Viewing time: 4 mins. 19 secs 

The Write Question is a weekly video podcast about writing that I started in 2017 and that ran, more or less weekly, until April 2022. This is a republication of issue #126, which discusses what type of writing advice to follow. The post first ran on Jan. 31/20.

Transcript: 

Have you ever wondered about what type of writing advice to follow? That’s the topic I’m addressing today in The Write Question. I’m Daphne Gray-Grant, the Publication Coach. 

I have a question from Andy McGuire, an agronomist based in Moses Lake, Washington. Here’s what he asked by email… 

“As the owner of many writing books, I wonder if it is best to follow the advice that I received when we had our first child: Pick one parenting book you like and refuse to look at any others?” 

Thanks for your terrific — and amusing — question, Andy. As a mother of triplets, I know what you mean about parenting books. There is so much conflicting advice out there, it’s often helpful — and less confusing to our kids — to follow the recommendations of just one expert. 

But books about writing are different. Here’s why. With parenting, you’re dealing with other people at a vulnerable stage in their lives — childhood. Consistency is extremely important for them. I’d even say it’s essential. If the kids are getting mixed messages, that can lead to big family problems. 

With writing, however, you’re dealing with your own life and, I hope, when you’re less vulnerable than a 7-year-old.

The other thing about writing is that while there are certain principles that apply to most people, we’re all unique. You’re probably going to be better tailoring your own plan — one that works specifically for you. 

Think about writing advice as a smorgasboard. 

No one is going to make you eat green beans or broccoli if you really hate those two items. Also, you can try small tastes of food you might be too nervous to order by the plateful. 

Pickled herring, perhaps? Or maybe sauerkraut? You may try these items and find you dislike them. But if they’re only a tablespoonful on your plate, that won’t be a problem! And no one’s going to make you eat them again! 

Or, alternatively, you might discover that pickled herring and sauerkraut hold unexpected appeal for you. Hurrah! You’ve discovered a new food. 

Similarly, with writing, small ideas from books may give you a tip — or even a larger framework — that helps you approach your writing differently. Helpfully! Don’t shut yourself off from that chance. 

The other risk of following just one writing book — and ignoring the rest — is that very few books cover all aspects of the process. For example, some specialize in editing, others in academic work, still others in motivational issues. If you limit yourself to just one author, you’re unlikely to get all the benefits you need. 

Just one final point, however, and that is: make sure you do more than just READ about writing. You also need to write. Try to get at least five to 15 minutes of writing every day. 

Finally, let me wrap up with a quote from British entrepreneur Richard Branson: “You don’t learn to walk by following rules. You learn by doing, and by falling over.” 

Andy, I wonder if you’ve asked your question about refusing to look at more than one book as a way of focusing your own writing habit? I’m all for focus, but I don’t believe it needs to take huge amounts of time. If you spend 5 to 15 minutes writing every day, you’ll still have plenty of time to read all the books about writing that you want! 

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And, speaking about books on writing…If you’d like to learn how to stop procrastinating and make writing a happier more fulfilling process for yourself please take a look at my latest book, Your Happy First Draft. I don’t sell it in bookstores or via Amazon. The only place to buy it is on my website, link below.  

Links 

Your Happy First Draft 

Reading time: About 5 minutes

Boredom is the bane of many readers. For this reason, it’s worth spending time to make your writing less boring… 

Have you ever felt the need to stifle a yawn after reading something you’ve written? “Oh boy,” you said to yourself. “That sure wasn’t very interesting….”

The German word for boredom is Langeweile – lange meaning “long” and Weile for “a while.” When you’re bored, time moves like a three-toed sloth — which is pretty slow, just 10 feet per minute. I’ve written before about how to keep yourself from getting bored while you’re writing. 

But show your readers the same courtesy. Don’t let them get bored while they’re reading.

Here’s how to save them from that fate.

Macro ways to avoid boring your readers 

1-Tell enough stories: Some writers think their primary job is to convey information. It’s as if they picture their readers’ heads as empty vessels — cargo ships waiting to be loaded with containers. And the writers’ job? Well, they’re the longshoremen who need to fill those vessels to the brim with fascinating facts. But guess what? Facts are boring.

If you want to capture your readers’ attention, lure them with stories. Most of us grew up hearing stories from our parents or grade school teachers; we told stories to our friends, and we read them from books. Stories have characters and plot and tension. Stories engage us and we remember them far more readily than we ever remember boring old facts. (The best speakers in the world understand this principle and ply their speeches with stories. Look at the TED talks you’ve enjoyed most and count the number of stories in them. Hint: You’ll need more than one hand….)

2-Use enough figurative language: You may have hated high school English, but you probably smile when you read a good simile or metaphor now. Here are some examples I recently appreciated:

• Her eyes were searching his face the way soap opera actors looked at each other in the seconds before commercial breaks.
• Mom’s voice had hardened, giving her the air of a pissed-off Elizabeth Taylor.
• I had devoted an entire day to interviewing people at Ascot, and had a notebook full of quotations, but it was like the lint that you peel out of the wire basket in a dryer. It did not add up to anything.
• Her sighs were so hard, and despairing, that they made the tinsel on the Christmas tree shimmer.

Good figurative language helps readers understand something that might otherwise have eluded them. As well, metaphors pack an emotional wallop. And that’s the very opposite of boring. (I track metaphors and similes in my reading each week. You can get fast access to these posts here.)

3-Write to a friend: You’re never boring when you’re writing to a friend. That’s because you know exactly what will capture your friend’s interest, and you make sure to focus on that topic in a way your friend will find appealing. But you can use exactly the same trick when you’re writing for anonymous people. Just pretend you’re writing for one person only.

Make sure the person you pick is someone you know well. And choose a person who’s a good (general) match with your audience in terms of age, education, gender etc. Then imagine you’re writing the story or report to that one specific person. Pretend it’s an email (you can write in the body of an actual email if you like) and begin the writing with a salutation, “Dear XXX,” if it helps you. Just remove the salutation when you’re editing. 

4-Be specific rather than general: Some otherwise interesting writers become boring because they feel obliged to be “general” enough to speak to a diverse audience. If they’re writing about “summer,” for example, they talk (generically) about high temperatures and ice cream cones, thinking that this is the best way to get more people to relate to them. This is always a mistake.

Instead, write about the annual holiday you always had on Lake Martin, Alabama. Yes, the Cherokee Bluffs are specific, but their very specificity will give life to your writing. Talk about those specific 750 miles of wooded shoreline and you’ll be better able to tap into many readers’ experiences of summer holidays. Swimming and boating, yes, but your experiences of swimming and boating are unique to you, and their originality will help lift your writing to another level. Specificity is your friend, not your enemy. 

