1. Chapter 4 The Process of Writing
There are videos embedded in the PowerPoint slides that are available at

2. The Writing Process Audience Analysis Planning Drafting Revising
Proofreading

3. The Writing Process
Audience Analysis Studying relevant aspects of the receiver
Planning Determining purpose, content, and organization
Drafting Composing a first draft
Revising Editing for content, style, and correctness
Proofreading Checking for content, typographical, and format errors

4. The Writing Process Audience Analysis Planning Drafting Revising
Proofreading

5. What Is the Value of Analyzing an Audience?

6. Remember This About Your Audience
No one is perfect.
People need specific information.
Most people are honest and reasonable.
People don’t like to be “talked down to.”
People want to know what they will gain by taking action.
Most people would react to your message the same way you would if you had received it.

7. Example: Changing Housekeepers’ Hours
Who is the audience?
What is your relationship with the audience?
How will the audience likely react?
What does the audience already know?
What is unique about the audience?

8. The Writing Process Audience Analysis Planning Drafting Revising
Proofreading

9. Identifying Specific Objectives
General-Purpose Statement
Specific Communication Objective
To compliment the employee (after I observed a difficult customer interaction)
To have the employee feel good after the interaction with the customer and to understand that she handled the situation well
To win the business (by sending a proposal to a prospective client)
To have the prospective client call us for an in-person meeting before June 30
To help the customer to her satisfaction
To help the customer embed a form on her website and give her confidence to do this on her own in the future

10. Using a Mind Map to Plan Content
Details
Details
Possible Points
Possible Points
Details
Message Purpose
Details
Possible Points
Possible Points
Details
Details

11. Organizing Your Message
Frequent-Stay Program Message Outline
Introduction: Purpose, main points, and preview
Why should we create a frequent-stay program?
Reward guests for loyalty
Stay competitive
Increase profits
How should we develop the program?
Survey guests by location
Project all costs
Overhead
Awards
Research and development
Start-up
Study competitors’ programs
Hilton
Holiday Inn
Best Western
Hyatt (to be continued)

12. Direct Approach in the Introduction
Can you identify the purpose, main points, and preview?
Thank you for hiring our firm to redesign Bistro Q's menu. This report describes our initial ideas and serves as a starting point for discussion. We're excited about the opportunity to work with you and are confident that together we'll create an attractive, innovative menu that is easy to understand. In this report, you will read the project objectives as we understand them, our straw‐model design, a proposed budget, and next steps. We look forward to your feedback on our proposed approach at our next meeting, on November 1.

13. Direct Approach in the Introduction
Can you identify the purpose, main points, and preview?
Purpose
Thank you for hiring our firm to redesign Bistro Q's menu. This report describes our initial ideas and serves as a starting point for discussion. We're excited about the opportunity to work with you and are confident that together we'll create an attractive, innovative menu that is easy to understand. In this report, you will read the project objectives as we understand them, our straw‐model design, a proposed budget, and next steps. We look forward to your feedback on our proposed approach at our next meeting, on November 1.

14. Direct Approach in the Introduction
Can you identify the purpose, main points, and preview?
Thank you for hiring our firm to redesign Bistro Q's menu. This report describes our initial ideas and serves as a starting point for discussion. We're excited about the opportunity to work with you and are confident that together we'll create an attractive, innovative menu that is easy to understand. In this report, you will read the project objectives as we understand them, our straw‐model design, a proposed budget, and next steps. We look forward to your feedback on our proposed approach at our next meeting, on November 1.
Main Points

15. Direct Approach in the Introduction
Can you identify the purpose, main points, and preview?
Thank you for hiring our firm to redesign Bistro Q's menu. This report describes our initial ideas and serves as a starting point for discussion. We're excited about the opportunity to work with you and are confident that together we'll create an attractive, innovative menu that is easy to understand. In this report, you will read the project objectives as we understand them, our straw‐model design, a proposed budget, and next steps. We look forward to your feedback on our proposed approach at our next meeting, on November 1.
Preview

16. Indirect Approach in the Introduction
Can you identify the purpose, main points, and preview?
Last week, you mentioned that you would like to do something special for our major clients. Based on my discussions with several people over the past six months, I recommend building a community of our key product users. In this proposal, I’ll discuss what other firms are doing and what results they have seen from building client communities. You’ll see the potential benefits of hosting a conference for our top 50 clients: improving the perception of our brand and increasing future sales.

