|
|
|
5 Ideas for Writing Effective Sales Letters
Sales letters, sent via e-mail or snail mail, are an effective and inexpensive way to get your message out. Even if your letter goes out to thousands of people, it can give the feel of a personal communication IF you write it in a direct and...
Good Writing
Good writing is like sex. Two people are involved the writer and the reader. Bad sex usually satisfies only one person, most preferably, the writer the person who leads. Good sex not only satisfies both people, it pleasures them. So, like...
Six Whys of Writing
You pick a pen, grab a piece of paper and scribble
or, nowadays, turn on your PC, go to MSWord, exhaust your fingers on the keyboard
and you're done
instant article! That easy, and you're an instant celebrity. It has been made clear that everybody...
SOME HELPFUL HINTS IN WRITING ARTICLES FOR THE WEB - TWENTY FIVE TIPS
Writing articles can provide you with enormous amount of exposure on the Web. You are branding yourself on a shoestring budget - it hasn't cost you a cent, but a little time and effort Writing a free content article is simple and follows a...
WRITING YOUR WRITING JOB DESCRIPTION
Have you ever heard about the "motivational" concept of writing your own obituary? The idea is, you write what you would like your obit to say, by summarizing all those accomplishments that you most want to achieve during the course of your...
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
"Business Writing Checklist"
You're ready to do it. You've accepted an assignment from your
boss, agreed to put together a sales presentation, or were asked
to write a report about last week's meeting results. Where do
you begin? Before you venture off into the land of writing for
your job, be prepared with the items on this checklist.
1. Adjust your attitude. Writing doesn't have to be like drawing
blood. In fact, many times in business writing, much of the work
is already done for you. Your job may be as simple as rewording
or organizing information that you already have.
2. Quiet. No matter how much you like your music or AM radio
talk show it is best to work in a quiet spot. Even if you work
in a noisy place like a newsroom or a cube farm, reduce the
amount of noise around you so you can concentrate better. Wear
earplugs if it helps you!
3. Your thinking cap! Colored markers, pencils, or a large easel
pad may help you with brainstorming. Or, you may find it easier
to work with a team first to generate ideas and then have one
person write the first draft. Whatever works for you, make sure
your brain is in creative mode, not editing/criticism mode.
Creativity comes first; editing and refining later.
4. Eliminate distractions.
Turn off the phone, close your office door, and don't check your
email every 10 seconds. Have your assistant tell everyone you're
in a meeting and you can't see him or her unless they're dying.
For at least 1 hour, work with no interruptions.
5. Computer, pen, scratchpad, or other tools you like.
You may prefer writing longhand; it can help you connect with
your thoughts and emotions. Or, you may be quicker at typing
directly on the computer. Either way, don't expect a perfect
draft the first time. You will be scribbling a lot (or cutting
and pasting) at first.
6. Contact names and phone numbers, etc.
Be sure you have handy a list of people you might need to talk
with to verify information. For example, if you are writing an
article for your company newsletter, you may need quotes from
the CEO.
7.
Dictionary and Thesaurus. The ones that come with the word
processor are not sufficient. Get yourself some good old
fashioned books, or a dictionary hesaurus on CD.
8. Company style guide. Some companies are very strict about
their internal or external communications. They may have rules
about style (different accepted spellings, for example) so that
everybody who reads your company's literature or correspondence
receives a consistent message about your company. You may lose
credibility with your readers if everything sounds like it came
from XYZ Corporation, except the letter you are writing.
9. The right atmosphere. If your office doesn't cut it, find a
better place. The library may work. A conference room might
provide more space for you to pace as you're dictating your
masterpiece. If you're writing about your company's
manufacturing plant, it might help you to actually be there
while you're writing.
10. Writing is rewriting. Remember that nobody, even
Shakespeare, gets it on the first try. Your first draft is
exactly that - a rough copy, a sketch. Think of it as the
equivalent of a doodle when artists paint. They don't start with
the canvas - and neither should you. Unlike many other jobs, in
writing, it's okay to make mistakes as you go along. Your final
draft will be vastly different from the few sentence fragments
you begin with.
