The following is two articles written to help people develop an efficient writing system. It was developed as part of an overall course that ITS Tutorial School runs on improving business writing skills. To read more articles by ITS’s staff or to review our services and charges please visit one of the following links to our website.
Many writing projects take longer than they should simply because the writer hasn’t thought about ways to do them more efficiently. Because writing is a creative process, it cannot be fully systematized. You cannot expect to turn out one memo after another with the same speed, precision and degree of excellence. But by systematizing the writing process as much as possible, you may be able to produce routine correspondence in a predictable amount of time-an important consideration in most business situations.
Writing systems vary from writer to writer. Even the same writer may vary the system used according ‘to his or her expertise on a subject, the kind of writing being done, its importance, or its reader. If you have a system that works for you, think of ways you can further streamline it. If you do not have a system, try using the one that follows. Going through these steps may help I you be a more efficient writer:
- Worrying and procrastinating
- Deciding what to say
- Organizing
- Writing the draft
- Getting distance from the draft
- Revising the draft
Worrying and procrastinating may come quite naturally to you. Do not scold yourself for delaying a project at its outset, though, because you need some time to warm up to the topic, some time to let your mind wander, some time to let your ideas incubate. Many of your best ideas may, in fact, occur to you at odd moments during the day or night. Like many other writers, you may excel at this phase of the process but lack momentum to proceed to the next phases. Try setting a strict time limit for this step. Then mentally let go of the project. Allow your subconscious to take over-but only for the specified period of time.
Deciding what to say will be easier if you first put down all your ideas about a topic without evaluating or censoring them. Then select those ideas that are essential to your message and to your reader. Do not hesitate to throwaway marginal ideas, for selectivity is important to good writing. If you have trouble coming up with enough ideas, or the right ones, you might need to do further reading. Sometimes talking to someone who is knowledgeable about the topic can help stimulate your thinking.
Organizing requires that you experiment with various approaches until you find one that does justice to the content, is easy to follow, and will keep your readers interested. Be careful that you do not simply replicate in the document the thought process you used in developing your ideas. You may, for example, have generated conclusions and recommendations only at the end of a complex reasoning process. Withholding these key ideas until the end of your document, however, might not serve the readers’ interest. They might well want to know the results of your thinking immediately.
Writing the draft should be a quick, continuous process. Try to complete the draft in one sitting. Expect it to be rough. Many writers tend to overwork their writing at this stage. As a result, they get stuck or discouraged and toss the draft aside. If you find yourself getting bogged down, push on. Coming back to an imperfect draft is far better than coming back to an incomplete one.
Getting distance from the draft will allow you to see your work more objectively. Horace, the early Roman poet, is said to have suggested that no document be published for eight years after being written. This cooling-off period would allow the author to decide if a piece of writing were still worth publishing. Although Horace’s timetable is poorly adapted to today’s fast-paced world, his basic point is sound. If you can get away from your draft for eight days, eight hours, or even eight minutes , when you come back to it, you will readily notice ideas that should be added, omitted or clarified.
Revising the draft may take as much as half your total writing time. In this phase , you’ll test the ideas and structure of the document, rearrange sentences within paragraphs, rewrite awkward passages, choose words for precision and proper tone, and check the grammar, .spelling and punctuation. This polishing stage will ensure that your writing is as professional as you are. This system works for many writers, but you need not follow it slavishly. For example, you may be drafting a letter and choose to revise a poorly phrased sentence immediately, or you may be ‘ revising the draft and only then realize that you have omitted important facts. Every creative process requires flexibility. Do not let good ideas get away from you. Clear writing demands clear thinking, which is itself a time consuming process. You’ll be more efficient once you have found a system that works for you. You’ll fall into the rhythm of work, and your mood and the product will benefit.
Writing For A Diverse Audience
The following are some simple methods that can be used when writing business reports for a diverse audience. ITS runs a range of corporate support and business English courses to help executives improve both there written and oral communication skills. Please visit our website to learn more or read more articles bt ITS staff.
Analysing the needs of your reader is a primary step in planning an effective piece of writing. When you write to multiple readers who have a similar knowledge of and interest in the subject, you can write to one representative person in the audience. But when the intended readers have different needs, interests or roles, your job is not so simple. How can you effectively reach a diverse audience?
Begin by identifying the primary readers and the secondary readers. Primary readers are those who have the greatest ‘need to know’. They are the ones who will generally have to act, or reach some decision, after reading your report; thus, they are the ones you should cater to. Secondary readers are those who, while interested, do not need the same level of detail. They are generally reading to become informed, not to act. Resist the urge to cater to the secondary audience, even if they are of higher rank.
The following devices will help both sets of readers:
Covering memos
Write different covering memos to each audience. Primary readers will need little information in this memo, though you can use it to point them to sections of special interest to them. Secondary readers will appreciate all the guidance you can give them. Provide them with additional background or with supplementary information. Steer them towards sections of particular interest and away from sections that are too detailed or technical. Make them feel comfortable with the subject. If necessary, use this memo to deal with politically sensitive matters as well.
Summaries
Start with a summary of the whole report. If the report is long, also include internal summaries, either at the beginning or at the end of each section, so that both sets of readers will stay on track. Even if you must lapse into technical language elsewhere, keep the language in these summaries easy to understand. Secondary readers may
Headings
Since not everybody will want to read everything, use lots of headings and subheadings. These will enable readers to find relevant information and skip over irrelevant information.
Marginal notations
Unless a document is highly formal, individualise it by adding comments directed at particular individuals in the margins. Use coloured ink, Post-it notes, stars, or other symbols that will help readers.
Appendices
If you are including information of interest only to specialists, put it at the end of the report. The general reader will appreciate not having to wade through it, and the specialist will appreciate having it all together in one place.
Finally, realise that sometimes in trying to please everyone with one report, you may please no one. If the needs of the audiences are so diverse that even the preceding suggestions will not help, write separate reports.
I hope the above have been helpful in guiding you to improve your business writing skills.
