Four Easy Steps to Better Writing
Writing is not the simple process we might like it to be. Yet every one of us has to do it, whether it’s an email, a business letter, or perhaps the proposal that will win you that great promotion.
So here are four easy steps to polish any piece of writing:
- Read it out loud.
There is no better way to hear the flow of words than to…well, hear it. I know, the boss will think you’ve lost it, right? Whisper, sub-vocalize, but trust me on this one, it really works. This trick will catch repetitive words and typos that your eye went right over. If you do only one thing to improve your writing, this is the one I recommend most.
- Read it backwards.
Our eyes fool us; fool them back. Check the text word by word, but backwards. By reading each individual word out of the order of meaning, your mind cannot put in what it thinks should be there. This process breaks the words out of their meaning, forcing the eye to consider each one.
- Check to see if you’ve said the same thing twice.
We often say what we mean more than once, both in speaking and writing. Watch for consecutive sentences that hold the same meaning and keep the best one. Quite often the second time we put the thought into words we’ve refined what we were trying to say. This is why it’s good to get the flow of thoughts out on the paper, then go back and edit.
- Remove extraneous words/phrases.
Make every word count. This is something writers learn early on. “As a matter of fact” becomes “actually”, “very expensive” often works without the very. It also pays to choose simple straightforward words over longer ones that may confuse the reader or make the document feel ‘wordy’.
There you have it: four simple ways to improve your writing. Remember, every time you send an email, write a letter, or otherwise use the written word, you are displaying your ability to communicate. It pays to look polished.
