Keys to Writing Effectively

If you are like many people, you will be asking: "How do I know if I am writing effectively? My writing sounds good to me, and my friends all think that it's awesome. How will I know if my teacher thinks it's awesome as well?"

What are some keys to writing effectively?

  1. In order to write effectively, you need to write so that the message is clear and that others can understand what it is that you are trying to communicate. If you have something important to communicate, it is your responsibility to present a clear message.
  2. What is the point? What is it that you are trying to say? In different situations, there are different ways of communicating, but no matter what situation you are in, the communication has to be clear. You should be able to reduce your essay to a sentence (which would happen to be your controlling idea)."I am trying to show that Hamlet really didn't know what to do about the ghost's instructions and used every method he could to avoid doing what he felt society was pressuring him to do: kill Claudius."
  3. Key #1: Put the reader first! Your main aim is to communicate understanding to someone else. Therefore, write to express, not to impress. Use words that are within your understanding and the understanding of the readers, and words that they can picture. Tie into the reader's experience. But, don't be so concerned for the reader that you forget the WIIFM principle: What's in it for me? Why is it important for me to communicate this particular message to you? Yes, it is important for you to do this for a good mark, but if you progress in life and you need to convince a business partner about a particular direction, you need to know what will resonate with your partner. Knowing your audience is critical.
  4. Key #2: Use simple words and sentences. Aim to use the kind of words that don't confuse the message rather than clearly communicate it. Instead of using 20 words, use 10 if the message will be clearer. Also, avoid wordy prepositional phrases that pad the number of words but don't move your argument forward.
  5. Key #3: Use jargon only when absolutely necessary. Jargon is language that is unique to a particular area of study. You may have been in situations where people seem to be speaking a totally different language but it all appears to be English.
  6. Key #4: Write with verbs and nouns so that you use the active voice rather than the passive voice. Using the active voice gives your writing more of a descriptive flair and energy.
  7. Key #5: Format your document to improve readability. Where you can use lists, charts, tables, indents, italics, bolds, headings, and subheadings, do! Don't be afraid to use the 100-word rule. That is, don't make your paragraphs so long that the reader needs a roadmap to get out of the forest of words. Regular paragraphs help to focus the arguments or the points that you are trying to emphasize.

So, to summarize briefly:

Before you begin writing, there are some key questions you have to ask yourself.

  1. Who is the audience? ("My audience is __________.")
  2. Purpose of the message? ("My purpose is _________.")
  3. How will the reader use the information? ("So that the reader will _____________.")

As you begin the writing process, you will assemble all of the useful information. You will need to determine what is important and what can be left out. Choose what you will leave out and then group the information logically.

Hint: Use familiar ideas and circumstances to your audience to explain those ideas and concepts that might be unfamiliar to them. Stories, examples, models, and visuals will get your point across more easily than many long words. Sometimes the context will help determine what format would be more suitable for a specific audience.

Put the conclusion up front: (e.g.) Willy Loman, in Death of a Salesman, made a terrible mistake in thinking that committing suicide would be the greatest benefit to his family.

With that conclusion in mind, we can backtrack and point out the reasons why Willy's suicide was a mistake and can also address what really would have benefited his family.

  • Poor grasp of reality
  • Lack of self-identity
  • Lack of positive family relationships
  • No recognition of what his real skills are
  • Succumb to the pressure from society's perception of the American Dream

Develop a straightforward way to offer good reasons as to how you arrive at your conclusions.

Concluding statements:

  • 90% of effective writing is rewriting and editing
  • Let the document cool: Write the draft and come back to it later
  • Aim to cut the first draft by at least 10%
  • Run a Fog test. For more information on how to complete this in Microsoft Word, check out this website