Writing?

Effective Writing Skills

Writing revels ones ability to think clearly and to use language effectively. Written communication should be simple, concise, brief, accurate, directness of style. One of the best methods to communicate Writing is one of the oldest known forms of communication In todays age of information and technology, writing has become a lost art

Creates a permanent record Allows you to store information for future reference Easily distributed All recipients receive the same information Necessary for legal and binding documentation A career requirement More than a nice thing to have a necessity Your Writing = Your Personality As a professional, it is crucial to write well The ability to write does not require a unique talent or an outstanding mental ability Everyone has the basic skills necessary to write well A basic understanding of writing and a commitment to writing well in all situations is needed as a professional To Inform To Persuade

Why Written Communication?

Purpose of writing

When writer seeks to give information and offer to explain it, the writing is called informative writing. It is also called expository writing because it expounds or expresses ideas and facts. Note: 1. It presents information not an opinion. 2. Its purpose to inform (educate) and not persuade.

WRITING TO INFORM

Persuasive writing aims at convincing the reader about a matter, which is debatable. It expresses opinion rather than facts. It is also called argumentative writing. Note: Persuasive writing is found in opinion essays, editorial, letters of editors, religious books, reviews etc.

WRITING OT PERSUADE

QUESTIONS A WRITER ASKS why to write? where to write? for whom to write? when to write? what to write? How do What is How do How do

Clarity in Writing / Guidelines for Effective Writing

Questions a writer asks

I begin? my purpose? I make my point clear? I create a logical flow?

How How How How

do I say what I mean? do I avoid grammatical errors? can I make my message brief? can I create a visual effect?

Short and simple words should be used Should be appropriate (according to the subject) Should be factual and trustworthy Should be practical Sentence should carry a thought and correlate with one another in a logical sequence (consistency).

Clarity In Writing / Guidelines For Effective Writing

Avoid unnecessary words and sentences Avoid enthusiastic language Keep the paragraph small. Each paragraph should concentrate on a particular thought.

Clarity In Writing / Guidelines For Effective Writing

The Writing Process

Planning Writing Quality Control

A writer has to follow the principle of unity that binds words into sentences, sentences into units or paragraph and paragraph into essay (the full composition)

The Writing Process

Planning
Keep objectives in mind and research the topic

Think about the audience Determining the content of the message Gathering and collecting information Outlining helps organize thoughts

Writing
Follow your outline, use your handbook Inspiration is acceptable but must be carefully reviewed Use the interview approach to supplement the outline (who, what, where, when, how)

Quality Control
Reread your work Formatting Be critical of your own work

Considerations while writing

Who? What? When? Why? Where? How?

ACCURACY BREVITY CLARITY

Principle of effective writing

Facts, figure and words Language Technical accuracy of language: A message should be communicated correctly in terms of grammar, punctuation and spelling. Note: unnecessary shift in tense should not be used.

ACCURACY

Brief & concise Brevity consists in saying only what needs to be said and leaving out unnecessary words and details. Note: Brief does not mean saying less than what the occasion demand. Brevity is not achieved on the cost of clarity and not be gained by sacrificing proper English. Ex: I need a card that is stylish I need a stylish card.

BREVITY

In terms of facts, figure, grammar, words, punctuation, language etc. You-Attitude: In all writing, the author has a point of view. The you-attitude refers to the readers point of view. In good business writing especially letters, the author writes from the readers point of view. He views things as reader would do. All business letters and memos should be written in the natural language. (everyday speaking language) Always use active voice.

CLARITY

Good Writing

Completeness: all information needed is provided Correctness: relevant and precise information Credibility: support your argument

Clarity: should not be vague, confusing, ambiguous Conciseness: to the point Consideration: anticipate the readers reaction Vitality: use the active voice rather than the passive voice

Conclusions

Utilize full potential of written communication What you write will ultimately define you as a professional to your colleagues and superiors Match the appropriate communication method Eliminating excessive or unnecessary communication Mastering these skills will improve your ability and enhance your career