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The Writing processGood Writing SkillsBusinesses spend up to one billion dollars a year due to problems caused by poor writing. Since individuals both inside and outside your company can see your written work, the ability to write a clear contract , memo, report , or letter can greatly affect your productivity and the organizations profitability.(Pitfalls to Avoid)There are several common pitfalls you should avoid when writing. First, you should avoid large or uncommon words that draw the readers attention away from the documents information. You should never use sexist or derogatory language that will offend the reader.It is important avoid ambiguous expressions that do not convey messages effectively and negative expressions that deter readers from accepting your ideas. Avoiding redundant language will make your message clearer.You should never use jargon that can make readers feel you are tying to “talk over their head” or use clichs that may seem unprofessional. Vague details and contradicting statements that cause confusing messages should also be avoided.(Communicate in Writing)Communicating through writing is helpful when providing information to several individuals. Writing is also beneficial when you have a large amount of information that is more easily communicated through a document. In addition, it is an effective means of communication when the information you are sharing is difficult to understand, since it enables the reader to review the information as needed.(Communicate in Person)However, when information is personal or may elicit an emotional response, you should avoid sending a written message. You should communicate this type of information face-to-face, since feedback from the recipient can be immediately addressed.(Guidelines for Writing Effectively)When you are writing, there are a number of guidelines you need to keep in mind. First, you must be specific and use direct language to avoid potential misunderstanding.You also need to remain focused. Concentrating on one point at a time allows you to give only the information the reader needs.You should also relate obscure ideas to known facts. Relating unfamiliar ideas to known facts helps the reader understand your message.You need to emphasize your main points. Use words, style, and format to focus the reader on your main points throughout the message.You also need to give yourself plenty of time to fully develop the ideas in your message.Step 1 Planning You DocumentThe writing process enables you to construct a well-defined idea and focus on a specific audience. It also allows you to write a rough draft and then further refine your work. However, the greatest advantage of the writing process is that it enables you to write any type of document clearly and professionally.(Steps in Writing Process)The four steps in the writing process are planning to write, organizing your thoughts, writing your first draft, and editing your document. By following these four steps, you can be sure that the document you create is well written and conveys professionalism.The first step of the writing process is planning what you will communicate. Planning your messages enables you to outline exactly what you need to write. It also allows you to reduce the risk of sending out unnecessary information.(Guidelines for Planning)You need to do three things in order to plan your message properly. Determine your purpose, analyze the reader, and choose a style.Having a clear purpose helps you identify what information you want the reader to learn form your message. When developing the purpose of a message, consider its contents, organization, style, tone, and format.To develop a clear purpose, determine what the reader already knows about the subject. The purpose of your message should cover only new or additional information.(Purpose needs to be)In order for a document to have a legitimate purpose, it must be worthwhile, delivered at the correct time, and relevant to your organization.The purpose must be worthwhile as readers quickly disregard any information that is not important. It is also important to make sure you deliver a message when the reader is able to view and understand the information with an open mind. The purpose of a document should help your organization advance toward its goals or mission in some manner.Knowing who your readers are, what their attitudes are, and what information they need enables you to write your message to their level of understanding. Analyzing the readers also allows you to address any skepticism, reluctance to change, or other concerns they may have about the information.(When analyzing your reader, you need to estimate)To properly analyze your reader, you should estimate the number of people that will read the information, the anticipated reaction of the readers to the information, the readers level of understanding of the information, and how the information will be used.You should always provide readers with information that is important to them. When writing to a large group of individuals, you should focus on a common interest. Finding a common ground on which to approach a subject enables you to avoid alienating any of your readers.By anticipating your readers probable reaction, you can address any doubts, fears, or uncertainties they may feel about your purpose. In addition, it increases the chance of their accepting your message.Determining the readers knowledge of the subject informs you of how much and wht types of information to include in the message.Readers will want to know why and how the information is valuable to them. If you do not state how the readers can use the information, they may disregard your message.Your writing style is considered effective if it is appropriate to your purpose and audience. However, over the last several years, business writing has become