Articles By Topic Alphabetical List of Articles		Anyone Can Write -- Just Like Anyone Can Sing By David P. Kowal It's true that anyone can write -- in the same sense that anyone can sing. Writing well, like singing well, takes practice, skill and a discerning ear. Following the rules listed below can help, regardless of whether your writing just needs a tune up or is completely off key. Identify your audience. How you write depends on whom you're writing to. How well educated are your readers? What is their profession? How old are they? Identify your message. To keep your message focused, try writing down three points you'd like to get across to your audience. If you're writing an article, you may want to prepare an outline. Never assume. Unless you're writing about O.J. Simpson, assume your readers know nothing about the subject you're writing about. You may be an expert on the subject, but don't forget that your readers are not. Finesse your lead. You have about three seconds to catch a reader's attention, so get right to the point. Take the "so what" test -- Read your first paragraph back to yourself; if you find yourself saying "so what," so will your readers. Don't write chronologically. Use what journalists call the "inverted pyramid" approach, putting the most important information first. Omit needless words. I've broken my own rule by not making this point sooner. It is the most important rule of writing. Unnecessary words are dead wood. They need to be pruned. Eliminate phrases such as, "I believe," "I think," "as you know," "in the context of," "the fact that," "in order to" and "with respect to." Every word should be put to work. Review what you've written word-by-word and terminate any slackers. Show, don't tell. Writing "Title V is tough on homeowners" is less effective than writing about specific examples of people who were unable to sell their homes because of Title V. Use the active voice. When the subject of the verb is performing an action, the verb is in the active voice. When the subject of the verb is the recipient of the action, the verb is in the passive voice. For example, "The house was sold by the Realtor" is passive. "The Realtor sold the house" is active. Like salt in the diet, the passive voice is sometimes needed, but should be used sparingly. Avoid clichés, jargon and tired language. Clichés are to writing as "Have a nice day" is to the spoken word. Don't use long words when short words will do. Which is clearer: "Don't use long words" or "Attenuate words you've utilized that have three syllables or more?" Choose the right word. There is a tendency to use "which" when we mean "that," "effect" when we mean "affect," "less" when we mean "fewer," and "farther" when we mean "further." Some errors of style are so ingrained in our language, we accept them out of habit. For example, few would write "an horse" or "an house," yet most write "an historical" instead of "a historical." We all hit an occasional off note, but following these rules will keep your writing in the right key.   David P. Kowal is President of Kowal Communications, Inc. of Northboro, Mass. He can be reached at kowal@kowal.com.  << back to article list   About KC. | .Free advice. | .Links. | .Contact us. | .Home ©1999 Kowal Communications, Inc. All rights reserved.   .