I will start doing some dictation work for the excellent Business Writing Podcast from UpWrite Press. I find it a necessity as the script they provide doesn’t quite match the recoding.
The words in brackets are sort of the “formal” or “written style” version of the oral script.
Welcome to the business writing podcast by UpWrite Press, today is Wednesday, October 12th, 2005:-
Want to write better? You can. Think of writing as going hiking. Here are seven steps that will start your journey to clear, strong writing.
The first step is finding the right ideas. (These contain the substance of your writing.) Without good ideas, the best writing is nothing more than a beautiful day wasted with nowhere to go.
Once you have your ideas, the second step is organizing them for maximum impact (to organize them for maximum impact), order your ideas so that your readers can follow them easily, kind of like a well-groomed trail, (to lead your reader through your ideas in a logical manner. Use good organization to create the trail your reader follows through your ideas.) You might build from the simplest to the most complicated of your points, (or from the least to the most important) or you might place them in order of importance.
The third step is establishing the voice in your writing. Think of voice as the weather during your hike. Just as the weather can affect a day’s walk, voice can affect the way your ideas come across. Try to match your tone to the feeling you want to convey (the work to convey), is it politely cool or warmly welcoming. Above all, your writing should sound like you.
For step four, consider your word choice. Your words create the bright spots of sunlight and flowers along your way. Do they (you use words that) convey exactly the meaning you intended, or are there better words you might use? Be sure your words are clear, confident and exact. (This works hand in hand with your voice, let the words be clear and confident, and exact. )
The fifth step toward better writing is examining your sentences for fluency. Make your writing cohesive by moving smoothly from one sentence (letting each sentence move) into the next. There should be no gaps where your reader could get lost or confused. If organization is your path through good writing, sentence fluency marks the trail.
Proofreading is the sixth step. Examine your writing for conventions such as punctuation, spelling, and grammar. These elements mark the difference between acceptable and good. Poor conventions are like stones in your shoe, distracting attention from even the best hike.
The seventh and final step asks you to consider the design of your writing. Your writing should look professional and easy to read. Pay attention to font and size of print, use bulleted or numbered lists, and strive for a clean, inviting look. Which would you rather do? Hack your way through a tangled woods or take a clear path to a pleasant forest? (Which would you rather walk in a tangled woods or a clean forest with a pleasant path?)
There it is, seven steps to better writing. Master them, and your writing will be like a walk in the park!
This Article is from: Health matters[http://stevenlichen.com]
URL: http://stevenlichen.com/2007/05/05/episode-01-seven-steps-to-good-writing/
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