5-Use your words for only what matters: Good writers know what to cut, not just what to put in. Don’t tell your readers more than they need to know — they don’t have the time for that. Get to the point.

Micro ways to avoid boring your readers

1-Use short sentences: I’ve long argued that most writers should aim at an average sentence length of 14 to 18 words. (I cut academics a bit of slack. They should still stick to an average of less than 20.) Why? Long sentences are hard work to read. And unless you have the skill of a Dostoevsky, you’re unlikely to handle long sentences effectively. One of the fastest ways to improve your writing is to reduce your sentence length. This doesn’t mean you should use NO long sentences, however. Instead, focus on your average. So, every long sentence should be balanced by some short ones. Use an online tool like Character Counter to help you see how you’re doing. (This post has an average sentence length of 13.96 words.) 

2-Don’t be long-winded: Some writers are boring because they use too many unnecessary words. Here’s an example I pulled from the website Write To Done:

Version A:
In the morning he would shower, brush his teeth, shave, dress in a suitable business suit with shirt and tie, get down to the kitchen in time to have his coffee and then rush off to the station, but he’d frequently missed his train anyhow. 

Version B:
He washed his body, shaved his jaw, drank his coffee, and missed the seven-thirty-one.
(This is what John Cheever wrote in his celebrated story “The Country Husband”) 

3-Avoid the passive voice: Passive voice relates to the way you structure your sentences. It’s not a tense; it’s a style in which you hide the “actor” of the verb of the sentence. My favourite example of the passive voice is the sentence “Mistakes were made.” Who made those mistakes? We don’t know!

Here are three examples of sentences in the passive voice:

• The entire stretch of highway was paved. 
• A safety video will be watched every year.
• The whole suburb was destroyed. 

And here they are again, in the active voice. Aren’t they more pleasant to read this way? 

• The crew paved the entire stretch of highway.
• The staff will watch a safety video every year.
• The forest fire destroyed the whole suburb. 

4-Vary the way your sentences start: Some writers begin most of their sentences the same way. For example, they might almost always begin with the subject: Madison ran to the store. She bought a popsicle. She saw a friend there. She had a fun conversation. Do you see how boring and repetitive that sounds? Consider breaking the monotony by starting at least one of these sentences in a different way. For example, you could begin one of these sentences with a conjunction:

When Madison ran to the store, she saw a friend.

Or you could begin a sentence using a gerund, a word ending in -ing. For example,

Running to the store, Madison encountered a friend.

Working to begin your sentences in slightly different ways is an excellent strategy for making your writing less boring.

5-Improve your verbs: Some writers overuse what are called “state of being” verbs. Here is a list of them: is, am, are, was, were, be, being, been, have, has, had, do, does, did, shall, will, should, would, may, might, must, can, could. I’m not saying never use these verbs. Instead, I’m suggesting you minimize them. Here’s an example:

• Determining when a student is a problem makes the teacher’s job more interesting.
• Determining when a student creates a problem makes the teacher’s job more interesting.

Search your document for state of being verbs and see how many you can replace. Once you’ve done that, look for adverbs, those words ending in -ly. They’re often a sign that you’ve taken a lazy approach to your verbs. If you can replace them, you’ll improve your writing. Some examples:

• She looked sternly at her classmate, versus
• She glared at her classmate.

Or,

• The mouse ran quickly through the forest, versus
• The mouse scampered through the forest.

Or,

• The politician listened secretly while the opposing side discussed their plans, versus
• The politician eavesdropped while the opposing side discussed their plans.

True, it’s a lot of work to make picky changes like this. But the payoff to your readers will be enormous. That’s because you’ll be making your writing infinitely less boring.

An earlier version of this post first appeared on my blog on July 30/19.

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Need some help developing a better writing routine? Learn more about my Get It Done program. There is turn-over each month, and priority will go to those who have applied first. You can go directly to the application form and you’ll hear back from me within 24 hours.

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My video podcast last week addressed how to find a good plagiarism checker. Go here to see the video or read the transcript, and you can also subscribe to my YouTube channel.

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How do you make your writing less boring? We can all learn from each other, so please, share your thoughts with my readers and me in the “comments” section below. Anyone who comments on today’s post (or any others) by July 31/24 will be put in a draw for a copy of my book, 8 1/2 Steps to Writing Faster, Better. Please, scroll down to the comments, directly underneath the “related posts” links, below. Note that you don’t have to join Disqus to post. See here to learn how to post as a guest. It’s easy!

Viewing time: 6 mins. 56 secs

The Write Question is a weekly video podcast about writing that I started in 2017 and that ran, more or less weekly, until April 2022. This is a republication of issue #100,  which addresses how to become a better interviewer. The post first ran on July 19/19.

Transcript:

Welcome to The Write Question, I’m Daphne Gray-Grant and my topic today is how to become a better interviewer.

I have a question from Donna Henderson — a writer based in Los Angeles. Here’s what she’s asked via email:

“I’m a freelance writer who has to do a lot of employee interviews. I sometimes get the feeling that I would be a lot better writer if I could improve my interviewing skills. Do you agree with me and, if so, what can you suggest?”

Thanks for your question, Donna. You’re absolutely right. Being a better interviewer will help make you a better writer, if only because it will give you better material to work with.

BUT, interviewing can be a hard skill to learn. One of the best ways to improve is to get more practice. You don’t need to get this practice in REAL situations, either. You can do it at home, with family members, or at work or school with friends and colleagues.I’ve noticed many writers tend to make two classic mistakes when they interview others:

• They treat interviews as a cross-examination rather than a conversation.
• They ask only factual questions:What? Where? When? How? And they focus on data such as years, amount and volume. In fact, the very best quotes almost always come from questions about feelings and opinions.

Many years ago, I was hired to help improve the interviewing skills of a reporter from a weekly newspaper. To get a sense of how he operated, I asked him to interview me about being the mother of triplets.

Never once did he ask for my opinions or feelings about anything. Nor did he ask for anecdotes! If he had actually written the story, I’m sure it would have been very similar to most of his other articles – filled with dull quotes, instead of lively, action-packed ones. Yet I had plenty of interesting quotes inside me! He just didn’t dig deep enough to find them.

If your writing requires you to interview others, be sure to ask for stories and/or a real-life example or two. For example, if the reporter had asked me about whether I’d ever had second thoughts about having triplets, I might have recalled a time when they were two years old and I decided to walk them to the park. The visit went well, but they became tired and refused to walk home. I wound up “ferrying” back, one at a time, carrying them a few yards each so I could keep an eye on the ones left behind. It took me about an hour to walk five blocks.

