writing
Tips for Writing a First (or Second or Third) Draft Whether you’re writing for personal or professional purposes, a one-pager or an entire book, it's important to write several drafts. The initial draft doesn't have to be brilliant. It's simply raw data, and you’ll progress faster if you write it quickly so that you get out your ideas. Read on for more tips. |
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To Use or Not to Use? Debating Clichés in Your Writing It's hard not to speak in clichés at work; they're so ingrained in how we communicate, they just come out. But what about in your writing? Yes, clichés are overused, but there's a reason: Everyone knows what they mean. Should you use these perhaps worn-out phrases when you write, or is there a better way? |
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Avoid Embarrassing Glitches: Proofread Your Documents To avoid embarrassing errors in your emails, documents, and proposals, it's a good idea to proofread. But simply glancing over what you wrote isn't enough. Naomi Karten gives some tips for thorough proofreading, such as coming back to your document later, printing it out, and reading it out loud. |
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Overcoming Writer’s Block Those who claim that writer's block is a myth maintain that feeling stumped in writing usually has a simple cause. That’s no doubt true, but it’s irrelevant if you don’t know the cause. Naomi Karten has experienced writer's block, and if you have, too, she provides a number of ideas to help get you unstuck. |
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On Becoming a Better Writer Writing can be a powerful credential for advancement. Composing proposals, recommendations, and reports gives you visibility and highlights your knowledge. Of course, you have to be able to communicate that knowledge effectively. If you want to improve your writing, make a commitment to enjoy it. |
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Making Writing a Joy Many people tend to be scared of writing, and that's a shame, because these people are full of ideas and experiences worth writing about. If you want to get past a fear of writing, start with something smaller: a short story, a two-page essay, or a one-page article. Getting started is the hard part. |
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Working on Writing Better Technical professionals write code, test plans, requirements documents, and documentation. They write blogs. They write countless email messages. They certainly tweet a lot. But quantity doesn’t equate to quality. |