writing

What I Learned on the Internet, Writing Edition

By on December 18, 2009 in What I Learned From
photo by christgr

photo by christgr

In many businesses, the most effective way to get something done is to put it in writing.  Business writing helps drive clarity and accountability, and gets things done.  Below are some tips from around ‘net to improve your writing.

Note: This is part of the What I Learned on the Internet Series.

  1. Write Efficiently – Get through email quickly by writing only three sentences.
  2. Write to Speak Well – Great speeches start from great writing.
  3. Skip Technology – Consider not using spell-checker to be more careful.
  4. Be Funny – Engage the reader through humor writing.
  5. Learn What’s Good – Take a course to find out what is good writing.
  6. Avoid the Mistakes – Know and avoid some of writing’s dumbest mistakes.
  7. Know the Value – Understand what makes writing so important.

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The Value of Writing Well

By on November 18, 2009 in Learn with Humor
photo by abcahill

photo by abcahill

Despite being in 3-4 meetings per day at work, my company is driven by the written word–it drives accountability, clarity and decisions.  One VP at my company lists writing as one of the most important skills new employees must master in order to be successful.

But why is writing well so important?

  1. It makes you think. Writing makes you think about the topic and forces you to get clear on your own thoughts.
  2. It can travel far and wide. A well-written document can travel far and wide within your company.  I’ve had people compliment me about a post I’ve written from countries I’ve never been within 5,000 miles of.
  3. It drives clarity. In meetings, there’s no real restriction of words.  When writing, it encourages an economy of words that forces you to only focus on the important pieces of information and get rid of the rest.
  4. It gets things done. Writing gets things done.  A well-written document can be the catalyst to enabling hundreds of people to begin working.
  5. It is accountable. A written document is traceable and creates ownership.  Accountability is critical in business, not to be able to assign blame when things go wrong, but to be able to trace a series of decisions to re-apply when things work well or to change when they don’t.

In today’s fast-paced economy and global landscape, writing well is no longer a luxury but a requirement.

The best way to improve your writing is to write, but there are also two great books to help understand what makes for exceptional writing:

Got your own tips for writing well?  Share them in the comments.

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90% of What You Write is Crap

By on October 28, 2009 in Quick Wisdom

In the world of comedy, the general consensus is that 90% of what you write will not be good enough. Whether you are a new comedian writing stand-up, a writer creating a Letterman Top 10 list or a Best-Selling author penning short stories, you’ll typically only use 10% of what you write.

The same applies to other types of writing. The key is to realize that this standard applies to all levels of skill. From the layman to the paid professional, the people only putting out their best work are throwing away 90% of what they’ve written.

So what does that mean for you as someone incorporating humor into their work? Well it helps to realize that you won’t necessarily come up with that great line on the first, second or even ninth try. But if you write 10 of them, chances are you’ll find a line that’s good enough.

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