As well, make certain you give your subject lots of feedback during your interview. Comments like: Wow! That must have been interesting/frightening/rewarding/frustrating. This kind of feedback is invaluable because if you are wrong, the subject will correct you and if you are right, he or she will probably elaborate. You can’t go wrong with this approach.

But if even this technique seems too challenging, be sure to use the super-easy trick of repetition. Here’s how it works: Your subject says something and you repeat it (word for word is okay) and add a question mark to your voice.

Subject: “The sales and marketing team had never before faced such a massive challenge.”

You: “The sales and marketing team had never before faced such a massive challenge?” (Remember to upspeak, which means raising your voice at the end of the line.)

But now let me talk about something that I’m guessing you might not have considered before. The next most important skill related to interviewing is learning HOW to use quotes in your stories.

I always say that the quotes should be so sensational, they should look like jewels displayed on black velvet.

So, when you have your crappy first draft, (see link below) highlight all the quotes you’ve used in bright yellow. You can do this using a paper printout or digitally, with the electronic highlight tool — whichever you prefer.)

Then, make each quote justify itself:

• Is it interesting?
• Is it in the spoken — as opposed to the written — word? (Read it aloud to double-check.)
• Is its “voice” — or the way it sounds — distinctive from your own?

If your answer to any of these questions is no, then paraphrase.

The easiest way to paraphrase is simply to remove the quote marks. For example, take this line from an article I found on the internet: “I think Barbra Streisand is just amazing,” Lea Michele says.

Interesting sentiment but a terribly boring quote. It would be so much better paraphrased as: Lea Michele says she finds Barbra Streisand to be an amazing performer.

Or, go one step further and change one or two of the words: Lea Michele says she finds Barbra Streisand to be a remarkable performer. 

Do you see how much better that sounds?

Here’s another important point. Never feel obliged to use quotes from people you’ve interviewed. I know, it’s tempting to worry about having wasted their time. Don’t. It’s part of their job to speak to you. Including great swathes of boring quotes will not allow you to accomplish your job of attracting readers.

Here is a list of material that is likely better paraphrased/summarized than simply quoted directly:

• Historical background or any issues involving timing
• Lists
• Reasons for something
• Stories, anecdotes and examples
• Anything involving numbers, especially dates and money.

Reserve your quotes for the best of the very best and your stories will improve dramatically.

Finally, let me wrap up with a quote from the American actor William Shatner: “When I’m interviewing somebody, I don’t work from prepared questions.”

Donna, that last comment from Shatner is not a throwaway line. It’s important. Take a list of questions into an interview with you but don’t use it until a deep lull OR until the very end, as a kind of a checklist. The idea behind all good interviews is that they feel like conversations: relaxed, interesting and, with a natural give and take. If you can do that, you’ll have dramatically improved your interviewing. 

Links 

The JOY of the crappy first draft 

Reading time: About 3 minutes

Most of us prefer to succeed, but if we have to fail, it’s possible to fail better as a writer…

You’ve undoubtedly already heard Samuel Beckett’s advice: “Try again. Fail again. Fail better.” 

It comes from his second-to-last piece of work ever published, Worstward Ho, a short piece of prose you can read here.

While Beckett wasn’t trying to be positive or inspirational (he was a pretty gloomy guy, genuinely interested in failure), I’m going to take the quote in the way it’s typically interpreted today: a rah-rah encouragement not to let failures get you down.

Of course, some writers expect they should succeed right away. Even though they understand that, say, selling a book is a long-term project, they see the issue as a marketing problem — why aren’t more agents/publishers interested? — or a societal problem — why aren’t more people reading? 

But these are not the kinds of “fails” I’m thinking about. I’m more interested when writing is the problem. After all, writing is not an activity that should flow effortlessly from brain to page. It takes lots of false starts. Lots of experimentation. And many failures. 

If you’re trying to become a better writer, here are seven ways you can fail better:

1-Don’t procrastinate in the early stages

Some writers are so scared of making mistakes, they endlessly delay getting started. I suggest that all writers start working on a piece the very first day it’s assigned to them (or when the idea occurs). The longer we think about writing projects — without doing any work on them — the more challenging and intimidating they become. Before we know it, that writing assignment has become a monster. Don’t let yourself fail that way. Start immediately by doing some research and planning. 

2-Don’t write too soon

On the other hand, I’ve also found that many writers, freaked out by their deadlines, are eager to put words on the page as quickly as possible. This is almost always a mistake. Instead, make sure you’re adequately prepared before writing. This means allowing enough time for thinking — ideally when you’re away from your desk. (And if you worry about forgetting something important, have your cellphone with you while you’re out so you can record some notes.) 

3-Stop researching while you write

Researching is interesting, but it’s not nearly as creative as thinking or writing. Do your researching first and your thinking and writing later. This will not only stop you from becoming a glorified recording secretary, but it will also help you preserve the creativity your writing requires. Oh, and be sure to keep a research diary. Such a journal is a great way to make your research process more productive because it will force you to evaluate the quality of what you’re reading and taking notes on.

4-Write as quickly as you can

The sole purpose of writing is to get ideas out of your head and onto the page or screen. This is not the time to have any concerns about quality. It’s the time to be loosey-goosey, crazy, experimental, devil-may-care. Keep reminding yourself that no one else will see your writing until you choose to hand it over to them. (And, of course, you won’t do this until you’ve edited it. See step 6.)

5-Stop editing while you write

People who edit while they write are worse writers and worse editors than they need to be. They’re worse writers because they can’t allow their creative brains to run free while their nasty internal editors are so busy criticizing. And they’re worse editors because they don’t yet have enough perspective on — or distance from — their work. 

6-Give yourself incubation time before editing

When you incubate, take a complete break after having written a piece, before you start editing it. You push your story/manuscript to one side, and you think about or work on something else. This break allows you to form a new perspective on what you’ve written. And it allows you to expect the types of questions your readers are most likely to have. It makes you a much, much better editor. For deadline work, I recommend an incubation time of 24 hours, and for long-form projects such as books or dissertations, I suggest a minimum of six weeks.

7-Allow ample time for editing

The number one mistake I see many writers make is that they don’t allow themselves nearly enough time for editing. They S-T-R-E-T-C-H the writing process as if it were a ball of pulling taffy, and then they run out of time for editing. Don’t allow this to happen! Start your work early, write quickly, edit aggressively.

Sure, you will make some mistakes along the way. You might delay writing too long. You might make an error with a citation. Your first draft may be unbearably crappy. 

But as long as you allow ample time for editing, these are all better mistakes than the ones you were making before. And they are mistakes that will help you improve your writing.

