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11 Tips for Stronger Writing
By Dan Stuenzi
Communicate to motivate!
Table of Contents
The Importance of Good Writing
TIP #1: Be Active, Not Passive
TIP #2: Say What You Mean, Mean What You Say
TIP #3: Don't Be Verbose and Run On and On and Use
More Words than You Really Need to Use to Get Your
Point Across
TIP #4: Skip the Big Words. Your Reader is Not
Impressed
TIP #5: Shorter is Usually Sweeter
TIP #6: Structure Your Paragraphs Logically
TIP #7: Are You Sure That's the Right Word?
TIP #8: Have a Conversation
TIP #9: Say What?
TIP #10: Avoid Qualifiers
TIP #11: Get Rid of Repetitive Redundancies
The Importance of Good Writing
Does your job require you to write? Anything at all?
If not, you don’t need this article. However, if
you’re occasionally called on to write a letter to a
customer, instructions for a subordinate, details on
the operation of a process, a training manual, an
annual report, an article for the company
newsletter, or even an email to a co-worker, you’ll
develop a reputation as a writer.
Will that reputation be good or bad? Will people
enjoy reading your work – or cringe when they get
something from you? Most of the time, that will
depend on your writing style. People like to read
things that are easy to understand, are written in
plain English, and follow a logical progression of
thought. Misspelled words, grammatical errors, and
poor sentence structure are all distracting to your
message. This booklet is not intended to be a primer
on spelling or grammar, but you can greatly improve
your writing just by following 11 simple tips.
TIP #1: Be Active, Not Passive
A common error is writing in the passive voice when
active voice will sound better and make more sense.
Active voice is usually preferred because it makes
the sentence clearer and shorter.
Instead of this: The man was bitten by the dog.
Try this: The dog bit the man.
Instead of this: A rude noise was made by the
student, and the principal was called by the
teacher.
Try this: The student made a rude noise, and the
teacher called the principal.
TIP #2: Say What You Mean, Mean What You Say
Your writing shouldn’t cause your reader to scratch
his head and say, “Huh?”.
Instead of this: If the Internal Revenue Service
finds that an individual has received a payment to
which the individual was not entitled, whether or
not the payment was due to the individual's fault or
misrepresentation, and whether or not the payment
was due to a miscalculation by the Service, or some
other type of error, nevertheless, the individual
shall be liable to repay to the Department of the
Treasury, the total sum of the payment to which the
individual was not entitled.
Try this: If the IRS overpays you, regardless of the
reason, you are required to return the amount of the
overpayment.
TIP #3: Don’t Be Verbose and Run On and On and
Use More Words Than You Really Need to Use to Get
Your Point Across
Some writers seem to enjoy long sentences. The go
for quantity rather than quality. In reality, it
takes more talent to be concise.
Instead of this: ABC Software, Inc. today announced
its early adoption and planned use and support of
Microsoft's new Visual Studio for Applications (VSA)
technology as a fundamental component of the
platform on which ABC Software’s next-generation
solutions will be built. ABC Software has a strong
history of providing customers with solutions
adaptable to unique business needs through award
winning customization tools. VSA provides important
capabilities that will enable ABC Software to take
customization flexibility to more advanced levels in
its next generation products.
Try this: ABC Software is one of the first to adopt
Microsoft’s new Visual Studio Applications (VSA)
technology. ABC has a history of providing
customization tools that are adaptable to a wide
variety of business needs. Using VSA will enable ABC
to create even more advanced versions of its
software.
TIP #4: Skip the Big Words. Your Reader is Not
Impressed.
Some writers believe that they’ll be more highly
respected or appear to be smarter if they use big
words. In reality, however, most people are put off
by that. The writer appears to be a pompous
show-off. Just say what you mean in plain English!
Instead of this - Try this:
additional - extra
advise - tell
attempt - try
commence - start
consequently - so
forward - send
individual - man or woman
initial - first
in excess of - more than
in the event of - if
numerous - many
on receipt - when we get
on request - if you ask
particulars - details
persons - people
prior to - before
regarding - about
referred to as - called
sufficient - enough
terminate - end
TIP #5: Shorter is Usually Sweeter
A good rule of thumb is to let each sentence
accomplish just one thing. Too many ideas in one
sentence make it confusing. Instead of stringing
several ideas together, simply put each one into a
separate, shorter sentence.
Instead of this: The government and financial
community in The Bahamas appreciates the need for
companies to operate under the laws of a
jurisdiction which minimizes taxation, reporting
requirements and bureaucratic intervention while
providing flexibility for operation in a liberal and
concessionary environment.
