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Effective Writing Script

The document discusses effective writing techniques. It emphasizes the importance of understanding the reader's needs and having a clear objective. It recommends outlining the document structure and acknowledging any hidden objectives that could negatively influence the goal. The writer should understand the reader's background and tailor the document accordingly. Proper structure, with an introduction, body, and conclusion, makes the document easy to follow. Paragraphs and bullet points can break up the text. Editing allows the writer to correct flaws and ensure the document flows well. Effective writing balances brevity and clarity.

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sathiyasuthan
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379 views

Effective Writing Script

The document discusses effective writing techniques. It emphasizes the importance of understanding the reader's needs and having a clear objective. It recommends outlining the document structure and acknowledging any hidden objectives that could negatively influence the goal. The writer should understand the reader's background and tailor the document accordingly. Proper structure, with an introduction, body, and conclusion, makes the document easy to follow. Paragraphs and bullet points can break up the text. Editing allows the writer to correct flaws and ensure the document flows well. Effective writing balances brevity and clarity.

Uploaded by

sathiyasuthan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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MICROLEARN VIDEO SCRIPTS

COMMUNICATION AND SOCIAL SKILLS


EFFECTIVE WRITING

A key part of communication is writing effectively. Before you put pen to paper, it’s
important to understand your reader’s needs, outline the structure for the document
and have a clear objective.

The objective isn’t limited to the subject, so ask yourself “What am I trying to
achieve?” With the answer, construct a target statement clarifying the desired out-
come for your writing that describes the intended action, not the content, of the
document.

It’s important to acknowledge any hidden objectives you have that could nega-
tively influence your primary aim. These relate to what you want to do and how you
want to make the reader feel. For example, venting your feelings to make the
reader feel guilty.

Who’s the reader and what are they looking for?

Tailoring your writing to the reader’s needs is one way to make it effective, although
it’s not always possible when writing to a large group.

You need to understand your reader’s knowledge level, attitudes and preferences,
which can be achieved by identifying their background. Generally, the higher a
person’s managerial level the more their interests move away from the technical
‘how’ to the commercial ‘why’.

It’s important that your document is structured in a way that makes it easy to follow,
as the most common cause of ineffective writing is poor structure.

To form your structure, list all the points you want to make and sort them into groups
under key headings, which are then arranged into a logical order based on how
you want to present them to the reader.

Your writing should always have a beginning, a middle and an end. The introduction
should inform the reader of the subject and its relevance to them. The middle covers
the full findings of your research into the subject, while the conclusion summarises
the key points and covers what should come next.

Once you have a plan for the structure, you can start drafting the document. It’s
recommended that you leave the introduction for last, as the document will evolve
as your writing, impacting what you need to include in it. It’s also best to start with
the easiest part…the middle.

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Don’t try for perfection straight away – remember, you can always go back and edit
it later. If you’re struggling with a sentence, accept the best version you have, move
on to something else and come back to it later.

A solid block of writing is intimidating, so break it up into paragraphs to make it easier


to read.

Paragraphs are distinct sections within a document that express a single point or
idea. Consisting of one or more sentences, they’re usually indicated by a new line or
indentation in the text.

Another way to break up text is to use bullet points to convey several closely related
points, which also helps the reader absorb and remember information.

Professional writing is achieved through the economy of language. Your meaning


can be lost in the fog of unnecessary words so look for shorter alternatives to long,
complicated phrases or words. For example instead of consequently, use therefore.

If you’re required to express emotion or take personal responsibility in the document,


use ‘I’. However, if you’re stating policy or organisational responsibility use ‘we’.

What about editing?

Editing your writing can make all the difference to its effectiveness, as it allows you to
pick up and correct flaws.

It’s best to leave the document alone, preferably overnight, before editing it as the
distance will allow you to look at it from a fresh perspective.

Always edit your own work first, reading through the entire document to ensure it
flows before focusing on the language and content.

Its good practice to also ask a colleague to read through your work and identify any
missing points or unclear passages…but don’t ask them to rewrite it.

Remember, you have an obligation to your readers to write effectively by balancing


brevity and clarity. To achieve this, outline your objectives before starting, be eco-
nomic in your use of language and always edit your work.

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