Posted in: concise writing

popup-special Does Your Professional Writing Contain the 7 Cs of Effective Communication? Call me biased (after all, I run a writing blog), but I think communication is the best thing we have going for us as a species. Think about it: we couldn't have built the Coliseum or the Pyramids if we hadn't been able to communicate plans to a large number of people. Laws don't work, culture doesn't exist,...
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Popular expectations for “good” writing by scientists tend to be clear-cut and limited to the expository. I learned this the hard way, via my very first research report. My florid analysis returned to me deeply lined in red, topped off with a tart admonition from my mentor against “gilding the lily.” Stick to facts, I learned. Support conclusions with data and weigh the words in your conclusions...
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Writing won't get you far if you don't have readers, and people aren't inclined to read documents that frustrate or confuse them. That's where precise writing for your audience is important. So, conveying your meaning so that it's reader-friendly is just as important as ensuring that your writing is error-free . When writing for audiences with different concerns or fields of expertise, knowing...
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Most people like shortcuts. Shortcuts are useful when texting ("u" versus "you"), driving, cooking, and most other things, as long as the quality isn't affected by the shortcut. So, the next few blogs will give you "shortcuts" you can use when writing for impact; specifically, things that will make your writing more concise. Ready?? 1. Avoid Expletives Typically, we think of expletives...
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If you think that the purpose of professional writing is to useas many words as possible, think again! Rather, the goal is to document information concisely and “use the most effective words.” The article “ Conciseness ,” published by Purdue OWL , outlines many important steps for a writer to take to write clearly. Use specific words Many times writers use a long phrase...
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