EVENTS

WRITING SKILLS: Plan before you start writing

 

What happens if a colleague has just sent you an email relating to a meeting you're having in one hour's time. The email is supposed to contain key information that you need to present, as part of the business case for an important project. But there's a problem: The email is so badly written that you can't find the data you need. There are misspellings and incomplete sentences, and the paragraphs are so long and confusing that it takes you three times more than it should to find the information you want.(www.learninggroup.com)

 

Use these top eight points for your writing and you will never be the same old boring writer again.

·         Identify your main theme – If you're having trouble defining the main theme of your message, pretend that you have 15 seconds to explain your position. What do you say? This is likely to be your main theme.

·         Use simple language – Unless you're writing a scholarly article, it's usually best to use simple, direct language. Don't use long words just to impress people.

·         Structure -Your document should be as "reader friendly" as possible. Use headings, subheadings, bullet points, and numbering whenever possible to break up the text.

·         Proof your headings and subheadings – People often skip these and focus on the text alone. Just because headers are big and bold doesn't mean they're error free.

·         Read the document out loud – This forces you to go more slowly, so that you're more likely to catch mistakes.

·         Use your finger or the mouse point to follow text as you read – This is another trick that helps you slow down.

·         Start at the end of your document – Proofread one sentence at a time, working your way from the end to the beginning. This helps you focus on errors, not on content.

·         Kiss (keep it short and simple)  -Avoid long sentences or paragraphs because  u end up loosing the whole content , meaning or sense.  

·         Check out the correct words that you want to use- do not get confused. For example: Company's/companies (and other possessives versus plurals)(www.academicladder.com/toolkit)

 The greater your writing skills are, the better the impression you'll make on the people around you , including your boss, your colleagues, and your clients. You never know how far these good impressions will take you.

You see? That is why we are blogging to keep us on track to avoid issues like getting fired in a corporate world.