IMPROVING YOUR WRITING
Each of us has it within our power to improve our own writing. If you have a desire
to produce better written material, having a "toolkit" and a process that work for you are
key. So is understanding that, generally, good writing is the result of a lot of revision. It is
very rare that something writes itself, springing forth in its final form on the first try.
Getting ideas onto either paper or the screen is the key. Organizing and re-organizing,
checking for errors and clarity -- these all come later.
Each of us has it within our power to improve our own writing. If you have a desire
to produce better written material, having a "toolkit" and a process that work for you are
key. So is understanding that, generally, good writing is the result of a lot of revision. It is
very rare that something writes itself, springing forth in its final form on the first try.
Getting ideas onto either paper or the screen is the key. Organizing and re-organizing,
checking for errors and clarity -- these all come later.
Finding Your Process
Try writing different ways and see what is most successful.
First, your workspace needs a few specific tools: a dictionary, a thesaurus and a general
(non-academic) style manual. Electronic versions of these can be very good:
However, we do not feel that the websites entirely replace actual reference books.
Your physical space should be whatever is conducive to your work, whether dead-silent
and distraction-free, or with white noise or music of some kind, and laid out for comfort
and convenience.
Preliminaries:
It's what your English teacher probably called "Pre-Writing." You may have been
presented with a single "right" way to do it. We at Write and Polish say, "Fiddle dee dee"
to that! Outlining helps some people, scribbling on note cards others, throwing key
points randomly at the page still more. You may find that combinations of approaches
feels comfortable. What works for you is what's "right".
In addition, as a practical matter, try to anticipate some of the central pieces of
information or data you may need, and have them available. This keeps you from having
to stop and go on a hunt when you do find yourself on a roll.
Getting Started:
Ultimately, to write, you have to do just that.
Take whatever your organizing activities and/or materials produced, and start putting
words down. Include everything you think you might need -- you can pare away the
excess later. Jot notes into your text and highlight them to remind you to come back to
check or plug in facts, or to finish an idea whose conclusion is not coming readily.
Revision:
Once all of your general ideas and supporting details are present, somewhere, in your
draft document, it's time to re-arrange and re-write. If you're working on a computer,
you may find it easier to print the draft and write your changes down, or have someone
look it over for you from there. Otherwise, just start re-jiggering.
Go paragraph by paragraph, asking if each sentence hangs together in support of a single
idea. At each sentence, ask "is this information really necessary?" Delete anything that
makes you answer "no", or consolidate it into another sentence.
Pay attention if you are repeating particular words or phrases to excess. Retain the
versions that work best and replace others with synonyms.
Ask if your word choice is appropriate for your audience. Are you using industry jargon
to clients who may not understand it? Conversely, are you over-explaining to those
already "in the know?"
Get into the habit of doing many read-throughs, each one looking for a specific type of
error or pitfall, for example:
Finally:
Have confidence in yourself. You have things to say and a unique voice. Your writing
work is just that -- work. And, ironically, the more you put in, the more effortless the
result seems to be. It should convey what you need conveyed and be technically correct,
reflecting well on you and your organization. But, it's not War and Peace. Don't be
intimidated. Asking for help to get your ideas or information to your public is a sign that
results matter and that your ego is healthy enough to take suggestions or corrections! So,
write, revise and have someone step in where necessary to assist you.
And now, go tell your story!
Try writing different ways and see what is most successful.
First, your workspace needs a few specific tools: a dictionary, a thesaurus and a general
(non-academic) style manual. Electronic versions of these can be very good:
- Wiktionary
- Thesaurus.com
- University of Alabama, The Economist (sometimes skews British, but in
my opinion, that makes it more desirable, not less!)
However, we do not feel that the websites entirely replace actual reference books.
Your physical space should be whatever is conducive to your work, whether dead-silent
and distraction-free, or with white noise or music of some kind, and laid out for comfort
and convenience.
Preliminaries:
It's what your English teacher probably called "Pre-Writing." You may have been
presented with a single "right" way to do it. We at Write and Polish say, "Fiddle dee dee"
to that! Outlining helps some people, scribbling on note cards others, throwing key
points randomly at the page still more. You may find that combinations of approaches
feels comfortable. What works for you is what's "right".
In addition, as a practical matter, try to anticipate some of the central pieces of
information or data you may need, and have them available. This keeps you from having
to stop and go on a hunt when you do find yourself on a roll.
Getting Started:
Ultimately, to write, you have to do just that.
Take whatever your organizing activities and/or materials produced, and start putting
words down. Include everything you think you might need -- you can pare away the
excess later. Jot notes into your text and highlight them to remind you to come back to
check or plug in facts, or to finish an idea whose conclusion is not coming readily.
Revision:
Once all of your general ideas and supporting details are present, somewhere, in your
draft document, it's time to re-arrange and re-write. If you're working on a computer,
you may find it easier to print the draft and write your changes down, or have someone
look it over for you from there. Otherwise, just start re-jiggering.
Go paragraph by paragraph, asking if each sentence hangs together in support of a single
idea. At each sentence, ask "is this information really necessary?" Delete anything that
makes you answer "no", or consolidate it into another sentence.
Pay attention if you are repeating particular words or phrases to excess. Retain the
versions that work best and replace others with synonyms.
Ask if your word choice is appropriate for your audience. Are you using industry jargon
to clients who may not understand it? Conversely, are you over-explaining to those
already "in the know?"
Get into the habit of doing many read-throughs, each one looking for a specific type of
error or pitfall, for example:
- Flow, organization, readability, plus any obvious mistakes
- Word choice (including common troubles pots like "can" v. "may" and "which" v.
"that") - Homophone problems (to/too, there/their/they're, etc.)
- General grammar and punctuation
- Voice (passive v. active) and consistency (verb-subject agreements, parallel lists,
naming/abbreviation conventions, etc.) - Your specific and identified "tics" (overuse of "very" or split infinitives...whatever)
- Flow, organization, readability (again!)
Finally:
Have confidence in yourself. You have things to say and a unique voice. Your writing
work is just that -- work. And, ironically, the more you put in, the more effortless the
result seems to be. It should convey what you need conveyed and be technically correct,
reflecting well on you and your organization. But, it's not War and Peace. Don't be
intimidated. Asking for help to get your ideas or information to your public is a sign that
results matter and that your ego is healthy enough to take suggestions or corrections! So,
write, revise and have someone step in where necessary to assist you.
And now, go tell your story!
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| WRITE AND POLISH CHRISTIE L. MANUSSIER ~ Business Writing and Editing |