You can learn to write only by doing it. Don’t let perfectionism hold you back. Instead, keep trying secure in the knowledge that you’ll get a little better each time you do it. And remember this anonymous quote, often attributed to Winston Churchill: “Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.”

This is a substantially updated version of a post that first appeared on my blog on Sept. 28/21.

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Are you a procrastinator looking for help in building a sustainable writing practice? I’m starting a new online workshop next week. You’ll pick a topic you want to write about. I’ll then walk you through, day-by-day, a detailed and easy-to-follow plan for how to do it. You’ll come away with checklists, cheat-sheets and a system in place, all ready to go. Email me if you want more info.

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My video podcast last week addressed how to get clients to meet their deadlines. Go here to see the transcript or watch the video, and you can also  subscribe to my YouTube channel. 

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How could you fail better as a writer? We can all learn from each other so, please, share your thoughts with my readers and me in the “comments” section below.  Anyone who comments on today’s post (or any others) by Jan. 31/24 will be put in a draw for a digital copy of my first book, 8 1/2 Steps to Writing Faster, Better. Please, scroll down to the comments, directly underneath the “related posts” links, below. Note that you don’t have to join Disqus to post. See here to learn how to post as a guest. It’s easy!

Viewing time: 5 mins. 48 secs

The Write Question is a weekly video podcast about writing that I started in 2017 and that ran, more or less weekly, until April 2022. This is a republication of issue #82, with advice on juggling different types of writing. The post first ran on Jan. 25/19.

Transcript: 

Welcome to The Write Question, I’m Daphne Gray-Grant and my topic today is juggling different types of writing.

I have a question from Carla Fehr a university professor based in Waterloo, Ontario. Here’s what’s she’s asked.

“I always have at least three kinds of writing on the go: (i) business/policy email, memos, and white papers, (ii) academic writing, and (3) blog writing. The business and academic writing need to happen every day, and I want the blog writing to happen regularly. With this in mind:

• How does one manage multiple writing assignments?
• How does one jump from one genre to another?
• How does one switch from one voice to another when changing genres and venues?”

Thanks for your questions, Carla. I face almost exactly the same challenges myself. I blog five days a week but I also write papers and reports, I’m finishing up my next book and I do some writing for clients as well. These “assignments” are all very different from each other and require different types of writing. It’s challenging!

That said, I think your real question is: how can you fit in blogging when you have so much other writing work to do. So I’m going to start with some reflection on that issue.

In my 40 years as a writer, I’ve learned that if I want to accomplish something for CERTAIN, I need to do it first thing in the day. This is even more true if the work is difficult or challenging to me. The earlier in the day I start it, the more likely I am to accomplish it.

Each day, I prepare a calendar for myself. I have a Word Document containing a table in which the day is divided into half hours. I schedule my various writing tasks into those half hour segments.

Now, I’m not a machine, so scheduling something doesn’t mean I necessarily accomplish it. Just like everyone else, I get distracted and I make mistakes. But I find I generally accomplish the tasks I schedule for the morning.

Here’s another trick: As a matter of policy, I never schedule anything that’s urgent — and by that I mean something I truly MUST complete by the next day — for the morning. Why? Because I know the urgency of the task will be enough to persuade me to do it in the afternoon. I save my mornings for IMPORTANT tasks, when I have plenty of energy and enthusiasm. For example, I spent 30 minutes on my book this morning. There’s no deadline attached to it but the book is important to me so I make it a daily priority.

I think most of us believe that we always need to do urgent tasks first. But I think the reverse is true. We should do the important tasks first. I’ve written a blog post about this topic and I include the link below.

In your case, Carla, I suggest you consider your blog an important task, and do it first, in the morning. Schedule it in your calendar. Then, you’ll have the rest of the day to deal with your urgent matters.

Now, let me address the question of tone. This issue is more important than many people realize. Readers are instantly turned off by a tone or style that seems inappropriate to what they expect to read.

If you review a bunch of blogs, for example, you’ll notice that the style is deeply different from anything you’ll find in a peer-reviewed journal. Or for that matter, in a business memo or white paper. Here’s what I suggest you to do wrap your mind around those differences. First, spend a couple of hours identifying MODELS of writing you would like to emulate.

Find the best blog you’ve ever read. And the best business email. And the best  business memo. And the best white paper. And the best article from a peer reviewed journal. Put all of these models together in a file that you store on the desktop of your hard drive, so it’s really easy to find.  

THEN, every time before you write, spend five minutes reading the “best” example of the genre you’re going to be writing in. Maybe read it aloud so the author’s style becomes really obvious to your brain. You could also spend five minutes copying from this piece. See the link to my blog post on copying, below. However you do it, you want to imbue yourself in a particularly effective example of the style of the genre.

Don’t skip this step! It won’t take you long. Just five minutes. But it will help you ensure that you’re changing your voice to meet the demands of the style in which you want to write.

To summarize, it is possible to juggle a wide variety of writing genres and voices but it requires careful attention to detail and sophisticated time management. But if you pay attention to your goals, you’ll be able to do it.

Finally, let me wrap up with a quote from the late American jazz trumpeter, bandleader and composer Miles Davis: “Time isn’t the main thing. It’s the only thing.”

Thanks for the question, Carla! I love that quote from Miles Davis because of its double meaning. My son is a musician and I know how important it is for musicians to count when they’re playing. But the larger aspects of time management are equally important — and for writers, too. Manage your time effectively and you’ll be able to accommodate all sorts of different types of writing.

Links: 

How to protect the important from the urgent

Why you should be a copycat

Viewing time: 5 mins. 41 secs.

The Write Question is a weekly video podcast about writing that I started in 2017 and that ran, more or less weekly, until April 2022. This is a republication of issue #73, with advice on how to use readability stats. The post first ran on Nov. 9/18.

Transcript:

Welcome to The Write Question, I’m Daphne Gray-Grant and my topic today is understanding readability stats.

Today, I have a question from Jim Homme who’s based in Pittsburgh, PA. Here’s what he’s asked.

“I’m a software developer who aims for a conversational style, because I write a lot of how-to material and directions on how to use software and tools. How can I get better at eliminating jargon, since we programmers tend to talk in gibberish? I like using the writing stats in Microsoft Word to remind me about how much passive language I’m using. I also try to pay attention to the stat about grade level, but I don’t really understand how to use it properly. What are the secrets to using this tool and what is the best grade level to aim for?”

Thanks for your question, Jim. For viewers or readers who are unfamiliar with writing stats — also known as readability stats — let me tell you that this tool is available to everyone in MS Word. The default installation of Word, however, does NOT enable it, so I’ve included a link to a video below, instructing you on how to install it.

