10 Secrets For Everyday Writing Success
By
Shaun Fawcett
During my 25-year career in a variety of professional positions in both the
private and public sectors I have written literally thousands of letters and
memos and hundreds of reports. If I had to boil-down everything I've learned
about practical day-to-day writing for both personal and business purposes into
10 key points, this would be my "top 10 list".
1. Preparation Is the Key
Do all of your research first, before you start to write. Even a letter
normally requires some minor research such as making some phone calls or
reviewing a file. It's also very important to prepare yourself mentally before
writing. So, don't sit down to write too soon. Mull it over for a while,
sometimes a day or two, sometimes an hour or two, depending on the complexity of
the job at hand. It's amazing how the sub-conscious mind will work on the
problem "behind the scenes" and when you finally do start writing, it will flow.
2. Always Use a Sample
For me, this is critical. No matter what I write, it helps tremendously if I
have some visual stimulation. If I'm writing a letter I post a copy of a similar
letter, or the one I'm responding to, somewhere in my direct line-of-sight. It
helps me focus and keeps my mind on the subject at hand, minimizing the tendency
for my mind to wander. No matter what it is, I always make a point to find some
previous work or a sample of work similar to what I'm doing. It really
stimulates the creative writing process and increases productivity
significantly.
3. Shorter Is Always Better
Whether you're writing a report or a letter, look for ways to cut it down in
length. Concentrate on conveying the essential message. If something you've
written does not enhance the core message, or doesn't add value, consider
cutting it. These days, you have to be "short and to the point" to get your
message read.
4. Use Concise and Appropriate Language
Your letter or report should use simple straightforward language, for clarity
and precision. Use short sentences and don't let paragraphs exceed three or four
sentences. As much as possible, use language and terminology familiar to the
intended recipient. Do not use technical terms and acronyms without explaining
them, unless you are certain that the addressee is familiar with them.
5. "Be" Your Addressee
A key technique to use when writing anything is to clearly "visualize" your
audience. As you write, try to imagine in your mind's eye the specific person(s)
to whom your written product is directed. I often imagine that I am sitting
across the boardroom table from my addressee, trying to explain my points in
person. Make an effort to see the situation from the other person's perspective.
What would you be looking to see if you were the recipient of the letter or
report?
6. Do the Outline First
Even if it's a one-page letter, it doesn't hurt to jot down a few quick notes
on the main points that you want to cover. This process forces you to think
logically about exactly what you want to cover and it helps you decide in which
order you will approach your subject. For a letter this is helpful. For a
report, this is absolutely essential. In fact, I believe that you should force
yourself to go through the entire thinking process that is required to develop a
complete draft Table of Contents, before you start to write any report.
7. Write and Then Rewrite
No matter how much preparation I do, I always find that I can improve on the
first draft. That's partly because when I'm writing that first version, my main
focus is to get the essence of my thoughts down on paper. At that stage I don't
worry about perfect phrasing, grammar or logic. My main mission the first time
through is to make sure that I capture the critical words and phrases that form
the core meaning of what I want to communicate.
8. Format Is Important
Whatever you are writing, make sure it looks professional. This is where
proper formatting comes in. Your credibility, and/or that of your organization,
is on the line, with your report or letter serving as your representative. If it
is not professionally formatted, it will reflect negatively on you, even if the
content is good and it is well-written. Rightly or wrongly, the value of your
work will diminish in people's eyes if the formatting of your document is shoddy
or amateurish looking.
9. Read It Out Loud
Some people who haven't tried it may laugh when they read this, but it really
works. At any point during the drafting process, but definitely at the draft
final stage, read your report or letter to yourself "out loud". It's amazing
what one picks up when they actually "hear" their words as if they were being
spoken to them as the addressee. I find this helps me the most in picking up
awkward phrasing and unnecessary repetition of words or terms.
10. Check Spelling and Grammar
Last, but far from least, make sure you double check the spelling and grammar
in your document. These days, with spell-checkers built into word processing
programs there's really no excuse not to do this. Once again your document is a
direct reflection of you and/or your organization. If it is riddled with
spelling mistakes and obvious grammatical errors, it will appear unprofessional
and your credibility will suffer. Watch out for the words that sound the same
but have completely different meanings that a spell-checker won't pick up. Words
such as "four" and "fore", for example. Your final read-through out loud should
catch any of these.
Whether you're writing a letter, a memorandum, a report or an essay, follow
the above tips and you won't go wrong.
For over 20,000 words and 89 pages of detailed writing- help tips, tricks and
pointers similar to the above, make sure you get your FR*E copy of my e-book,
"Writing Success Secrets - Practical Tips and Tricks For Everyday Writing" by
going to the following link:
