Modifiers and connectors

by Al Portner

Everyone has writing weaknesses and pet peeves. I certainly have mine. Little bad habits add up, irritate, and detract from writing effectiveness.

When you've finished a draft, go back and read what you've written. Make sure that you've used the most appropriate conjunction and most appropriate preposition.

Better yet, ask yourself if an adjectival prepositional phrase might not be clearer as a plain old adjective located closer to the word it modifies.

Keep a dictionary around, a thesaurus, a grammar book (I keep St. Martin's), the stylebook with which you are working, and last, a copy of "Strunk and White's "Elements of Style." I also have a copy of Bartlett's quotations close at hand.

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Al Portner's "The Assignment Desk, LLC" provides

creatives staffing for all your company's projects.

TAD offers prevetted writers, photographers

and graphic designers.

www.theassignmentdesk.net

___

Read Al's column's on Public Policy at:

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Proofread aloud and give your writing time to rest

by Al Portner

Recently, I went to a seminar on social networking. The speaker was chatting about the process they use to blog. Honestly, it made me kind of shudder.

This person said that she types her thoughts directly into the blog format and clicks the send button. Let me put it bluntly. I ain't that good. And odds are... neither you nor she is that good either.

My head works faster than my fingers. The idea I'm trying to express is formed pretty quickly, but the expression of that idea takes a while. I can't tell you how many times I've allowed something to spew forth in an email and then reread it later. How (I wonder) could I have been dumb enough to make one or another common mistake?

I have some bad habits and I bet you do too. Mine include typing "you" when I meant "your," using the same word too often, using the world "also," using indefinite pronouns without clear references. Do you habitually make any of these errors? How about similar ones? Do you switch verb tenses in a series?

I have found that when I try to edit a piece directly after writing the rough copy, I tend to read back what I think I wrote rather than the words on the paper or screen. On the other hand, if I let the copy sit for a few hours or until the next day, I am much more likely to spot silly errors.

It has been recommended that you final proofread your copy aloud and with someone else present. While not always possible, reading aloud for proofing purposes is a great idea.

Remember, anything you put up on the web or send to a business associate lives forever. It will serve your reputation well to give your writing the respect and attention it deserves.

Al Portner's "The Assignment Desk, LLC" provides

creatives staffing for all your company's projects.

TAD offers prevetted writers, phtographers,

and graphic designers.

www.theassignmentdesk.net

Read Al's Columns on Public Policy at

http://bit.ly/PublicPolicy.Examiner

Keeping sentences short assures your maximum readership

by Al Portner

Welcome to a world influenced by Twitter. I'm sort of kidding, but people are busy and look for easy ways to absorb information. This helps explain the success of a service that requires thoughts be 140 characters or less.

Many business people write sentences of 40 words or more. Try to limit yourself to 35 words or less. Studies have shown that business people don't tolerate communications that go on and on.

The tendency is to skim. Readers pick out a few key words and assume the rest of what you had to say. This can be very dangerous to meaning. Think about it. You've done it. I have. And later been embarrassed when I discovered I responded inappropriately.

This posting averages nine words a sentence. Think of short sentences like the vegetables Mom insisted you eat. "Try it, you'll like it."

Al Portner's "The Assignment Desk, LLC" provides

creatives staffing for all your company's projects.

TAD offers an extensive stable of writers, photographers,

and graphic designers.

Visit TAD's website at:
www.theassignmentdesk.net

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Visit Al's columns on Public Policy at:

http://bit.ly/PublicPolicyExaminer

Writers and verb tenses

by Al Portner

The landmark guide to good composition, "The Elements of Style" by William Strunk and E.B. White (first issued back in 1935) takes up only 85 pages, yet lays out most of what a good writer needs to know.

Active verbs in the present tense make your prose clearer and more engaging. We live in the present and tend to more pay attention to sentences that live where we do. Helper verbs water down meaning and weaken meaning.

"The habitual use of the active voice makes for forcible writing.
This is true not only in narrative, but in writing of any kind."

Al Portner's The Assignment Desk, LLC (TAD) provides

creatives staffing for all your company's projects.

----

TAD offers an extensive stable of extensive pre-vetted writers,

photographers and graphic designers.

Visit the TAD website at

www.theassignmentdesk.net

See Al's columns on public policy at

http://bit.ly/PublicPolicyExaminer

by Al Portner

Journalists are taught that their mission is to get to the point with their sentences and paragraphs. Often in an attempt to get to the point, sentence clarity is obscured by a covey of qualifiers.

In journalism, this may be necessary because of a need to be sure that people are identified in specific and that verbs are structured as to not force a conclusion when result is still in doubt. These constructs are not always necessary in most commercial and business situations.

If you find yourself consistently writing paragraphs of ten typed lines or more, pare back your glowing prose. Readers tend to skim over the top of dense blocks of type. Shoot for paragraphs of five lines or less. The literary quality of your prose is wasted if your reader develops narcolepsy in mid-paragraph.

Make yourself a rule. A paragraph should express only one main idea. If the idea becomes too involved, break it into two or more ideas. Your readers will thank you when they awaken from their gray text induced stupor.

Al Portner's "The Assignment Desk" (TAD) provides

creatives staffing for all your company's special projects.

TAD offers an extensive stable of writers, photographers,

and graphic designers. Visit the TAD website at:

www.theassignmentdesk.com

----

See Al's columns on Public Policy at:

http://bit.ly/PublicPolicyExaminer

Editing good... Micro-management - not so much

by Al Portner

Here's a tip for folks who can't leave well enough alone...

If you are someone who closely edits the writing of those people who you have hired to write, cut it out. I'm not referring to errors that make a difference. I'm talking about stuff that is mainly a matter of choice. Stop sweating the small stuff. You are discouraging those folks that work for you and not improving the product all that much.

If you still feel like changes need to be made, make suggestions to your writers and let them make the changes. You'll have a much happier shop and be looking for new writers less often.

Don't get me wrong... Editors are about the most important persons in a writer's life, but only if they work with the writer to make constructive changes that strengthen the final product.

Al Portner's "The Assignment Desk" (TAD) provides

creatives staffing for all your company's special needs.

TAD offers an extensive stable of writers, photographers

and graphic designers.

Visit TAD's website at:

www.theassignmentdesk.net

----

See Al's columns on public policy at:

http://bit.ly/PublicPolicyExaminer

Great Writing Tip Number 1

A list of common, bad writing habits floated into my "inbox" over the weekend. They are mostly things we know or should know. Put the emphasis on "should."

Writing lessons are usually hard won, but mapping out the potholes can help steer around sudden dropoffs.

Ditch bad habits and improve your communications skills.

Advice Numero Uno:

Whenever writing anything (especially on line), do it as some internal file, let the piece sit, and go back to it before posting, mailing, emailing, or turning it in.

• Re-Read, Review, and Edit.
• Go through this process at least twice.
• If editing is attempted too soon after drafting rough copy, most writers see what they remember they wrote rather than what they actually put down.

Do yourself a favor, don't wait until the last minute to do the first draft of an important project. A second pair of eyes scanning your project will save you tons of embarrassment and enhance your professional standing.

• Tip#1 should be tatooed in reverse on your forehead... so you can read it in the mirror when you comb your hair or brush your teeth.

Al Portner's "The Assignment Desk, L.L.C. (TAD)" provides "creatives" staffing for all your company's special projects. TAD offers an extensve stable of experienced pre-vetted writers, photographers, and graphic designers. Visit the TAD website at www.theassignmentdesk.net.

Read Al's columns on Public Policy at: http://bit.ly/PublicPolicyExaminer