Oct 31 2011
On Writing
By David French
As one who communicates primarily through the written word, I’ve made being a better writer a career-long goal. I’ll be the first to confess: it’s a journey and not a destination. There’s still much to learn.
One thing I have learned is that good writers are made, not born. It takes lots of practice, good teachers and probably most important, good editors.
One of my dad’s favorite expressions was “The devil’s in the details.” I learned that little things matter—both in life and in writing—which is probably why I was attracted to the appropriately titled book “Little Things Matter” by Todd Smith, a business consultant.
Todd also writes a blog: LittleThingsMatter.com. One recent post was titled “Improving Your Written Communication Skills.” With a nod to this fellow communicator, here are a few pointers and insights from both of us:
1. Write short sentences as often as you can. Short sentences are easier to read.
2. When the topic allows, write conversationally. Just as if you were talking with another person. Incomplete sentences are not proper English, but that’s how we speak.
3. Write short paragraphs. Short paragraphs, like short sentences, are easier to read. This is especially true if you’re covering a complex subject. The topic is daunting enough without drowning the reader in a sea of black ink.
4. Be clear. Another favorite expression learned at the knee of Ned Dandridge, composition professor extraordinaire: “Eschew obfuscation.” I confess I had to look up those words.
5. Be concise. Congratulations! You are not required to write four-page single-spaced term papers any longer. Try to communicate your message with the fewest number of words.
6. Look for misunderstandings or misinterpretations. Do your words convey exactly what you intend?
7. Edit, edit, edit yourself. Trust me, you probably did not get it exactly right the first time. Don’t fall in love with the first draft.
8. Proof yourself and ask a good writer to proof after you. Here are a few tricks I’ve learned. One: read your writing out loud. First, one word at a time and second, as you normally read. This helps to spot errors in agreement between nouns and verbs, and common misusages like there for their. Two: read backwards. Misspelled words will stand out. Three: never, never trust spell check on your computer.
9. Read. Read a lot. Read a lot of different kinds of writing. You’ll be surprised at what sticks with you and how reading will make you a better writer.
10. Work crossword puzzles. Second-best vocabulary builder, ever. First best: learning a foreign language – particularly a Romance language like French, Spanish or Italian – as the root of many English words are foreign words.
I’m not talking about mastery to the level of a literary lion, but if you achieve that, kudos! I’ll certainly be reading your next bestseller. But I do believe that the ability to write well is the most fundamental skill required of a professional communicator. Serves everyone else well, too.
