Get to the Point! Painless Advice for Writing Memos, Letters and Emails Your Colleagues and Clients Will Understand, Second Edition

Danziger, Elizabeth

ISBN 10: 0981978606 / ISBN 13: 9780981978604

Edité par Mesa Publishing Company, 2010

A propos de cet article

In shrink wrap. Looks like an interesting title!

N° de réf. du vendeur Q-0981978606

Détails bibliographiques

• Titre: Get to the Point! Painless Advice for Writing Memos, Letters and Emails Your Colleagues and Clients Will Understand, Second Edition
• Éditeur: Mesa Publishing Company
• Date de parution: 2010
• Langue: anglais
• ISBN à 10 chiffres: 0981978606
• ISBN à 13 chiffres: 9780981978604
• Reliure: paperback
• Édition: 2ème Édition
• État de l'article: New
• Poids: 12 onces

A propos de ce titre

Synopsis

Thousands of readers have gained from reading this witty, no-nonsense guide to powerful business writing. Hailed as "The Elements of Style for the 21st century" by New York Times best-selling author Michael Levin, Danziger's book carries readers through the entire writing process, from the moment they wish they could run screaming from the job until they complete a polished, clear document. An extensive section on writing for email and social networking sites sets the second edition apart from the first. This is a quick, easy read that provides a vital reference for all business readers.

Extrait

Part 1.

Mastering Your Mental Barriers About Writing

Your mind is your most powerful word processor. If it is not working clearly and efficiently, having a super-charged computer will not increase your work output at all. Your great technology will just enable you to produce bad writing more quickly--and in more fonts--than you could before. Effective writing depends on mindset, attitude, emotional state, expectations, and ability to cope with self-criticism. That is why we will begin with the issues that are usually the first ones to confront the writer: fear, loathing, and the overwhelming urge to do anything other than write.

The second part of this section addresses some broader issues that cause writers to stumble. These points appear here because they are part of the mindset that enables you to write more clearly.

Overcoming your fear of writing

Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear--not absence of fear.
--Mark Twain

If fear, unconsciousness, and a compulsive urge to return phone calls, water plants, or eat cookies are preventing you from sitting down to write, you are not alone. In fact, the only people who never feel apprehensive about writing seem to be the ones who've had frontal lobotomies. These suggestions will help you relieve your fear of writing--without having brain surgery.

1. Take a few deep breaths.

Fear and anxiety cause the abdominal muscles to tense up, forcing the breath to become fast and shallow. This is a throwback to the happy days when our ancestors fled from saber-tooth tigers instead of writing deadlines. Neither fight nor flight are viable options anymore. We must bypass our primitive instincts and get some oxygen into our brains where it might help us think of something to write. Take a few really deep breaths. Slowly. Exhale completely and then inhale completely. You will feel calmer--I promise.

2. Weigh the costs and benefits.

Ask yourself, "What is the worst thing that could happen to me as a result of writing this?" Sure, you could write the letter and then get fired or die, but how likely is that? As much as you may dread writing, odds are that the consequences of not writing will be far worse than the consequences of writing. That's a cheery thought, isn't it?

3. Reward yourself after you've reached a certain point in the work.

Take a break or call someone you love or read the next chapter of a trashy novel. (Just make sure that your "break" doesn't eat up the rest of the time you'd set aside for writing.) Don't wait until every last detail is done before you take a brief time-out. Interim incentives and interim rewards will help you nurse yourself through the project. You can still celebrate when the job is complete.

4. Try to allow yourself enough time.

Time pressure only adds to your anxiety. Whenever possible, create a schedule that will have you finishing your project several days before the deadline. Then if you hit an unavoidable delay, you won't lose your mind.

5. Schedule time for writing every day.

Professional writers know that if they wait for the writing urge to strike, they might spend the rest of their lives at Starbucks. You cannot wait until you "have time" to sit down and write. You and I both know that there are always other things you could do. If you must finish a writing task, then reserve an hour or so in each day's schedule during which time you will do nothing but write. Try to schedule your writing time at the time of day when you are most alert.

6. Just do it!