Steps to Effective Writing

OBJECTIVE

Many competent, articulate business people experience a moment of panic when they are asked to write a report, memo, or letter. Faced with putting their thoughts in writing, they become confused about what to say, how to say it, and how to manage the mechanics of grammar, spelling, and format.

Like any business task, Writing is manageable once you break it down into a series of smaller steps. Good writing is the result of good planning and clear thinking. The steps outlined here will help you identify your purpose in Writing any type of business communication, clarify your thinking about what you want to say, and show you how to go about the actual process of getting your message to the reader.

Here the three basic steps to effective writing will be presented. Once one has a grasp of the principles of good writing, they will be able to use them for any written message, regardless of its length or complexity. The three steps to effective writing are.

Step One: Prewriting - preparation, planning, background research

Step Two: Writing - organizing and outlining material, writing the first draft

Step Three: Revising — reworking and editing the draft, final typing and printing, proofreading.

Step One: Prewriting

Before one begins any project, they must decide what they want to accomplish and how they wish to accomplish it. One begins with a corner, a question, a problem “a new situation. They gather facts to flesh out the concept. What type of problem is it’? ‘What is the question? How much can they learn about the situation’? Finally, you end up with a finished product: a letter, a report, a memo.

In step one, prewriting, you are defining the concept and gathering the facts that will serve as material for step two, writing.

PREPARATION

All your written communications in business should seek to answer these questions:

1. What is the purpose of this message? Why am I writing it?

2. Who is the audience? Whom do I want to influence?

3. What do I...