Try this: The government and banking community in
The Bahamas recognizes that companies want to pay
less taxes. Those same companies want to be free of
onerous reporting requirements and bureaucratic
interference. The Bahamas allows businesses to
operate freely and will even provide concessions to
attract them to the islands.
TIP #6: Structure Your Paragraphs Logically
It’s very confusing to the reader if your thoughts
jump back and forth instead of following a logical
progression. From reading magazines and newspaper
articles, most of your readers will expect you to
start with a generality, and then continue with more
detail and specific examples.
You may do this without thinking when you are
speaking. You pass a friend in the hall at work who
asks what you did the night before. You stop and
tell her that you went to a great new restaurant
where the food and service were outstanding. You
tell her the name of the place, where it’s located,
and say, “You should check it out.” By that point in
the conversation, it’s time to get back to work.
Later, you go out to lunch with another friend, and
spend an hour together. She asks you the same
question and you start your answer exactly the same
way. But since you have more time, and she is truly
interested, you start giving her details. You
mention who you were eating with, gossip about who
else you saw there, list every item on the extensive
dessert menu, and describe the ambience of the place
in intricate detail.
When you write something, your readers will be in a
variety of locations and circumstances when they
receive your communication. You want to be sure you
write the most important messages at the beginning,
and then go into more detail for those who have the
time and interest.
TIP #7: Are You Sure That’s the Right Word?
Much has been written about how confusing the
English language is for those who are trying to
learn it for the first time. But writers know it can
also be confusing for those who have spoken and
written the language their entire life! Here are 55
sets of words that writers frequently confuse – and
a quick review of their proper usage:
Affect – to influence;
Effect – result
All ready – prepared;
Already – at this time
All right – satisfactory;
Alright – incorrect usage
All together – a group;
Altogether – completely
Allude – to refer to;
Elude – to evade
All Ways – by all means;
Always – forever
Any way – by any method;
Anyway – in any case;
Anyways – incorrect usage
Appraise – to estimate a value;
Apprise – to tell
Ascent – upward movement;
Assent – to agree
Assistance – help;
Assistants – helpers
Bare – naked;
Bear – carry;
Bear – animal
Beside – next to;
Besides – also
Born – brought into existence;
Borne – carried
Brake – stop;
Break – shatter
Buy – purchase;
Bye – goodbye;
By – next to
Capital – the seat of government;
Capitol – a building where a legislature meets
Compliment – praise;
Complement – to enhance or complete
Connote – to imply;
Denote – to indicate
Continual – occurs regularly;
Continuous – never stops
Correspondence – written communications;
Correspondents – people who write the communications
Desert – leave behind;
Desert – an arid land;
Dessert – after dinner course
Device – invention;
Devise – to invent
Discreet – prudent, circumspect;
Discrete – separate, distinct
Disinterested – unbiased;
Uninterested – indifferent
Elicit – to bring out;
Illicit – illegal
Except – other than;
Accept – to receive
Fair – average;
Fair – beautiful;
Fair – just;
Fare – fee for transportation
Farther – literal distance;
Further – to a greater extent
Forward – toward the front;
Foreword – introductory note
Gorilla – a large primate;
Guerrilla – non-conventional warfare
Hanged – past tense of hang (execution of a
criminal);
Hung – past tense of hang (as with a picture on the
wall)
Heard – past tense of “hear”;
Herd – group of animals
Illusion – misperception;
Allusion – indirect reference
It’s – contraction of “it is”;
Its – possessive of “it”
Lead – to be out in front;
Lead – heavy metal;
Led – past tense of being out in front
Lessen – to make less;
Lesson – something learned
Overdo – to carry too far;
Overdue – past due
Passed – past tense of “pass”;
Past – a time gone by
Patience – forbearance;
Patients – clients of a doctor
Peace – absence of war;
Piece – part of something
Presence – being somewhere;
Presents – gifts
Principal – head of a school;
Principal – holder of a high position in a business;
Principal – sum of money that earns interest;
Principle – a rule or standard
Raise – to lift up;
Raze – to tear down
Residence – a house;
Residents – people who live in a house
Respectfully – courteously;
Respectively – in the order mentioned
Right – correct;
Rite – religious ceremony
Sight – something seen;
Site – a place;
Cite – quote an authority
Some time – a period of time;
Sometime – at an unspecified point in time
Stationary – not moving;
Stationery – writing paper
Straight – not bent;
Strait – passageway through water
Tenant – a renter;
Tenet – strongly held belief
Their – possessive of “they”;
There – not here;
They’re – contraction of “they” and “are”
Waiver – give up a right;
Waver – to be indecisive
Who’s – contraction of “who” and “is”;
Whose – possessive of “who”
Your – possessive of “you”;
You’re – contraction of “you” and “are”
TIP #8: Have a Conversation
For most things that you write, an informal tone is
not only appropriate, but easier to read. Unless
you’re writing a scholarly paper on some rare
disease for your next medical convention, you should
avoid the use of jargon.