17. Indirect Approach in the Introduction
Can you identify the purpose, main points, and preview?
Purpose
Last week, you mentioned that you would like to do something special for our major clients. Based on my discussions with several people over the past six months, I recommend building a community of our key product users. In this proposal, I’ll discuss what other firms are doing and what results they have seen from building client communities. You’ll see the potential benefits of hosting a conference for our top 50 clients: improving the perception of our brand and increasing future sales.

18. Indirect Approach in the Introduction
Can you identify the purpose, main points, and preview?
Last week, you mentioned that you would like to do something special for our major clients. Based on my discussions with several people over the past six months, I recommend building a community of our key product users. In this proposal, I’ll discuss what other firms are doing and what results they have seen from building client communities. You’ll see the potential benefits of hosting a conference for our top 50 clients: improving the perception of our brand and increasing future sales.
Main Points

19. Indirect Approach in the Introduction
Can you identify the purpose, main points, and preview?
Last week, you mentioned that you would like to do something special for our major clients. Based on my discussions with several people over the past six months, I believe we could build a community of our key product users. In this proposal, I’ll discuss what other firms are doing and what results they have seen from building client communities. I will show the potential benefits of hosting a conference for our top 50 clients: improving the perception of our brand and increasing future sales.
Preview

20. The Writing Process Audience Analysis Planning Drafting Revising
Proofreading

21. Ideas to Stop Procrastinating
Procrastination is just a habit. A week or two before the deadline…
Set small goals for yourself (e.g., write the first paragraph) and then reward yourself.
Pretend your first draft is an essay exam. Set a timer, consult your outline, and write.
You have to give an oral presentation on your subject. You have 10 minutes. Go!

22. Overcoming Writer’s Block
Choose the right environment
Minimize distractions
Schedule a reasonable block of time
State your purpose in writing
Write freely
Think out loud
Avoid perfectionism
Write the easiest parts first

23. Writing Email Messages
Follow company standards for the salutation
Use a descriptive, attention-grabbing subject line
Don’t copy the world
Use BCC sparingly
Keep s short and skimmable
Check your tone
Provide context
Follow company standards for the closing and signature line

24. Sample

25. Companies Send Email about Security Breach
Link to the full story on the blog.
Companies Send about Security Breach
Epsilon, an marketing firm, reported that their contact list was stolen. Epsilon sends s on behalf of several large companies. Companies responded in force, contacting customers to disclose what happened and to allay fears. According to these messages and Epsilon's press release, the impact on consumers is minimal. 
Compare companies’ s.
Click to go to the story on the blog Or, go to the blog and search for “Epsilon.” The s also are under Company Samples for Chapter 8 (also bad-news messages).

26. The Writing Process Audience Analysis Planning Drafting Revising
Proofreading

27. Three Steps to Revising
Correctness
Style
Content
Reread your purpose statement and the entire draft to get an overview of your message.
Read each paragraph again (aloud, if possible) to get a feel for the rhythm and flow of your writing.
Identify problems with grammar, spelling, punctuation, and word usage.

28. The Writing Process Audience Analysis Planning Drafting Revising
Proofreading

29. Look for Hard-to-Spot Errors
Misused words that spellcheckers won’t flag
Repeated or omitted words
Proper names and numbers
Titles and headings

30. Catch More Errors Proofread in print Print on yellow or pink paper
Wait a few hours or overnight
Use a ruler to guide and slow down your eyes
Read backwards, one sentence at a time

31. What Is Wrong with These Sentences?
There to busy with they’re report to be their for the hearing.
I will except your advise, but the affect of doing so may bring alot of change.
Your going to present you’re report first.
Whose going to let us know who’s turn it is to make coffee?
How much farther can we pursue this if its not past on through regular channels?

32. Additional Video Suggestion

33. Funny Commercial: Is the Water Free?
What other homonyms could cause confusion in business writing?
This is a funny video that illustrates the difference between compliment and complement. You’ll find the video on bizcominthenews.com, Videos for Chapter 4, and here: