Five Simplest Steps to Improve Your Writing

1) Identify and focus on your purpose before you begin drafting.

         a) What action do you want your document to cause?

b) How will you know that it has created the desired affect?

2) Brainstorm and organize before drafting:

                a) Use handwritten lists to jot down the main points you'll need to cover

                b) Turn those lists into simple outlines on your computer.

3) Revise multiple hard-copy drafts (granted few people do this, but if the document is really important, I recommend it).

        a) Print out your document

                i) Read it out loud to yourself.
                ii) Pretend your are a teacher; have a pen in your hand and write all over it.  Make it bleed!

b) Enter your changes on the computer and repeat the process at least once more.

4) Seek peer review IF the document:

        a) Is worth a lot in terms of money, time or image

        b) Reflects others in your organization

        c) You are emotional about the topic.

Get help and be open to criticism.

5) Edit.  Even if you are a decent editor, find out who in your organization is good at editing and ask them to edit important documents with you.

a) Ask them what favor you can do for them in return, and be willing to do it. Editing takes time; time is money.

b) Give them enough time; don’t expect them to read it “right now” or even today.