Quickhit Writing Checklist: The Most Important
Things to Remember
By Aaron Nielsenshultz
Over the weeks, we've been throwing a lot of information at you. Our goal has been to give you things to think about and work on to improve your writing and your relationship with writing. This week, we thought we'd give a short list of the things you can do to streamline your writing. If these brief hits don't ring a bell, check out our past ezines to refresh your memory.
BEFORE YOU BEGIN
List making
Not just for grocery shopping, pre-written lists allow you to fill out your writing schedule weeks and months in advance. Keep a file organized by the things you want to or can write about. For each, allow yourself to brainstorm ideas. That way you're not starting from scratch every time you go to write.
Freewriting
When that blank page looms at you, threatening you with its, er, blankness, fill it in! Make that space work for you by spending a set amount of time putting words on the page. Leave what's directly useful and move the rest to a note document.
Starting
Once you know where you're going, make notes in your draft detailing the points you know you want to make as well as the ideas you think you’d like to cover.
Four Cardinal Questions
They're important enough to capitalize, so they're important enough to rewrite. Ask yourself as you begin: What do I want my audience to know? What does my audience want to know? Where is this information best demonstrated? Why is this important? Want to learn more about the Four Cardinal Questions? Just click here.
AS YOU'RE WRITING
Point sentence
Once you're up and running, keep your point sentence nearby. It's vital to remember what you're writing about!
Word choice
Keep your language simple and precise. Use the dictionary before you go for that thesaurus. Avoid jargon unless you're writing to a tightly focused audience.
Audience
Remember your audience! Keep your comments directed to the same people, and don't switch from a formal tone to a casual one.
Examples
Give examples in appropriate places. Don't use examples till you have to, and when you need them, remember to keep it to the fewest examples you can get away with.
WHEN YOU'VE FINISHED THE FIRST DRAFT
Edit
When that first draft is done, save your document, and take a break. Remind yourself that the real work begins once the words are on the page! Go back to your text and edit for clarity, content, and clean up.
Workshop
Once you're willing to let the text go to other readers, send it to your workshop partners before you send it out for general consumption! The more eyes that see your document before it hits your target audience, the better.
These tips will keep your writing moving forward as you go through various writing stages. Above all, remember that writing is a process before it's a product, and the more you know your own process, the better your final product will be.
© 2006 Red Pepper Writing
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Yara and Aaron Nielsenshultz, the Writing "Peppers" and founders of Red Pepper Writing, teach ambitious Coaches, Consultants, and other Solopreneurs how to use powerful writing to get more clients and make more money. For FREE weekly writing tips, visit http://www.redpepperwriting.com.
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