Karl M. Kapp,Ed.D Assistant Director Write It Write! Karl M. Kapp,Ed.D Assistant Director

Determine Job Requirements Know the Requirements. What is the: Format Page length Style General organization

Research Gain more knowledge on subject Collect thoughts Expand others ideas Write from a point of knowledge

Outline Material Written game plan of document Arranges random thoughts Reveals patterns Sequences ideas

Write to Your Reader What do they want or need to know? Message needs to be useful and worthwhile What could they be thinking?

Write What You Mean Words should clearly reflect your thoughts Build an argument. Based on these facts, we are proposing… Make a statement and back it up with details.

Convey the Right Impression Make statements as strong as the facts will allow Be cordial, courteous, friendly in tone Write with confidence

Avoid The following Very In order to (To) True facts (Facts Ahead of schedule (Early) Wide Variety (Variety)

Reviews Have someone else review the work Review the work yourselves Rewrite material as needed Reviewers will not catch everything

Principles of Clear Writing Keep sentences short For easy reading, sentences should vary in structure and length but, on the average, be short Prefer the simple to the complex Many complex terms are unnecessary. Avoid complex sentences.

Principles of Clear Writing Avoid unneeded words Nothing weakens writing so much as extra words. Be critical of words and make every word definitely carry its own weight. Put Action into Your Verbs The heaviness of much business writing results from overworking the passive verbs. Prose can usually be kept impersonal and remain in the active tense.

Passive vs Active Voice The hamburger was eaten by the Burger King. The Burger King ate the hamburger.

Passive vs. Active The proposal was written yesterday. Yesterday I wrote the proposal.

Principles of Clear Writing Use Terms Your Reader Can Picture Abstract terms make writing dull and foggy. Write the way you talk (for the most part) Use the term “We” Write to Express, not Impress Have good transitions

Principles of Clear Writing Each paragraph should contain one idea, topic or concept. Lead the reader from point to point.

Ordering Information Chronological Beginning Middle End Sequential First Second Third

Ordering Information Descriptive Left Right Middle

Good Writing is Re-Writing