Anyway, this handy device is something I use every day and I particularly like the “grade level” calculator which is part of it.

Language analysts first proposed readability stats more than 100 years ago. There are a whole bunch of different ones, including:

•     The Gunning Fog index
•     The Coleman Liao index
•     The Automated Readability Index
•     The SMOG level, and
•     The Flesch Kinkaid grade level

While all of these indices do the same thing, they all work in slightly different ways. For example, some of them measure length of words based on the number of characters, while others use the number of syllables.

So, if you enter exactly the same text into each of these indices, you’ll see a slightly different score. MS Word uses the Flesch Kinkaid grade level but if you’d like to see ALL of the indices at the same time, I include a link below to Online-Utility.Org. So, which one should you believe? I think you should look at the RANGE, from lowest to highest.

The main thing to know is that these indices measure only the things they can count. They don’t reflect a sophisticated Artificial Intelligence analysis of your text. Instead, they look at four specific aspects of writing:

•     Length of words
•     Length of sentences
•     Length of paragraphs
•     Amount of passive voice.

For programmers like you, Jim, and for the engineers and academics with whom I often work, I think the single best measurement to focus on is sentence length. Many people write too many sentences that are too long.

But, also remember that you don’t want every sentence to be short. If you do that, your text might end up sounding like a grade school reader: “See Jane pat the dog, Spot.” Instead, what  you want is a wide range of sentence lengths with an average length of somewhere between 14 and 18 words. Does that sound too short to you? You may or may not be a fan of author J.K. Rowling, but you won’t likely regard her style as overly simplistic. Yet her average sentence length is 12.

I’ve written a detailed post on how to achieve a better sentence length and I include a link to that below. I also provide a link to Count Wordsworth, a free app that, among other jobs, will provide you with a sentence length analysis.

Note that your goal is to achieve an AVERGE of 14 to 18 words and this does NOT mean that every sentence should be this length. Instead, allow the occasional 40-, 50- or even 60-word sentence. Just be sure to balance them with the occasional one to five-word sentence. How do you do that? I just did it, with the five word sentence, “how do you do that?”

Now, let’s talk about grade level. The indices use their core measurements — word length, sentence length, paragraph length and amount of passive — to assign a grade level to every piece of writing.

You might think that the higher the better, but this is NOT true. Instead, you want to aim at a grade 9 level. This means that your writing is clear and easy to read, regardless of the education level of your reader. It is not an insult to your readers to write to a grade 9 level. This is the level that most publications, including the New York Times will aim for.

If your grade level is too high, then simply use shorter words, shorter sentences, shorter paragraphs and less passive. All of these actions will help reduce your grade level.

Finally, let me wrap up with a quote from the late English professor Lucius Sherman from the University of Nebraska who in 1893 proposed making the written word as close as possible to the spoken word. Here is what he said: “The oral sentence represents the work for thousands of years in perfecting an effective instrument of communication.”

Thanks for the question, Jim. If you’re able to aim at a grade 9 writing level, your readers will thank you and they’ll have a much easier time understanding your text.

Links:

How to enable readability statistics in MS Word (video)

Online-Utility.org

A step-by-step guide to better sentence length

Count Wordsworth

Viewing time: 5 min. 11 sec.

The Write Question is a weekly video podcast about writing that I started in 2017 and that ran, more or less weekly, until April 2022. This is a republication of issue #72, with advice on how to say the same thing differently. The post first ran on Nov. 2/18.

Transcript: 

Welcome to The Write Question, I’m Daphne Gray-Grant and my topic is how to say the same thing differently.

Today, I have a question from Reggie Swan, an engineer who didn’t tell me where he is based. Here’s what he’s asked.

“As an engineer, I do a lot of technical writing. I write audit reports, procedures for maintenance technicians, quarterly reports and policy documents. I need to find different ways to say the same thing. How do you suggest I approach this challenge?”

Thanks for your question, Reggie. Based on what you’ve asked, I’m not 100% clear about how you feel about the prospect of having to find different ways to say the same thing. Is it a challenge you regard as interesting or fun? Or is it just a gigantic pain in the ass?

If you’re erring towards the latter feeling, let me suggest you try to figure out ways to make it more fun for you. If we don’t enjoy and respect what we’re doing, it’s awfully hard to convince ourselves to do it.

So, let me tell you a story about why it’s so useful to have more than one way of saying something. A few years ago, I had a client who was very theoretical. To be frank, her writing was dull. To try to liven it up, I suggested that she start making it more personal. “Don’t you have any stories or anecdotes you can share?” I asked her. I used that precise phrase — which I thought was very clear — at least half a dozen times with her and it didn’t make one iota of difference to her writing.

Then, one day, I said, “where are some stories, anecdotes or examples?” And she said, “EXAMPLES? Why didn’t you ask me that earlier? That makes perfect sense.”

My client needed to hear the specific word EXAMPLES for my suggestion to make sense to her. Of course, it was just an accident that I used that word but ever since this accident I’ve been much more conscious of the power and importance of specific vocabulary.

We’re all different people and we all have different ways of learning, listening and reading. As a writer, it only makes sense to say the same thing in a variety of way so we can capture the attention of more people.

Begin by paying attention to your vocabulary. Can you find synonyms that allow you to express the same idea using different words? I very much like the resource the Visual Thesaurus and I’ve included a link below. There’s a free version and a paid one and the free will probably be more than enough for you.

What I like about the Visual Thesaurus is the way it groups words together. [Watch the video and you’ll be able to view a screen capture of the word “will” in Visual Thesaurus. You’ll see how it covers both the verb — to will something to happen — and the noun — a legal document.] I find the Visual Thesaurus incredibly useful and I use it just about every day.

Once you’ve varied your vocabulary, you can also think about different ways of presenting. For some people, tables and graphs might be helpful. For others, photographs will do the trick. Or others may need some line drawings. As a communicator, don’t fall into the trap of thinking that only words convey information. Often, visual images are even more helpful. These days you can also think of tricks — such as video — that would have been too expensive to consider 10 years ago but that now are very affordable with an iPhone.

One other point you should consider: Make sure that your final document meets the needs of your audience. In your question, you mentioned that you need to produce:

•     audit reports,
•     policy document,
•     quarterly reports, and
•     procedure reports.

I’m guessing that all of these various documents have different audiences perhaps with different levels of education and different understandings about what’s involved. Make sure you tailor your document to the needs of each particular audience.

Yes, rewriting the same thing can seem like a trial but it’s the best way of encouraging your specific audiences to take the time to read what you’ve written

Finally, as you reflect on how to say the same thing differently, let me wrap up with a quote from the late American humorist Mark Twain: “The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.”

Thanks for the question, Reggie. Keep working to express your information in a variety of ways. You don’t ever want to be accused of mixing up electrical storms with insects!

Links:

Visual Thesaurus 

7 habits of highly effective writers

Reading time: About 5 minutes

You already know that writing takes time, but here’s what it takes to be a good writer….

You’ve probably heard of the 10,000-hour rule, even if you know little more than the name.

Best-selling author Malcolm Gladwell is the person who popularized the notion that in order to be fantastic at something, you need to spend 10,000 hours doing it.

In his book Outliers, for example, he described how the Beatles spent more than 10,000 hours in Hamburg, Northern Germany, staging concerts and honing their craft before they became the well-known band we all know today.

Introducing the real 10,000-hour expert

But, in fact, Gladwell wasn’t the person who did the research on the 10,000-hour theorem. Instead, it was the work of the brilliant Swedish psychology professor Anders Ericsson, pictured adjacent, who died in 2020.

And, interestingly, Ericsson argued against Gladwell’s interpretation.

I’ve read Ericsson’s 2016 book Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise and I think you’ll find his suggestions compelling. Ericsson spells out his advice about how to become an expert at just about anything. His recommendations are useful not only for any frustrated writer, but also for any already good writer as well as for anyone who simply wants to become a better writer.

Here is what Ericsson advises:

You may not need 10,000 hours

Or you may need more. Way more. The phrase “10,000 hours” is simply a symbol to represent a lot of time. In a similar fashion, when we say someone “eats like a horse,” we don’t imagine them to be chowing down grass and hay. We’re simply suggesting that they’re eating a lot.

Accumulating 10,000 hours requires spending almost three hours doing your designated task each day, every day — with no time off for weekends and holidays —  for 10 years. That’s a long of time, isn’t it?

Well, that’s Ericsson’s message. It’s a big commitment.

Talent is not enough

On the good news side of the equation, Ericssson suggests you can become an expert even if you aren’t awash in talent. But the bad news is you still need to spend the time, even if you’re lucky enough to be talented. And, what’s more, you need to spend this time in a very specific way.

Just playing an instrument, just running, just writing, or just ________ (insert whatever other task you want to become really good at) for 10,000 hours is not nearly enough, even though it’s a lot. The next few points spell out these new ideas.

You need a mentor

As writers, you might think your best mentor would be an editor, but that depends. Some editors simply take your text, mark it up and return it to you. That kind of utilitarian relationship will improve your final product but it won’t be enough to turn you into a great writer.

For a mentor, you need someone who can challenge you, identify your specific problems, and, most of all, help you identify what Ericsson calls the “mental representations” you need in order to become a better writer. A mental representation allows you to visualize in your mind’s eye specifically what you need to do in order to write well. Some editors can help you with that; others can focus only on the text.

Remember that all great athletes and all great musicians have coaches; the idea only seems strange in other contexts.

I am a writing coach, but I also have my own business coach. Getting coaching has been central to my own success. As writer Junot Diaz puts it: “Colleagues are a wonderful thing – but mentors, that’s where the real work gets done.”

You need to approach your work differently

Doing something over and over again — carefully logging your 10,000 hours — is not enough. Not nearly. You need to focus on what you’re bad at doing.

This theory was initially proven in music, with studies of students at Berlin’s Academy of Music. Of course, a certain level of musical aptitude is required to even become a student at this famous school. But once enrolled, some students clearly rise above the others in terms of their musicianship. Researchers discovered that those who practiced their pieces from beginning to end were less successful than the students who focus primarily on passages that give them difficulty.

It turns out that practicing hard and difficult skills — particularly the ones that are the most challenging — leads to better performance.

It’s hard to become better at something. It may even make you feel bad, tired, stymied or frustrated in the short term. But the bonus is these efforts will help keep you mentally sharp.

‘Knowing’ is not the same as ‘doing’

You may have theoretical knowledge, but do you have skills? To be an expert at something, you need both.

For writers, here is where an effective editor can make a big difference. You need the feedback to know what you’ve done in a less than ideal way and you need the chance to fix it.

This is why I disagree with a great many editors who simply impose their own “fixes” on writers. To me, it’s far more effective to identify problems and let the writers fix them themselves, with guidance if necessary.

You need to limit your practice

I know this sounds counterintuitive — especially with all the talk of 10,000 hours — but consider the kind of investment involved. This effort to improve is hard work and must be sustained for a very long time (at least 10 years). Don’t burn yourself out by doing too much at once.

Says Ericsson: “when you’re really attending 100% and stretching yourself to really change, that time is actually limited.”

Nine steps for more effective writing

Here are nine simple steps you can take to make the 10,000 hours pass by in a flash:

1-Identify what you want to accomplish

Every writer will have their own unique goals. Do you want your style to be friendlier and more accessible? Or do you want to shine at formal, academic writing? Or perhaps the issue isn’t what you produce but how you feel about it. Maybe you’re tired of being stymied by writer’s block? Or possibly you want a more reasonable writing schedule that doesn’t leave you feeling guilty and depressed?

Articulate what it is you want to accomplish. If you don’t know the destination, how will you know when you get there?

2-Assess your current level of experience

Writers sometimes don’t have a realistic assessment of their own abilities. Some lacklustre writers think of themselves as successful writers while some successful writers still harbour doubts about their competence. Here, it can help you to get feedback from a third party. Just make sure this third party is trustworthy and reliable in evaluating the written word.

3-Develop some easy-to-learn habits

My favourite habit to teach new writers is the act of copying. Have you ever seen art students going into galleries around the world, copying the work of the masters? Writers can do the same thing, from the comfort of their own homes, by simply copying the work of literary masters. The practice needn’t take more than five minutes a day and it can change your life. Read about it here.

4-Break your skill into subskills

People sometimes make the mistake of declaring goals that are too big or too generic — such as: “become a great writer,” or, even, “become a better writer.” Instead, start much smaller. You’re far less likely to become discouraged or overwhelmed if you start small enough. And achieving success on these small writing goals today and tomorrow will put you in better shape for larger goals down the road. (Remember: You have 10 years!)

5-Focus mainly on quality

Are you familiar with the Pareto Principle? It says that 80% of the results will come from 20% of the work that you do. So, identify the 20% of effort that will give you the most results and focus primarily on that. You’ll be making a huge time commitment if you aim to get 10,000 hours. Make sure you get the most out of it.

6-Find a good mentor or coach

You can’t teach yourself everything. The 10,000-hour rule specifies that you need some outside support. This is not just for what the mentor or coach can teach you, but also for the support they can give you. It’s going to be hard spending 10,000 hours working on your writing. Get all the help you can with it.

