| Use simple words. You are trying to communicate, not impress. Do not use a
technical term unless you are certain your audience understands it and no
better alternative exists. Use one or two syllable words. |
| Be concise. Avoid redundancies, run-ons, wordy phrases, passive voice,
unnecessary adjectives, etc. |
| Add punch to your headlines. |
| Use a verb, which is more active and not dull:
 | Not: "Board Meeting Report" |
| But: "Board Rejects Budget" |
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| Use present tense. News is more interesting when fresh.
| Not: "Bottom Line Increased by $500,000" |
| But: "Revenue Increases $500,000" |
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| Be specific. This helps readers find the information they need and gets
attention.
| Not: "Department Performance Outstanding" |
| But: "Marketing Campaign Wins Award" |
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| Write a killer lead. Get the readers attention, but understand that the
reader will want to know what is in it for him or her right away. |
| Force reader to keep reading using paradox, humor, surprise, novelty, a
question. |
| Include "5 W’s": who, what, why, when, where. |
| Avoid opening with "Pursuant to," "Per your request,"
"Please be advised," or "Please find enclosed." Reeks of
dullness. |
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