Free Writing Tips

ABCs of Clear Writing

Here’s the first installment of key words and their definitive impact on writing well in any setting and for any purpose.  The definitions below reflect a reader-centered focus that ensures appropriate content, organization, and visual presentation. These, in turn, help get key messages across to your readers.  They do so without inflicting necessary detail on them or stopping them with large blocks of text. 

Readers want to quickly read and immediately grasp the significance of your ideas.  Here’s how to please all your readers.

Access	Allowing readers to easily find key points without having to read everything. Keep this new concept in mind at all times since readers today tend to scan everything selectively before or even instead of reading from beginning to end.   (See Big Picture and Chunk.)
Ascending order	Academic style of organizing where main ideas appear at the end.  Avoid using for readers in business settings.  Instead start with a summary of all key ideas at the beginning, so readers do not have to read linearly.  This gives them the option to access the key idea they want to read first.  (See Chunk.)
Background	Historical context.  Limit how much background you provide and where you place it.  Clearly label background as such and place it towards the end, so it doesn’t get in the way of the readers’ usual  search for what’s new.
Big Picture	Overview or executive summary that appears at the beginning.  State purpose, relevance, action items, and deadlines within a brief summary of key ideas.
Chunk	Visually breaking down information so readers can easily locate, understand, and remember key ideas.  Use bullets, headings, sentences limited to 20 words, and short paragraphs.
Descending Order	Business style of organizing where main ideas appear at the beginning and are, optionally, repeated at the end.  Always organize with key ideas first to help readers find important information quickly.
Dump	Writing down ideas in whatever order and fashion they occur in the brain without judging or editing.  Overcome writer’s block by using this technique.  Speed up your writing process by editing later.
Editing triggers	Personal patterns that writers must watch out for.  When editing, look for your favorite wordy phrases (“in as much as…”), bad habits (starting numerous sentences with “It is…”), vague words (“few,” “some,” “things”), and overuse of “and” to connect ideas.
Flow	Overall sequence or order of information.  Use readers’ interests and attitudes as a guide to using strategic flow, instead of relying on logical flow.  For example, a list of benefits placed before a proposed solution might effectively open resistant readers’ minds.
Format	Overall layout or appearance of information.  Remember that readers are initially affected by how something looks before they even begin to read it.
Grandiose	Fancy, overly technical, and pompous language.  Remember that readers come from diverse backgrounds.  Use simple, everyday words to communicate clearly with everyone.  Immediately define any necessary technical terms.
Headings	Labels to divide text into sections.  Use mini-messages, rather than categories (e.g., “Advantages of the Proposed Design” instead of “Conclusions”), to help readers choose which section they want to read first and to reinforce your point of view.
Impact	When readers understand your intended message and act accordingly.  To have the impact you are after, keep in mind who your readers are and what information they absolutely need.

 

Technical Writing

Technical writing is subject to trends, like other kinds of writing.  A major trend is to use active voice instead of passive.  Example:  “We reached the following conclusions” is now preferred over the passive “The following conclusions were reached.”  However, technical writing still tends to be more formal than other kinds of business writing.  Consequently, personal pronouns, such as “I,” “we,” and “you” must be used carefully.

 Keep the following pointers in mind when writing any document that may be classified as technical writing.  These pointers ensure the level of formality and precision associated with technical writing.  Several pointers, such as using consistent key words, reflect current trends.

·        Provide an overview that states objectives, scope, brief background, and major conclusions and recommendations.  This overview is often preceded by an Executive Summary in more formal documents. 

·        Specify target readers, as appropriate.  This is especially important to do in technical manuals. 

·        Organize information in levels, resembling an outline, with appropriate numbering or other notation.  In less formal technical writing, the use of descriptive headings alone is adequate. 

·        Organize levels with “layers” of information.  Generally, the first layer is intended to be understood by all possible readers, so it is written with a minimum of technical detail.  Increasingly, each layer contains more detailed technical information and terms. 

·        Place schematics, tables, and other graphics after the text describing them.  All graphics must be titled and numbered (for example, “Figure 1”) with a brief explanation provided underneath.  This explanation must be discussed more fully in the text. 