7-Do most of your practice early in the day

I have worked with thousands of writers over the last 40 years and almost without exception, the most successful ones do their writing before they do anything else. I’m not saying you need to get up at 5 am, 6 am or even 7 am in order to write. I’m just saying you should do your writing first, before you do anything else. That’s the best way you have to protect your writing time.

8-Make sure your goals are manageable

When you start, begin with small steps. This may be hard to do when you know your ultimate goal is 10,000 hours. Two minutes might seem like a tiny drop in an enormous bucket. But having small goals will help you stay with the project, even on days when you might feel like quitting.

9-Be forgiving of yourself

We all mess up from time to time. Don’t expect perfection. Don’t let “great” be the enemy of the “good enough.” A 10-year plan requires long lenses. Look to the future. Imagine how great you’re going to feel when you’ve accumulated 2,000 hours, then, 5,000, then, at last 10,000. But you won’t be able to achieve 10,000 if you don’t learn how to forgive yourself for your inevitable mess-ups along the way.

Does the 10,000-hour rule sound too daunting?

Don’t take it as a rule.

Instead, focus on the small but difficult tasks you can accomplish every day. Becoming highly skilled at anything takes a lifetime for most people.

I recently saw a graphic summarizing the 10,000-hour rule in this way: talent + preparation + obsession/fanaticism + 10,000 hours of intense preoccupation/work/study/practice + persistence + repetition + play + keep your mouth shut.

I think that just about summarizes it.

This is a substantially updated version of a post that first appeared on my blog on Jan. 17/17.

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My video podcast last week addressed how to reduce clichés. Go here to see the video or read the transcript, and you can also subscribe to my YouTube channel.

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Need some help developing a better writing routine? Learn more about my Get It Done program. There is turn-over each month, and priority will go to those who have applied first. You can go directly to the application form and you’ll hear back from me within 24 hours.

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Do you know what it takes to be a good writer? We can all learn from each other so, please, share your thoughts with my readers and me in the “comments” section below. Anyone who comments on today’s post  (or any others) by Aug. 31/23 will be put in a draw for a digital copy of my first book, 8 1/2 Steps to Writing Faster, Better. To enter, please scroll down to the comments, directly underneath the “related posts” links, below. Note that you don’t have to join Disqus to post. See here to learn how to post as a guest. It’s easy!

Viewing time: 5 min. 58 sec.

The Write Question is a weekly video podcast about writing that I started in 2017 and that ran, more or less weekly, until April 2022. This is a republication of issue #71, with advice on reducing clichés. The post first ran on Oct. 26/18.

Transcript: 

Welcome to The Write Question, I’m Daphne Gray-Grant and my topic is eliminating or reducing clichés.

Today, I have a question from Judy Minkove calling from Baltimore.  Here’s what she’s asked.

“I wanted to submit my question to you…It’s about how to avoid slipping clichés into your writing and how to find alternatives. I struggle sometimes with finding compelling metaphors that aren’t overused and sometimes my editor will say that it’s cliché and I’m trying to think of an example: something like ‘going the distance,’ or ‘drawing a blank’ (as I am right now!) are clichés. So I look forward to hearing your answer.

Thanks for your question, Judy. Let me start by putting your mind to rest about one important issue. It’s entirely natural and normal that your first draft should be filled with clichés. Why? Because a cliché is an idea or a phrase that has been used a great deal.

Yes, they’ve been used so much that they’re no longer interesting or effective but they’re in your mind precisely because of that overuse. You’re familiar with them! If you are writing quickly then clichés are bound to spring to mind. And don’t criticize yourself for that. Your first draft, what I like to call your crappy first draft, should have all sorts of problems.

In fact, if your first draft doesn’t have enough problems, it likely means you’ve spent too much time polishing and editing it while you should have been writing. So, much as you hate those clichés, welcome them because they are a sign that you’re allowing yourself to write quickly enough.

When I find myself spouting clichés — as I do, just like you — I simply write the word cliché after it in square brackets, as a reminder to myself to go and fix it later, when I’m editing.

It’s important to let go of any notions of excellence or achievement while you are writing. Instead, just write. The time to fine-tune your prose — to make it better, sharper and more interesting — is when you are editing. And that’s the time when you should deal with clichés, as well.

So, let me move to part 2 of your question: How to refresh those tired and worn out expressions.

Start by analyzing the core message of the cliché and then try to find another way of saying the same thing. For example, “a level playing field” might be replaced by the word “fair.” It’s shorter, clearer and uncliched!

Now let’s take a look at another of the clichés you mentioned: “going the distance.”  First, ask yourself what you’re trying to say with that phrase. My guess is you’re talking about someone who’s working hard or is extra diligent or perhaps super careful. Any of those words would be okay – and while they might sound boring to you, keep in mind that they’re fresher and clearer than the cliché, “going the distance.”

Sometimes, however, you might want to maintain a cliché, but tweak it slightly to make it more interesting.

New Yorker writer Ken Auletta did that in a New Yorker profile of Elisabeth Murdoch, daughter of the publishing mogul Rupert Murdoch. Here is a small example of what he wrote:

Murdoch [senior], who is eighty-one, abhors gossip about his successor. Like Charles de Gaulle, he cannot imagine death knocking on his door.

The personification of death is an old trope — and not one I’d encourage most writers to use. What saves it here is the splendid comparison to Charles de Gaulle. It caught me short — took me by surprise. I wasn’t aware that de Gaulle had been afraid of death. And do you see how that new fact instantly elevates what would otherwise have been a very old and tired cliché? I’ve included a link to the piece, below.

I’ve always enjoying seeing clichés exploded — either by being replaced with fresher more vital images or, paradoxically, by being explored in greater detail. How does that work? Here’s an interesting example from a book I read several years ago, The Grief of Others by Leah Hager Cohen.

The book tells the story of a mother who has just discovered her unborn baby has anencephaly, or is lacking a major portion of the brain. Here is the sentence:

Somewhere, far away, too far for her to do anything about it, a train wreck was in progress, tons and tons of metal collapsing on itself, whole compartments combusting, grass bursting into flame and smoking alongside the tracks.

Of course, the phrase “train wreck” is a cliché. But doesn’t this detailed description make it come to life?

Cliches are clichés only if we use them mindlessly and fail to edit them.

Finally, let me wrap up with a quote from the late British fantasy writer Terry Pratchett: “The reason that clichés become clichés is that they are the hammers and screwdrivers in the toolbox of communication.”

Thanks for the question about reducing clichés, Judy. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Instead, just make dealing with clichés a core part of your editing process.

