Learn more about writing with this collection
How to write clearly and concisely
How to use proper grammar and punctuation
How to structure a business document
The first draft
The first words you write are the first draft. Writing is thinking. You'll rarely know what exactly you want to say when you start writing.
The time you put into editing, reworking and refining turns your first draft into a second draft, and then into a third. If you keep refining it over days or weeks or even years, it eventually becomes something great.
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Spend the most time on the beginning
The beginning of anything you write is the most important part. If you don't catch someone's attention at the start, you won't hold it later.
You should spend a disproportionate amount of time working on the first few sentences, paragraphs, or pages.
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Keep the structure in mind
The structure is what your writing hangs on.
- A topic sentence that is followed by supporting paragraphs and a conclusion work best.
- Break up a series of paragraphs into concise points and, where necessary, insert subheads.
- For longer pieces, the s...
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Common errors
Most writing mistakes are widespread, but good writers just get better at spotting them. Some things you'll learn to watch for are:
- Overuse of jargon and business-speak, like "utilize" or "endeavor" instead of "use" or "try."
- Clichés are stale phrase...
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Use all the resources you can
A recommended how-to guide on writing good, clear English is “The Elements of Style” by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White.
- “Politics and the English Language” by George Orwell is also worth studying to avoid “ugly and inaccurate” writing.
- A writing ass...
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If in doubt, cut it
It is more likely you've written too much than too little.
The rule for most writers is, "If in doubt, cut it." If a word, sentence, or paragraph isn't necessary, delete it. It will clarify what you're trying to say.
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Give it some space
When you write something, you get very close to it. It is nearly impossible to distance yourself from it straight away to edit properly.
The longer you can leave a draft before editing, the better. Half an hour to two days is enough of a break to edit well. When you do edit, read your ...
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Write in the first person
- Writers at their most natural when they write in the first person.
- Better to have an opinion and say 'I', 'we', 'us', 'me' than to take everything into a passive voice.
- If you aren’t allowed to use “I,” at least think “I” while you write, or write the first draft in the fi...
The importance of marking a book
Why is marking a book indispensable to reading it?
First, it keeps you awake, not merely conscious, but wide awake.
Second, reading, if it is active, is thinking, and thinking tends to express itself in words, spoken or written. The person who says he knows what he thinks bu...
The problems of First Speaker Syndrome
→ People respond instead of think.
When someone shares their first thoughts, we frame what we say next based on a response to that.
→ We run with tangents.
One person’s opinion can easily send us off into a tangent or in a cer...
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