Posts Tagged ‘writing tip’

Each of the words below is either negative or overly formal. They’re easy to eliminate, and doing so will give your final document a warmer, more upbeat tone.

1 Assist.
In nearly every case, the word ‘help’ can be substituted. Of the two words, help strikes a more emotional chord. Also, it is the warmer, more conversational choice.

2 But.
While it has its important uses, this word is quite negative, because everything that comes before it is negated, as in “You’ve done a great job on this project, but….” Try using ‘and’ instead.

3 Effort.
As in, “Please make an effort to clean the rear of the building.” The word ‘effort’ implies hard work, so it has a negative connotation. Try avoiding it altogether.

4 Hopefully.
This is a weak word. Getting rid of it will give your writing a more confident tone.

5 However.
This negative word functions like ‘but’ – see above. Try to omit it altogether.

6 Must.
This is quite a strong, negative word. In every case, ‘need to’ can be substituted without any loss in meaning. The word ‘need’ strikes a more positive emotional chord.

7 Not.
Another negative word. You can easily get rid of it by saying what something is instead of what it isn’t, as in “This model is not available” vs. “This model is unavailable.”

8 Regret.
Like ‘unfortunately’ below, regret can be quite negative.

9 Unfortunately.
Because its presence means bad news will follow, unfortunately gives readers a sinking feeling. Show your regret by giving readers alternatives or stressing anything positive.

10 Utilize.
‘Use’ means exactly the same thing and is by far the simpler, more conversational choice.

Have you ever had a colleague eagerly ask for feedback on a document only to have her face fall as you eagerly point out all the ways she could improve it? Why, you wonder, did she ask for help in the first place if she doesn’t really want it?

Most people–we’d even say all people–are sensitive about their writing. Our writing reveals so much about who we are that we don’t respond well when we’re hit by a barrage of criticism, however well intended.

Giving feedback effectively has obvious benefits for the writer. It also has tremendous benefits for the reader. When you review someone else’s document it’s easy to achieve the objective distance you need to see how it can be improved. It’s far more difficult to achieve this objectivity with your own writing. And the better you get at looking critically at the writing of others, the easier it becomes to look critically at your own writing.

In our courses, we include an opportunity to peer edit, once participants share a common language and criteria. Here’s what we recommend:

1. Read the document twice–once for content and strategy, and once for structure, style and grammar. The first time you read it, you’ll notice local things, and the second time you’ll be more aware of the overall structure and strategy. Make note of the things that are successful, as well as the things you think could be handled differently.
2. Give the writer the good news first. There is always something positive to say and we learn a lot by seeing what we’re doing successfully. Also, people are more willing to hear your criticism if you first acknowledge their value.
3. Organize your critical feedback into two categories: global and local. The global feedback will include comments about structure, content and strategy. The local feedback will include comments about style and grammar. You may decide to withhold the local level feedback if the document needs to be restructured or rethought strategically, since it may need rewriting.

For some reason, this first post is causing me writer’s block. I want it to be perfect, so naturally I can’t seem to write at all! To get going, I’m going back to basics.

Overcoming writer’s block is easy if you understand drafting’s place in the writing process and have some strategies to help you get over the inevitable obstacles.

The writing process can be broken down into four manageable steps: know your purpose and audience, make a plan, draft quickly, then revise exhaustively.

Experienced writers know that writing is more than just putting perfectly formed ideas down on paper. Writing—in particular drafting—actually helps generate and clarify our thoughts. Chances are you’ll know more about what you’re trying to say when you’ve drafted it. Once you’ve clarified your thought by drafting, you can use your new, more clearly defined message to guide the revision process. Experienced writers know that a first draft can be imperfect–they don’t agonize over each sentence expecting perfect copy, as inexperienced writers do.

Even if we understand that we don’t have to marry our first draft, we all need help getting started or keeping the words flowing. Here are some strategies to get and keep you going:

• Begin with a bogus first sentence. Put down anything just to get started. You can delete the false starting sentence later.
• Begin anywhere. Start with the idea or section you are most confident with and build around it.
• Use WIRMI, which stands for What I Really Mean Is. If you get stuck in the middle of a sentence, simply abandon it and say, “What I really mean is….” Loosen up and let yourself get conversational. Remember you can revise later.
• Imagine another audience. If the thought of your intended reader intimidates you, substitute the face of a friend. You can add a more appropriate tone later, when you revise.

When we understand that writing is a process and that drafting lets us articulate our thoughts more clearly, writing becomes less intimidating and more manageable–even fun. Knowing and practicing the writing process means we can all be confident writers.