·        Use direct, crisp statements, limiting sentences to no more than 20 words. 

·        Use consistent key words, defining technical terms as necessary within the text or in a separate Glossary. 

·        Use consistent verb tense as much as possible. 

·        Maintain parallel structure for equal ideas.  This is critical to do in vertical lists.  Parallel structure simply means using the same structure for all equally important ideas. Correct Example:  I like reading and writing or I like to read and to write.  Incorrect Example:  I like reading and to write.

·        Use transitions and adjectives to help readers interpret ideas accurately.  Examples:  equally important, to summarize, consequently, as expected, successfully implemented.

 

Brainstorming

Large-scale writing projects can intimidate even the best of writers.  One helpful way to get started quickly and easily is brainstorming.  This is a creative process in which you generate ideas, themes, even questions without evaluating anything.

 You gain speed and an abundance of ideas when you refrain from critiquing your initial thoughts.  Delay the urge to cull through your ideas and sort them.

 Below are the brainstorming steps that can lead to a solid first draft:

·        Use 3x5 index cards to capture all your thoughts about the topic at hand.  Limit each card to one idea and use only one side of the card.  Most important, don't re-read your cards.  Lay them idea side down and keep going. 

·        Don't reject any thoughts that appear trivial or that duplicate previous ideas.  You might be able to combine less important thoughts together later.  Also, your phrasing may be different and more useful the second time the same idea comes. 

·        Work quickly.  Jot down short hand words that will remind you of more full blown ideas later or write complete sentences, whatever works for you. 

·        Accept what comes into your head in whatever order it comes.  Sometimes the freedom of random thinking allows us to be most creative. 

·        Do as many brainstorming sessions as needed.  You may wish to dedicate one session to major topics, another to developing just one of the topics, and so forth. 

·        Let some time elapse, at least half a day, after you complete the cards before you look at them again. 

·        Group cards into stacks of similar ideas, discarding what doesn't appear useful and adding any extra thoughts.  Put the cards in each stack in some preliminary order. 

·        Start with the easiest set of cards or most interesting, not necessarily with the introduction.  Develop the ideas from these cards into sentences, paragraphs, and sections. 

·        Try not to edit until you complete at least a section of ideas.  Better yet, don't edit until you complete the draft.  You will make better choices then because you will be able to see the entire flow of ideas.

 

 Cross Cultural Writing Savvy

 Communicating successfully with overseas colleagues requires adjustments to our usual writing habits.  You have no doubt noticed differences in vocabulary and organizational style across cultures. 

 In general, it makes good sense to take your cues from their writing preferences.  This can minimize frustration in understanding your overseas colleagues and difficulty in getting your own messages across.

 Following are practical pointers to keep cross cultural communication lines open.  They are based on the fact that most overseas cultures are more formal and less direct than U.S. business culture.

 ·        Use a "sandwich" organizing technique, instead of starting immediately with your business message.  This means placing your message in between a warm opening (for example, asking how they are) and a friendly close (like asking them to give your regards to other colleagues).

 ·        Limit the number of different topics you cover to two or three.  Otherwise, you may not receive all the responses you want.

 ·         Be as specific as possible in your requests and instructions.

 ·         Keep sentences simple and short.  Limit each sentence to 15-20 words.

·         Use short, simple words.  Avoid jargon, slang, and colloquialisms.  Remember overseas professionals learn formal English in school, not conversational English.  They may be unfamiliar with new terms, like "ramping up."

 ·         Do not use "I" as the very first word, since this is considered rude in some cultures.

 ·         Remember to use "please" and "thank you."

 ·         Avoid contractions.  For example, instead of "can't," write "cannot."

 ·         Write out dates to avoid confusion.  When using numerals for dates, overseas style usually places the day before the month.

 ·         State numbers in both numerals and words, as needed.

 ·         Avoid sports or movie references (for example, "The cavalry comes to the rescue") which may be meaningless overseas.

 ·         Finally, avoid humor.  It simply does not translate well. 

Visual Impact Techniques

After more than 20 years of teaching, editing, and writing, I have a healthy appreciation for the importance of visual appeal in any document — whether it is short email, formal letter, or complex proposal.

