Of all the tools and techniques for writers that I have written or spoken about, the outline gets the most resistance. Students, bloggers, aspiring writers and tweetmates argue “I like to write by the seat of my pants” or “I can’t use an outline.” But I have yet to find a professional writer, one who […]
While this is part 4 of this series of posts, this is the fourth step in pre-writing—the stages you have to follow before you start writing even the first draft of your brilliant document. If you recall, I call the process “getting a GRIP.” G – goal or purpose—what you hope to achieve with your writing […]
What is the one thing you have to say? The third step you have to take before your write anything is to decide on the main idea of your document. No matter how long or short it is, you have to be able to sum up the point in one clear, complete sentence. When U2 […]
What’s the most important part of writing? Right. The reader. Consider the readers’ needs. Write for them. Keep in mind why they should care about what you have to say. What’s in it for them? How can you make their lives or work easier or better? Why should they spend time reading or watching […]
In my last post, I outlined GRIP, which stands for the four steps that every writer should complete before starting to write: – set a Goal – know your Reader – state your main Idea – make a Plan, or an outline. This post focuses on the G: setting a goal. Communication as a tool […]
You can’t persuade an audience with unproven ideas, nor can you fire one up without appealing to their values. Read this opening to a seminar on secure information technology practices and then answer this question: do you care? “Why is security important to us? Because the effectiveness of our programs, activities and services depends on […]
The next few posts on this blog are going to focus on something that I like to tell myself I know something about: how to write. Since audiences seem to like step-by-step guides, I’ll start with the two basic rules of writing. Know what you want to say. Be able to sum up your main […]