5 RULES FOR BETTER LETTER WRITING
Better
writing can result in proposals that win contracts, advertisements that sell
products, instruction manuals that users can follow, billboards that catch a
driver’s attention. stories that make us laugh or cry, and letters, memos, and
reports that get your message across to the reader. Here are 12 tips on style
and word choice that can make writing clear and persuasive.
1. PRESENT YOUR BEST SELF
Your
moods vary. After all, you’re only human. But while it is sometimes difficult
to
present your best self in conversation, which is spontaneous and instant,
letters are written alone and on your own schedule. Therefore, you can and
should take the time to let your most pleasant personality shine through in
your writing.
Be especially careful when replying to an e-mail message you have received. The
temptation is to treat the message as conversation, and if you are irritated or
just outrageously pressured and busy, the tendency is to reply in a clipped and
curt fashion — again, not showing you at your best.
The solution? Although you may be eager to reply immediately to e-mail so you
can get the message out of your inbox, a better strategy for when your reply is
important is to set it aside, compose your answer when you are not so time
pressured, and read it carefully before sending.
A Tip: Never
write a letter when angry. If you must write the letter when angry, then put it
aside without sending it, and come back to it later. You will most likely want
to throw it out and start over, not send it at all, or drastically revise it.
Remember,
once you hit the Reply button, it is too late to get the message back. It’s out
there, and you can’t retrieve it. Same thing when you drop a letter in the
mailbox
(it’s
actually a felony to reach into the mailbox and try to retrieve the letter!).
2. WRITE IN A CLEAR,
CONVERSATIONAL STYLE
Naturally,
a memo on sizing pumps shouldn’t have the same chatty tone as a personal
letter. But most business and technical professionals lean too much in the
other direction, and their sharp thinking is obscured by windy, overly formal
prose.
The key
to success in business or technical writing? Keep it simple. I’ve said this
before, but it bears repeating: Write to express — not to impress. A relaxed,
conversational style can add vigor and clarity to your letters.