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Writing
Effectively: A Two-Part Guide to the Well-Written Text
Part
1
by
Jan K., The Proofer
Everything we do involves
communication—written, verbal, and nonverbal.
Today, due to the Internet and the World Wide Web,
written communication is emerging as the primary
format. Writing effectively is now an essential
skill.
Sadly, writing skills are no
longer emphasized in grade school. High school
students do not have the skills for writing term
and research papers. Colleges and universities are
re-introducing writing skills into their
curriculum in order to produce graduates who do
possess these skills.
The goal of this article,
however, is not to teach you how to write your
doctoral thesis on the theory of why aardvarks did
not evolve a brain big enough to support deductive
reasoning. That task we will leave to the robed
and mortar-boarded professors in the ivy-covered
halls of higher learning. The purpose of this
article is to give you some ideas and methods to
use when you set out to write text for your
web-based newsletter, self-marketing materials, or
perhaps the self-help book that you are writing as
a companion guide for your coaching or mentoring
practice.
Part 1 will cover just some
of the basics of how to outline and write your
text. Part 2 will help you review your work, and
how you can take your own good work and make it
better.
OUTLINING YOUR TOPIC
Divide your topic into at
least three workable segments, and title each
segment. Now take those three segments and put
them in their most logical order. Before the first
segment, title an introduction, allow for a
conclusion after the last segment. Now you have a
workable outline.
Outlining the Segments
Don’t worry about your
introduction or conclusion just yet, concentrate
on the segments. Take each segment and break it
down into a few parts. Bear in mind that each of
these “parts” may be no more than a few
sentences, so list as many distinct parts as you
need under each segment. Just as you did with the
segments, look at the parts you’ve listed. Put
them in their most logical order. Now your subject
matter in each segment is well ordered. With an
orderly outline, you can insert new segments or
parts at any time, and delete or rearrange the
ones you have. When your outline is formatted to
your satisfaction, you can begin to write with the
confidence that you have not forgotten any key
element.
WRITING YOUR TOPIC
It is not necessary to write
your text from start to finish. With your detailed
outline, you can write each piece separately if
you prefer. One thing you might want to consider,
however, is to always try to complete a part or
segment before you close up shop for the day. You
will run the risk of forgetting your line of
thinking when you next sit down. If you must leave
a part undone, take a few moments to make a few
notes that will jog your memory when you are ready
to write again.
As you write, if you find
that Part C of Segment 2 now works best as Part A
of Segment 1, you can easily re-structure your
work. Just be sure you tidy up after yourself. If
Part B of Segment 2 refers to what was Part C in
Segment 2, then you need to correct that reference
(or make whatever change is necessary to direct
your reader).
Think of your target audience
and write
to that level. If you are addressing children,
write in short, simple sentences. If you are
writing for working women, use language and terms
that pertain to their profession. Writing in lofty
prose and substituting a five-dollar version of a
fifty-cent adjective will not necessarily prove
you are an effective or even good writer. Write
for the people who are most likely to read your
text in the words they will understand.
FINISHING YOUR TEXT
When you have written your
main text, you can easily add the introduction and
the conclusion.
Introduction
In one or two clear
paragraphs, you tell your reader what they are
about to read. It might help to have your outline
handy and you can just add a little meat to those
bones. Don’t try to describe anything in detail,
just use some easy, descriptive lines about the
text as a whole. A third and final paragraph of
your introduction can be a list of the order in
which your topics (segments) are presented.
Conclusion
Your conclusion should be
shorter than your introduction. After all, your
reader has just plowed through the entire
text—she doesn’t want new information at this
point, nor does she need a complete re-hash of the
text. Wrap up some loose ends, point out the
conclusions you hope the reader has drawn. If your
work is a self-help text, you might want to
personalize your ending by adding a word of
appropriate encouragement.
You can use these ideas for
any writing assignment that you have before you,
be it a newsletter article, a how-to manual, or
the next New
York Times #1 Bestseller. Order your thoughts
in easily manageable pieces, arrange the pieces
logically, write your text with your targeted
audience in mind, and then slap on an introduction
and wrap it up with a conclusion. Now you are
writing effectively!
Look for “Writing
Effectively Part 2” for tips on how to proofread
your own work.
Jan K., The Proofer is a
full-time freelance proofreader and copyeditor. In
business since 1995, she has enjoyed working for a
diverse world-wide clientele, covering subject
matter including academic research, medical law,
consumer surveys, and self-help materials. Please
visit http://www.janktheproofer.com
for more information.
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