Links:

The rise of Elisabeth Murdoch

The Grief of Others  by Leah Hager Cohen

Reading time: About 4 minutes

Here’s some practical advice on how to write more concisely…and if you can’t do that, how to edit the extra verbiage you’ve produced…

When I started writing, 40 years ago, I always wrote short. If a client or boss wanted 750 words, I’d struggle to produce 675. If the total was supposed to be 350, I eked out 215. I usually had more difficulty getting enough words, not too many.

For many people, however, the problem is the reverse. Words gush forth like hot water from a geyser. Or, even if the words don’t arrive easily, once they finally appear on the page, the writer has a hard time making any of them go away. Cutting words may seem as heartless as winnowing blueberries when they’re overproducing in late August.

I recently discovered some online “text reducers,” which are offered by online essay-writing services (otherwise known as plagiarism factories.) I tested them out and suggest you steer clear of them. I found their reductions both inept and inadequate.

But if you regularly exceed your desired — or required — count when writing, here are seven useful tips on how to write more concisely.

1-Start removing ideas rather than words or sentences

If you need to cut by more than 20 per cent, know that fiddling around with individual words here and there is not going to do the trick. You’re going to have to remove entire chunks of text. This may be painful but the good news is it will improve your writing because it will force you to focus more keenly.

I usually argue against outlining but here is one time that technique — so beloved of high school teachers — can actually help, (I never argue against outlining once the piece has been written! Only before, when you really ought to be mindmapping, instead). So outline your piece and then ask yourself whether you can delete an entire section.

For example, if you have made an argument with seven points, settle on six instead. (Or go to four from five, or to three from four.)

Try not to cut stories or examples, if you can help it, because these are the bits of “colour” that will be most interesting to your readers. You want to delete the dull parts — not the most interesting ones.

When deciding which section(s) to remove, put yourself in the shoes of your readers. To do this, visualize one person (ideally, someone you know well). Take a deep breath, try to empty your mind and see your writing from your friend’s eyes.

Ask yourself which section would be least meaningful and persuasive to him or her.

Don’t actually throw this text away — instead, copy and move the section into a fresh document. (You might change your mind later, and it will still be there for you to copy back in.)

But now that you’ve temporarily removed it, re-read your writing to see if it still works. With luck, this will not only work but will also take your word count to less than 20 percent over.

2-Keep cutting ideas

If you’re still more than 20 percent over, you have two options:

• Delete another point. Or two.
• Vastly tighten your introduction and conclusion.

And here’s a fresh take for bloggers: Consider turning your single article into a two-, three- or four-part series. If you have that much to say, and if the topic is rich enough, you’ll be doing your readers a favour by giving the topic the space it deserves.

Once you no longer need to cut more than 20 percent, turn your attention to words and phrases. The following strategies will help:

3-Remove unnecessary and extra words

Here are some examples to give you an idea of how this strategy works:

The book was a total of 435 pages in length. (10 words)
The book was 435 pages. (5 words)

The doctor conducted an examination of… (6 words)
The doctor examined… (3 words)

Independent reviews of the dams are conducted every 10 years. (10 words)
Outside engineers review the dams every 10 years. (8 words)

Also, the word “that” is frequently unnecessary and can simply be removed:

Original: This is a remarkable book that has also been made into a movie (13 words)

Revised: This remarkable book has also been made into a movie. (10 words)

Phrases like “there are,” “it is,” and “the fact that” can all be removed to shorten your text and make your writing more direct and concise.

4-Target words ending in –tion

Words ending in –tion are usually verbs that have been turned into nouns — for example, notify becomes notification. But here’s the problem: Once you’ve removed the verb, you need to add another one to make the sentence work.

Consider: Be sure to arrange for notification of your new email address to all subscribers. (14 words) Versus: Be sure to notify all subscribers of your new email address. (11 words).

If you want to find –tion words quickly, use your search key (command + f) and type in tion.

5-Reduce adjectives and adverbs

Adjectives modify nouns (eg: a vehement argument) and adverbs modify verbs (eg: she argued vehemently.) If you need to tighten, remove them. Often you can use a different noun or verb that will convey the same meaning.

For example, the noun diatribe might replace vehement argument. And the verb phrase: she railed conveys the sense of someone arguing vehemently.

6-Remove certain prepositions

You can frequently delete words such as “of.” For example: CEO of the board can become Board CEO and writer of young adult fiction can be transformed into young-adult-fiction writer.

7-Eliminate articles

The article “the” often isn’t necessary. See: All the members of the city council voted against the amendment (11 words). Versus: All members of city council voted against the amendment, (9 words.)

This kind of line-by-line editing, wherein you examine every word suspiciously — does it really need to be there? — can yield surprising results and can help take care of the remaining 20 percent you need to edit.

How to deal with letter counts

I’m adding this post-script for anyone who has to complete application forms — for a grant, job or anything else — online. I’ve noticed these forms often specify the required length in terms of letter counts rather than words. This requirement causes most people to compose directly into the form.

Don’t use a dysfunctional writing process like that!

Instead, write in your word processing software (MS Word for most people) after having calculated the approximate word count of the required letter count. You can do this calculation yourself by grabbing some text from the internet and then measuring it using the navigation bar: Tools/word count. Further down on this same menu, you’ll see it will also tell you the specific number of characters (with spaces) that those words represent.

Otherwise, I can tell you that 100 words is usually somewhere between 510 and 575 characters with spaces.

Write and edit in your regular software (which will give you a word count at the bottom of the page) and then copy and paste back into the form, editing further if necessary.

Learn how to write more concisely

When submitting your work to a boss, supervisor or client, it’s important for you to meet the required word count.

If you submit text that’s too long, you’re simply increasing the workload of the person you’re giving it to. They will have to shorten and tighten, and that’s not fair to them.

Not only that, but if you learn how to write more concisely, other people will be less likely to dilute the message you want to communicate.

This is a substantially updated version of a post that first appeared on my blog on April 28/15.

My video podcast last week addressed how to write sample chapters of your book. Go here to see the video or read the transcript, and you can also subscribe to my YouTube channel.

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Need some help developing a better writing routine? Learn more about my Get It Done program. There is turn-over each month, and priority will go to those who have applied first. You can go directly to the application form and you’ll hear back from me within 24 hours.

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Have you learned to write more concisely when your piece is too long? How do you do it? We can all learn from each other so, please share your thoughts with my readers and me in the “comments” section below. Anyone who comments on today’s post (or any others) by July 31/23 will be put in a draw for a digital copy of my first book, 8 1/2 Steps to Writing Faster, Better.  To enter, please scroll down to the comments, directly underneath the “related posts” links, below. Note that you don’t have to join Disqus to post. See here to learn how to post as a guest. It’s easy!