Visually appealing text not only attracts readeers but also enhances both their understanding and retention of information.

Here are ten rules of thumb I use to make sure my key ideas stand out:

·        Limit your use of highlighting techniques to three.  More than three techniques (such as bold, italics, and color) will only distract readers. 

·        Use short units of information.  Avoid large blocks of text.

·       Make a key conclusion stand out in its own paragraph, instead of combining it in the same paragraph with an explanation.

·        Use one-sentence paragraphs to highlight important ideas.

·       Use tables and graphs in place of text

·       Be creative with the use of space.  For example, indenting on both the left and right margins for vertical lists can be quite effective.  Centering short documents on hard copies make them look professional.

·      Highlight words or phrases only, not entire sentences of paragraphs.

·      Use headings to convey messages, not just a category of information.  For example, state "Advantages of the Proposed Design" instead of "Conclusions."

·      Minimize use of parentheses since they interrupt the movement of the reading eye.

·       List titles of attachments at the end of your document, in addition to stating "attachments."  This encourages your readers to stay with the main document instead of looking to see what the attachments contain.

Fast Writing Techniques

When it comes to writing, many of us stumble over getting started and then get caught up in perfecting our text, instead of writing it.  Both of these cost us time.  The fastest way to write is to create first, censor later.  Writing and editing are two distinct brain processes.  Consequently, switching back and forth between them is inefficient.

To reduce your overall writing time, try the following seven techniques singly or in combination.  These techniques speed up all writing tasks — from quick emails to lengthy reports and proposals.

·        Start wherever it's easiest, not necessarily at the beginning.  As you already know, crafting a solid beginning immediately is difficult, so delay it.  Add your beginning later.

·        Write what you know first.  Fill in the gaps later.  Otherwise, you will procrastinate by researching the missing information, instead of writing.

·        Capture whatever enters into your mind, even though you may think it's irrelevant.  You can delete it later or you may find that some of it is useful.

·        Try not to edit when you are on a roll.  To appease your urge to edit, mark the places where you want to edit by typing an X.  Later, look for all the Xs and make all the changes at one time.

·        Don't worry about tone, style, or even correctness as you create your sentences and paragraphs.  Remember you make better editing decisions when you are working with the finished text, rather than with partial text.

·        Use the same key words over and over again.  Synonyms are required only in academic writing.  In business, key words actually help readers more easily and quickly understand your ideas.

·        Finally, identify and list major writing patterns that usually need fixing.  This list will allow you to write more freely, since you know what to fix later.

Writing Effective Emails at Work

As such, emails are subject to writing conventions.  The goal of conventions, of course, is to ensure clarity and accuracy.

  However, you have probably noticed that no one seems to be following the same conventions.  This is one reason email writing is becoming rapidly associated with misunderstandings and wasted time.  We now complain about “email tag” – the follow-up required to clear up confusing or incomplete messages.   In the interest of increasing your writing effectiveness, you might observe your reading habits for a few days.  What you will discover will help you improve your email writing.  You will probably find yourself scanning your emails, before you actually read them or maybe instead of reading them at all.   Typically, readers look selectively for pertinent information, rather than passively read line by line.  To help your readers, then, you need to organize and present information in such a way that your emails are scannable.    Here are reader-centered conventions that I recommend:    

·        Organize your messages in descending order of importance. Start with the purpose and relevance of your overall message.  Then provide essential details needed to take action on your purpose.    

·        Use meaningful subject lines with the key word first that relates to the purpose of your message.  For example, start with the word “meeting” if that’s what your email is about or “feedback” if that’s what you are requesting.

·        Modify subject lines if responding back and forth changes the topic and purpose of your initial email.

·        Keep your units of writing short so they are visually digestible.  Paragraphs should be limited to three to four sentences.  Sentences should be limited to 15-20 words.

·        Group similar information together and label them with meaningful headings.  This allows readers to easily find information they’re most interested in.

·        Keep your phrasing professional, although it can be casual in style.  Avoid slang, acronyms, and made up abbreviations that can be confusing.

