Don't Attempt To Write Without Them!Written by Linda Elizabeth Alexander
You're ready to do it. You've accepted an assignment from your boss, agreed to put together a sales presentation, or were asked to write a report about last week's meeting results. Where do you begin? Before you venture off into land of writing for your job, be prepared with items on this checklist.1. Adjust your attitude. Writing doesn't have to be like drawing blood. In fact, many times in business writing, much of work is already done for you. Your job may be as simple as rewording or organizing information that you already have. 2. Quiet. No matter how much you like your music or AM radio talk show it is best to work in a quiet spot. Even if you work in a noisy place like a newsroom or a cube farm, reduce amount of noise around you so you can concentrate better. Wear earplugs if it helps you! 3. Your thinking cap! Colored markers, pencils, or a large easel pad may help you with brainstorming. Or, you may find it easier to work with a team first to generate ideas and then have one person write first draft. Whatever works for you, make sure your brain is in creative mode, not editing/criticism mode. Creativity comes first; editing and refining later. 4. Eliminate distractions. Turn off phone, close your office door, and don't check your email every 10 seconds. Have your assistant tell everyone you're in a meeting and you can't see him or her unless they're dying. For at least 1 hour, work with no interruptions. 5. Computer, pen, scratchpad, or other tools you like. You may prefer writing longhand; it can help you connect with your thoughts and emotions. Or, you may be quicker at typing directly on computer. Either way, don't expect a perfect draft first time. You will be scribbling a lot (or cutting and pasting) at first. 6. Contact names and phone numbers, etc. Be sure you have handy a list of people you might need to talk with to verify information. For example, if you are writing an article for your company newsletter, you may need quotes from CEO.
| | Business Writing Skills II - A Web Writing PrimerWritten by Linda Elizabeth Alexander
Whatever you would write on paper, cut it in half. The web was designed for quick reading. Studies show that people do not read long blocks of text while surfing web; reading from screen is often slower than reading on paper. Therefore, be as brief and to point as you can be, or risk losing your readers' attention.Write for scanning. Since web surfers often skim web copy, avoid using long blocks of text. Use lots of white space, bulleted and numbered lists, and short paragraphs (1 or 2 sentence paragraphs are not out of question). Also, begin with a short conclusion. This way, reader will know right away if your topic is one s/he is interested in. Keep your copy simple. No need for elevated language on web. Once, I read that you should pretend you're writing a TV commercial: Keep your copy short and succinct. Write conversationally. Think of your readers as individual people rather than as a faceless "audience." Reading your piece out loud easily tests this. Or, have a friend read it to you. If it doesn't flow smoothly, it is time to rework your copy. Use nested headings. In addition to using short paragraphs, break up your copy into two or three levels of headlines and sub heads. This way, reader can more easily scan to a topic she is interested in. Use emphasis and hypertext. If using long text where appropriate (say, in an in- depth article or report), it helps to break up your text into several pages connected by links. The beauty of web is that your interested readers will follow you to detailed information if they want; otherwise, they can scan general information that is nicely laid out on first page of your article.
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