december meeting - susan lindsey on business writing
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K E N T U C K Y I A B C
D E C E M B E R 8 , 2 0 1 1
S U S A N E . L I N D S E Y
S A V V Y C O M M U N I C A T I O N L L C
Top Tips for Business Writing
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Strong writing skills:
1. Give you power.
2. Enhance credibility and image.
3. Increase professional opportunities.
Why does good writing matter?
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• Letters
• Presentations
• Memos
• Reports
Common business writing tasks
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• Digital content
• Announcements
• Proposals
• Speeches
• Sales & mktg. materials
1. Do your homework.
2. Write it right.
3. Edit, rewrite, proofread.
Three-step process
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a) Know your audience.
b) Determine objectives.
c) Gather and organize info.
d) Determine key messages, main points.
e) Set aside time to focus.
1. Do your homework.
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“Writing is easy.
All you do is stare at
a blank sheet of paper
until drops of blood
form on your forehead.”
—Gene Fowler
Conquer writer’s block
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a) Have a point
b) Remember the basics
c) Organize content
d) Watch grammar
e) Use active voice, strong verbs, specific nouns
f) Use right words
2. Write it right.
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Evil Twins 8
That or which?
“Old words are best
and old words, when short,
are best of all.”
—Winston Churchill
KISS: keep it short and simple
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a) Let copy “breathe” for a few days
b) Edit from hard copy
c) Read copy aloud
d) Be brave; be brutal
e) Keep objectives in mind
f) Use spelling and grammar tools
g) Clear, concise, complete and correct?
3. Edit, rewrite, proofread.
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“I try to leave out the parts people skip.”
—Elmore Leonard
“The wastebasket is a writer’s best friend.”
—Isaac Singer
Don’t fear rewriting
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a) Take a break between editing and proofreading
b) Proofread from hard copy
c) Focus; read slowly and aloud
d) Check: facts, numbers, grammar, spelling, capitalization, punctuation
e) Proofread headlines, subheads, captions, tables
f) Use style guide
Proofread after editing.
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• Tell someone what you learned today
• Edit and critique the work of others
• Take a writing class, workshop, seminar
• Write a lot
• Read a lot
Final tips to improve writing
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• Atlas, dictionary, thesaurus
• AP Stylebook, Chicago Manual of Style
• Elements of Style, Strunk and White
• A Grammar Book for You and I (oops, Me!), Good
• Lifetime Encyclopedia of Letters, Meyer
• Right, Wrong & Risky, Davidson
On my bookcase
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• Refdesk.com
• Bartleby.com
• Wikipedia.com
• WritersDigest.com
• ChicagoManualofStyle.com
• Grammar.quickanddirtytips.com
• DrGrammar.org
Online
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(502) 632-2241
WWW.SAVVY-COMM.COM
Susan E. Lindsey Savvy Communication LLC
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