Excerpt
Writing excellence leads to personal satisfaction and professional success. Many people think writing ability is a gift. While some people take to writing more readily than others, it is actually a developed skill that improves with practice. Some writers accommodate readers with easily read documents. Others write well but neglect crucial polishing steps. Some bright or verbally articulate individuals can find writing a challenge.
Many writings, such as scientific books, journals, and regulations, are viewed with skepticism because of their ponderous language. These documents differ from all others because they must be both factual and easy to read.
This manual presents positive approaches and helpful hints for writers in all fields. It answers questions and offers flexible suggestions. The first nine chapters outline a stepwise pathway to successful writing. They can be read and implemented in order. The three reference chapters (10, 11, and 12) discuss spelling, punctuation, and grammar. You should read their opening pages, but they are mostly for reference.
The Value of Effective Writing Effective writing enhances job satisfaction. It is essential in academic, corporate, and governmental careers and is readily achievable. Professionals must choose between writing excellence and a lifetime of struggle. Avoiding writing is not an option. Publish-or-perish systems banish talented speakers, effective teachers, outstanding clinicians, and superb researchers who succeed at everything but writing.
Writing Challenges People for whom learning comes easily often are not accustomed to the repetition needed to produce excellent manuscripts. Other people—who are used to struggling—may find writing easier. Good speakers can also be challenged by writing. In speaking, statements are emphasized with voice shifts and body language. In writing, emphasis comes from word selection, word placement, and punctuation.
Many excellent thinkers and speakers avoid writing because they doubt their writing ability or hate to write. These aversions can result from self-imposed obstacles like distaste for grammar, belief that there is only one way to write, or unrealistic views of the effort required.
Writing excellence is achieved with clear goals, positive attitudes, and practice with everyday communications. Everyone can become a good writer. Computers help by expediting writing, revision, and editing, and by monitoring and correcting spelling, punctuation, and grammar.
The Road to Writing Excellence The components of writing excellence are brevity, clarity, consistency, precision, accuracy, flow, and style. These ingredients lead to fine documents by blending words into concise sentences and paragraphs. The road to writing excellence improves as personal strategies emerge. Initially the path resembles an obstacle course, but barriers are soon overcome and writing blocks turn into writer’s clout. Writing success is achieved by typing rough drafts, conducting multiple revisions, using layaway periods, editing carefully, and proofreading intensely.
To begin your journey to writing excellence, first assess your understanding of the fundamentals of good writing with the self-administered scorecard in chapter 13. Then become familiar with the components of writing excellence described in chapter 1, and you’ll be on your way.
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