less rigid and more informal in nature. In todays business world, all document are written using either a formal or an informal style.A formal style is appropriate for documents addressed to larger audiences, most long reports, or official documents. When using a formal style, you should refrain from using first person pronouns, such as “I” and “you”. By avoiding contractions, such as “dont” and “its”, you can maintain a sense of formality. Formal documents also avoid using colloquialisms and slang words.An informal style is typically used in documents such as memos, letter reports, or brief e-mail messages addressed to a single individual or small groups of individuals. This style is dependent on the tone you want to present and the nature of the information. However, you should only use an informal style with individuals you know personally.Step2 Organizing Your IdeasThe second step of the writing process is to organize your thoughts. Properly organizing your thoughts before writing allows you to communicate the information in a systematic and logical format that will help the reader understand your message.Organizing your thoughts before writing allows you to satisfy the readers informational, motivational, and practical needs regarding the information. When you organize information in a document effectively, your message is easier to understand.(Benefits of Organizing Your Thoughts)Logically organizing your thoughts before writing provides three other benefits. Your main points are emphasized and properly supported with evidence, you can identify any areas where you lack information, and you can save the reader time when information is presented in a clear and easy-to-follow format.Using a standard outline form is the most effective method of organizing your thoughts. Once you have determined the information you need to include in your document, indicate your main points with Roman numerals.After you determine your main points, organize the sub-points with capital letters under each main point. Indicate supporting material with Arabic numbers directly under the sub-points.(Organizing Your Thoughts)To organize your thoughts in a clear and logical manner, you need to state the main topic, explain how you will present the information, and include all your evidence.Immediately identifying your intentions keeps the reader focused on the main points of the document.Briefly explaining at the outset how your message is presented helps the reader follow your train of thought through the document. Listing the items you need to discuss in a systematic, logical, and sequential manner allows the reader to identify the reason for your message easily.Include any evidence that supports your ideas to help the reader understand the reasons for your message.Step 3 Effective First DraftsThe third step in the writing process is to write your first draft. In this step, you should begin to refine your thoughts so they correspond with the overall purpose of the document.(A first draft should)A first draft should be written quickly and without much concern for grammatical errors. Concentrate mainly on getting all of your ideas down, since you can revise the document later. You may want to write the less complex or detailed information first, and then later focus on the more difficult concepts in the document.You should not fell constrained by your outline. If you decide it can be improved, do not hesitate to add, delete, or rearrange the information. However, you should always keep your main purpose in mind when writing to avoid including irrelevant information.(Guidelines for writing an Effective First Draft)Along with presenting the main points and supporting evidence in your first draft, you need to establish your credibility. Detail why you are able to write about the subject to establish your credibility and to boost the readers confidence in your message .You also need to be sensitive. A reader who receives an insensitive message will overlook the information it contains and instead focus on how it made him or here feel. Being insensitive to your reader will defeat the purpose of the message, so always avoid comments that could be interpreted as rude or undermining.You need to emphasize your main points. Stating your main points at the beginning of your document grabs the readers attention and reinforces the purpose of your message.Project the right image. You need to be aware of how the reader will interpret your message whether you are writing to an employee, supervisor, or someone outside your organization. Project a good image by writing messages that are professional and accurate.Step 4 Effective EditingThe fourth and final step in the writing process is to edit your document. Editing enables you to make sure your message does not have grammatical or spelling errors. It also allows you to make sure your document is presented in a logical, easy-to-read format.While editing your document, you should make sure it contains only relevant information. If possible, set aside the first draft for a couple of days so you can return to it later and edit it with a fresh point of view.