Writing Rules
Just when you thought there were no more rules to writing, here comes an entire lesson just on writing rules. Some things may be new, while others have been touched on in previous lessons. Repetition of the rules will help you get used to them. Therefore, some review is helpful and necessary. This lesson looks at some of the most common writing rules that are discussed in the writing world. The more you know about what makes good writing overall, the more you can apply that information to your business writing to create effective and appealing documents. We will start at the beginning of a writing assignment and work our way through to the end.
The Writing Process
Once you receive or find that you need a document written, the first thing you need to do is gather information. In order to create an effective document you will need to know:- Who the audience is that will be reading it;
- What the goal of the correspondence is (e.g., complaint, recommendation, etc.);
- What key factors and points will need to be made;
- Who the recipient is and any other pertinent information.
To get started, the first rule should always be to gather that information. Then you will need to organize it in a logical order, preferably creating an outline to follow, so that everything is covered in the document in a manner that makes sense and is effective. After writing your letter, you will follow through with the editing and proofreading process you learned in the previous lesson. Although the process itself takes longer and this lesson makes it seem quite simplistic, it is the overall order you likely will follow each time you write a document. It is getting the process established first that takes some practice. Making a list of what needs to be done and following it each time you write something is helpful, at least until you become familiar with the process.
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