·        Avoid smiley faces and other informal icons, in case your email gets forwarded to others.

·        Keep convenience of the readers in mind when sending attachments.  It may be more convenient to have information at the bottom of your message as well as in an attachment.  

Thank You Letters

It was great seeing you again.

Sincerely,

Thank you for the productive meeting last week.  I found your insights and information quite helpful.

Sincerely,

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Current convention calls for left justifying all text, including the complimentary close, "Sincerely."  This also means no indenting of paragraphs.  Spacing is as follows:  double-space between parts of the letter and single-space within the parts.  Explanations and examples follow below.

Center all text on the page, so all margins are even.  Centering gives the letter visual appeal as well as a professional appearance.

At the top left corner, place the date and the recipient's address information.  Skip several spaces under the date.  Then put on separate, single-spaced lines: 

(1) recipient's name

(2) recipient's title, if appropriate, 

(3) company name 

(4) company street address

(5) city, state, and zip code. 

Double-space before typing in the salutation:  "Dear…."  Today's convention requires a colon after the person's name, whether it is first name or title plus last name.  Example:  "Dear Angelica:" or "Dear Dr. Lee."  Double-space again and begin text without indenting paragraphs.  Double-space between paragraphs.

Also double-space between text and "Sincerely."  After "Sincerely," skip five spaces and type in your name and, if appropriate, your title right under your name.  Sign your name within the five blank spaces above your typed name.

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Structuring Paragraphs

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FAQs

Participants in my workshops are sometimes surprised when I tell them that some writing rules have changed. 

There are usually three reasons for their surprise.  First, they believe that the punctuation and grammar rules they learned in elementary school are absolute.  However, since English is still evolving as a language, its operating rules are subject to change.  Second, they are not aware that a different set of rules has arisen that govern business and technical writing.  These rules differ from the academic style of writing that we were taught.  Third, many don't remember the rules exactly as they were taught.

Here are five frequently asked questions that arise when I discuss "new rules for writing."

1. Who makes up these new rules?

Actually, all of us influence these rules!  This is because English is affected by how it is used.  For example, the number of nouns (or names of things) has greatly increased in the English language because of the newly created concepts and gadgets that require names.  In addition, since most of us have forgotten how to use a semi-colon (a dot above a comma), it has all but disappeared, except in academic or formal writing.  Finally, many words that end in "ize" (for example, "prioritize") are relatively new, added by us who make them up and then use them extensively.

2. What's the result of having the semi-colon disappear?

One result is that it is now acceptable to begin sentences with the words "however" and "but."  A semi-colon is no longer needed to show the close relationship between two sentences.  "However" or "but" and a simple period are sufficient to indicate this relationship.  The period is actually preferable since two shorter sentences are created which can be much easier to read and remember.

Another result is that punctuating items in a vertical or bulleted list is much simpler.  Since the items are already separated physically, punctuation to further separate them is not needed.

3. I remember being taught not to start a sentence with "because."  Is that still wrong?

It has always been correct to begin with "because" as long  as what follows it is a sentence or complete thought.  This is one rule that many people don't remember exactly as it was taught.  Elementary school teachers emphasize not using "because" at the beginning since youngsters often don't often follow it with a complete thought.  "Because I forgot my lunch" is not a complete thought.

4. What about synonyms?  Is it still a good idea to use different words for the same concept?

In general, it is best to use consistent key words in business and technical writing.  The use of synonyms can cause confusion as well as thwart the reader's attempt to read quickly.  For example, the reader quickly scanning email might wonder if  "method" at the beginning means the same thing as "approach" or "model" mentioned later in the email.  However, in some industries and, certainly, in academic writing, the use of synonyms is an expected part of the style.

5. Are there any other changes that affect business and technical writing?

Yes, one important change driven by the use of email is the short paragraph form.  You probably remember being taught to devote each paragraph to one topic.  If you did that at work, however, you'd create extremely long and difficult-to-read paragraphs.  Today, short paragraphs consisting of two to three sentences or even only one sentence are acceptable.

The key is to think of paragraphs as "message," not topic, units.  Limiting each paragraph to a specific message will most likely shorten it and make it reader-friendly.

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