4 writing tips before you put pen to paper

I picked up a book the other day that I thought would be quite helpful for any followers that are interested in writing professionally. The book is Professional Communication: Principles and Applications by Putnis and Petelin. Specifically, the chapter I wanted to share is titled Writing to Communicate, and I believe it has some very handy advice on how to start writing a document. Here are 4 writing tips before you put pen to paper:

1. Where will you get your information?

Putnis and Petelin (1996, p.233) state this is a question one should ask themselves before starting to write. To answer this, the writer should look at credible sources for information, and make sure that there is much variety in these sources. Information is the base of knowledge from which you write, so it is very important to have this before you start writing.

2. How will I structure/sequence the document?

Structuring a document is very important as it can lead to easier understanding of your information. If what you are writing is a fictional piece, pay attention to chronological events so as to not confuse the readers. If you are writing an academic piece, sequence your document so as to have a logical flow of information. A writer never wants to lose their reader purely because the document structure is confusing and hard to follow. Planning out a document is an easy way to avoid bad sequencing and structuring i.e draw up a small plan with headings and dot points to see how your document will unfold.

3. How will I begin writing?

The beginning of a text may be the most important part, as it has the ability to capture the reader.  As I stated before, planning can really help with this. It is always handy to get right into a document, to not write sentences that don’t mean anything. Readers are reading your document for a purpose, and it is best to get right to that purpose before the reader loses focus.

Reference
Petelin, P & Putnis, P 1996, Professional communication : principles and applications, Prentice Hall, Sydney.