Using the checklist items will set you up for a successful
writing session. Have on hand as many of these items as you can
each and every time you sit down to write something -- whether
it's a letter to your customers or an annual report. By keeping
all the tools you need in one place, your writing session will
go smoother and will be easier on your stress level than without
them.
About the Author
Linda Elizabeth Alexander is a business writer and marketing
consultant based in Longmont, Colorado, USA. Improve your
writing skills at work! Subscribe to her FREE ezine. Write to
the Point at lalexander@write2thepointcom.com or visit
http://www.write2thepointcom.com/articles.html.
|
|
|
|
|
| Writing.Com: Writers, Writing, Poetry, Creative Writing, Fiction ... |
| An online community dedicated to fostering writing skills. With a free membership anyone may read, write, rate, and review works. |
| www.writing.com |
|
| Welcome to Writing-World.com! |
| Writing articles and resources. Tips about how to become a better writer, get published and find writing markets. From Moira Allen. |
| www.writing-world.com |
|
| Guide to Grammar and Writing |
| The Guide to Grammar and Writing contains scores of digital handouts on grammar and English usage, over 170 computer-graded quizzes, recommendations on ... |
| grammar.ccc.commnet.edu |
|
| Purdue University's Online Writing Lab - The OWL Family of Sites |
| Writing lab and resources. Email newsletter available. |
| owl.english.purdue.edu |
|
| OWL at Purdue University: General Writing Concerns Handouts |
| This page contains important links to the writing: planning/writing/revising aspects of the OWL website. |
| owl.english.purdue.edu |
|
| Writing - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
| The original Mesopotamian writing system was initially derived from a system of ... If it is deemed to be a written language, writing in China will predate ... |
| en.wikipedia.org |
|
| Writing.org - Advice for Freelance Writers |
| Articles to help you launch a freelance writing career, from a former literary agent and PLAYBOY editor. |
| www.writing.org |
|
| Writing HTML |
| More than just an HTML reference, this is a structured approach for learning how to create web pages, designed by specialists in learning at the Maricopa ... |
| www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu |
|
| National Novel Writing Month - National Novel Writing Month |
| NaNoWriMo is an annual (November) novel writing project that brings together professional and amateur writers from all over the world. |
| www.nanowrimo.org |
|
| Poynter Online |
| Apply by Dec. 11 Reporting and Writing the Untold Stories Apply by Dec. 11 ... Reporting & Writing for Multi-Platform Newsrooms. Apply by Jan. 10 ... |
| www.poynter.org |
|
| Pages tagged with "writing" on del.icio.us |
| This short online course provides a practical introduction to writing fiction. During the course you will be expected to write two short pieces for ... |
| del.icio.us |
|
| BBC Get Writing |
| The BBC's online resource for writing drama and comedy for television, radio and film. |
| www.bbc.co.uk |
|
| TOC About Writing |
| Menu of articles on writing written by professional SF/F writers. |
| www.sfwa.org |
|
| 11 Rules of Writing -- a concise guide to important grammar ... |
| A concise guide to some of the most frequently violated rules of writing, punctuation, and grammar. |
| www.junketstudies.com |
|
| NAEP Writing Subject Area |
| NAEP assesses student performance in writing periodically in grades 4, 8, and 12 for the nation, and in grades 4 and 8 for the states. |
| nces.ed.gov |
|
| Writing: See what people are saying right now on Technorati |
| See all blog posts tagged with writing on Technorati. |
| www.technorati.com |
|
| IPL Teenspace: A+ Research & Writing |
| Includes step-by-step instructions on researching and writing, how to find information online and offline, as well as links to useful resources. |
| www.ipl.org |
|
| Dictionary.com: Writing Resources |
| Free online English dictionary and reference guide. List of sites writers can use. |
| dictionary.reference.com |
|
| WritingFix: Home of Interactive Writing Prompts and 6 Trait ... |
| Daily and interactive writing prompts. |
| www.writingfix.com |
|
| Advice on Academic Writing |
| Includes articles on critical reading, planning, researching, style and editing, grammar and punctuation. |
| www.utoronto.ca |
|
|