Don’t think of your readers first as engineers or
bankers or lawyers or business executives or
co-workers. Think of them first as people who have
plenty to do and don’t want to labor over their
reading.
Good communication involves more than speaking and
listening, or writing and reading. It involves
clarity on the part of the writer, and understanding
on the part of the reader. It involves an
interaction between two or more human beings. Your
writing should be as easy to read and understand as
your conversation around the water cooler. And
especially avoid whatever buzzwords, business
jargon, and clichés are currently in vogue.
Just imagine if people talked the way some of them
write. You might get a voice mail like this:
"Hey George, let’s think outside the box, examine
our core competencies, interface with our strategic
alliances, and see if we’re on the same page. I
figure it’s a win-win and a no-brainer. We should
just touch base, and then hit the ground running. I
figure if we’re proactive, we’ll find some great
synergy. Going forward, I think this will not only
be an important value proposition, but may even be
mission-critical. I just wanted to give you a
heads-up that it needs to be tonight, because I’m
out of pocket all weekend. At the end of the day, I
think we’ll find we’ve missed some things that
weren’t on our radar screen. Bottom line, it’s all
about positioning. And remember we need to walk the
walk. After all, there is no “I” in team and we need
to go for result-driven empowerment. So keep me in
the loop, okay?"
Wouldn’t this jargon-free voice mail be easier to
understand:?
"Hey George. Let’s invite a couple of girls out for
a date. It would have to be tonight because I’ll be
gone for the weekend. We’ve been saying we have to
get out more. It’ll be fun! Call me back when you
get a chance, okay?"
Remember to write more like you talk.
TIP #9: Say What?
Read what you’ve written out loud! Sometimes that
will reveal problems that you don’t “hear” in your
mind when you proof your own work. You may know
precisely what you mean when you write the sentence,
and still have it be totally misunderstood.
Sometimes the problem comes from moving your subject
and verb too far apart in the sentence.
Instead of this: President Bush wrote his State of
the Union address while traveling from Washington to
Omaha on the back of a menu.
Try this: President Bush wrote his State of the
Union address on the back of a menu while traveling
from Washington to Omaha.
Instead of this: Dr. Smith has been writing a
treatise on the history of diabetes research since
the early 1900s.
Try this: Dr. Smith has been writing a treatise. It
discusses the history of diabetes since the early
1900s.
TIP #10: Avoid Qualifiers
Your writing will typically be stronger if you avoid
certain qualifiers. No, that’s not right. Your
writing is stronger when you avoid certain
qualifiers. Do you see the difference when the word
“typically” is removed from the previous sentence?
"Typically" is one of dozens of qualifiers that
people use both in their writing and speaking. Other
examples are "possibly", "nearly", "approximately",
"likely", "sort of", "maybe", "try to", "believed to
be", "should be", "usually", "most", "sometimes",
"occasionally", "I think", "perhaps", "roughly", and
"generally".
The use of too many qualifiers in your writing will
make you sound unsure of yourself, or worse yet –
evasive.
Instead of this: The food was somewhat tasteless.
Try this: The food was tasteless. or The food was
bland.
Instead of this: It was a fairly hot day.
Try this: It was a hot day.
TIP #11: Get rid of repetitive redundancies
A redundancy is unnecessarily using two or more
words that mean the same thing - like repetitive
redundancies. The second word is excessive and
superfluous. Here are some examples of redundancies
to avoid:
• small in size
• I thought to myself
• all-time record
• money-saving coupon
• join together
• merge together
• young child
• unexpected surprise
• hollow tube
• academic scholar
• past history
• honest truth
• close proximity
• previously recorded
• mental telepathy
• refer back
• added bonus
• bare naked
• consensus of opinion
• hot water heater
• it’s raining outside
• passing fad
• surrounded on all sides
• unsolved mystery
• puppy dog
These few tips probably won’t win you a Pulitzer
Prize or get you elected President, but hopefully
you’ve learned enough to make your next writing
assignment easier and more enjoyable…for you AND the
reader!
©2005, Daniel P. Stuenzi, All Rights Reserved
Dan Stuenzi is a freelance marketing copywriter from
Omaha, Nebraska. For a free monthly Business &
Marketing E-newsletter, visit his website at
http://www.wordsmithusa.com
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/
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