(Step to Edit a Document)To edit a document properly, you should follow four steps. These involve checking the content and organization, readability, format, and mechanics.To check the content and organization of your document, make sure you have presented all the relevant information in a logical manner. You should also check to see if you have provided enough supporting information for each idea.Check the documents readability by making sure it uses direct and concise statements. You should also look for factual errors and confusing statements. By checking for these mistakes, you can make sure that the reader easily understands your message.Always make sure you consistently place margins at the top, bottom, and sides of your document to give it a neat appearance. If you use page numbers, be sure to locate them consistently on every page of your document. In addition, headings will help emphasize different segments of your document and the overall flow of information.Indenting lists in your document will help them stand out to the reader, and using boldface type is an effective way to add extra emphasis to headings. Allow for generous spacing throughout your document, and keep your sentences and paragraphs short so the information in your document is presented in manageable sizes.Grammar, spelling, punctuation, and typographical errors damage your professionalism and credibility. Therefore, it is very important to double-check your document for these errors.However, do not depend completely on a word processors spelling and grammar check functions, since they may overlook several errors that only can find.Ideally, you should edit your document at least three times. It is also a good idea to have an impartial person read the document before it is distributed. Other individuals are often able to catch mistakes that you overlooked due to your familiarity with the document.Improving Your writingChoosing the Right WordsChoosing the right words allows you to deliver a clear and concise message. Using the correct wording in a document allows the reader to interpret your message successfully, while minimizing miscommunication.(Types of Words)The words you use should depend on the type of document you are writing. The types of words you can use in every document you write are concrete words, familiar words, and concise words.Concrete words have specific meanings and are less likely to be misinterpreted. Familiar words are common to you and the reader. Concise words have few syllables and are easy to read.The type of words you should always avoid using when writing include gender-specific words, racial words, age-specific words, and disability-specific words.When possible, you should avoid any word that specifies gender. In addition, you should refer to women as “Ms.” or by their title unless they ask to be addressed differently.Racial words refer to any stereotype of a race or ethnic group. Unless an individuals race or ethnicity is important to your message, leave out any reference to it.Age-specific words refer to an individuals age or to a stereotype associated with a specific age group. You should only refer to an individuals age when it is relevant to your message.Whenever possible, avoid referring to an individuals disabilities. However, if you must mention individuals with physical or mental handicaps, refer to them as “disabled”.Sentence types (Types of Sentences)The three types of sentences you can use when writing a document are simple, compound, and complex sentences.Simple sentences have a single subject and a single verb. In the example, “Mr. Roberts moved last year”, the single subject is “Mr. Roberts” and “moved” is the verb.Compound sentences have two or more independent, but related, clauses of equal importance that are linked together with “and”, “but”, or “or”. The following is an example of a compound sentence: “I would have gone shopping, but I crashed my car”.Complex sentences have one independent clause and one or more dependent clauses related to it, separated by a comma. The following sentence is an example of complex sentence in with the dependent clause is before the comma and the independent clause follows it: “Even though the plan had flaws, everyone accepted it”.Effective Sentences (Guidelines for Writing Effective Sentences)The guidelines for writing effective sentences include being concise, avoiding unnecessary words, using the active voice, and eliminating run-on sentences.Regardless of the type of document you are writing, you should always keep your sentences concise. Most sentences should have no more than 20 words to avoid confusing the reader. However, you may occasionally need to group several ideas together. In these situations, it is acceptable to exceed 20 words.Avoid unnecessary or repetitious words to prevent redundancy in your sentences. Some commonly overused words include “to”, “that”, “who”, “which”, and “the”.Try to use active voice instead of passive voice. Passive sentences are typically longer and more difficult to read than active sentences. Active sentences tend to make stronger statements and are more to the point. However, you may use passive sentences to soften bad news, since they seem less accusing to the reader.Break up run-on sentences into two or more sentences. Run-on sentences typically contain too many ideas and will often confuse the reader. Many compound sentences are run-on sentences and need to be separated into individual statements.Effective Paragraphs(Components of a Good Paragraph)Paragraphs can vary in length and form depending on the amount of information covered in them. However, every good paragraph has three components that clarify information for the reader. The three components are topic sentences, supporting sentences, and transitional words.Topic sentences are located at the beginning of the paragraph. They state what you are going to cover and indicate how you will discuss the subject of the paragraph.Supporting sentence expand on and explain the topic sentences. They provide specific details that clarify the information contained in the paragraph. Well-formed paragraphs should have enough information to clarify the topic sentence and make it interesting.Transitional words make the information in paragraphs coherent. Placing transitional words inside paragraphs connects one thought to another to help the reader understand your train of thought. Some transitional words include “and”, “but”, “or”, “however”, “in addition”, and “therefore”.(Guidelines for Creating Effective Paragraphs)To create an effective paragraph, you must concentrate on one idea, keep paragraphs short, and vary the length and structure.Concent