Write Like a Pro: Ten Techniques for Getting Your Point Across at Work (and in Life)
216
Write Like a Pro: Ten Techniques for Getting Your Point Across at Work (and in Life)
216eBook
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Overview
In today's business world, writers need to be prepared and comfortable with various forms of writing: reports, blogs, social media, white papers. Written by an established expert on writing and communication, journalism professor Carl D. Hausman, Write Like a Pro: Ten Techniques for Getting Your Point Across at Work (and in Life) can make you a better writer, regardless of your experience and current skill level; and will teach you how to vastly improve your written communication through a straightforward, easy-to-follow method.
This book doesn't just cover the essential "mechanics" of good writing; it focuses on developing the more subtle skills of infusing your writing with eloquence, power, accuracy, and persuasiveness—and it shows readers how to achieve those qualities with no-nonsense advice. The information is highly accessible, sometimes amusing, and replete with memorable examples that demonstrate what works and teaches a strategy for solving any writing problem. It is essential reading for anyone who wants to write effectively, in any form, from emails to complaint letters to social media.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9798216169017 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Bloomsbury Publishing |
| Publication date: | 03/28/2016 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 216 |
| File size: | 644 KB |
| Age Range: | 7 - 17 Years |
About the Author
Carl Hausman, PhD, is professor of journalism at Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ.
Table of Contents
Introduction xv
How to Use This Book xvii
Chapter 1 Deploy a Professional Writer's Strategy to Produce Engaging, Powerful, and Persuasive Writing-and Do It on a Schedule 1
1 Decide What's in It for the Reader 1
2 Decide What's in It for You 3
3 Identify One Central Thought 4
4 Break Your Thought into a Few Main Chunks 6
5 Arrange the Chunks into a Beginning, Middle, and End 8
6 If Possible, Start in the Middle and End at the Beginning 9
7 Determine the Appropriate Tone 10
8 Collect and Transcribe Your Materials Together on Standard-Size Paper (No Napkins, Matchbooks, Post-it Notes, or YouTube Videos) 11
9 Key Your Sources to Your Outline-A Five-Minute Process That Will Save You Hours or Days of Trial and Error 12
10 Write the Damn Thing Now-Here's How 17
Chapter 2 Use Proper Paragraphing to Grab Your Readers by the Nose and Lead Them through Your Piece (And Make Them Like Being Led) 19
1 Translate Your Outline into Paragraphs 19
2 Use Topic Sentences for Each Idea; Each Idea = One Paragraph 20
3 Make All the Material in Each Paragraph Support the Topic Sentence 20
4 Use Transitions to Connect One Paragraph to Another and Lead the Reader through Your Main Points 21
5 Eliminate Any Rogue Paragraphs That Interrupt the Flow 22
6 Employ Paragraph Length That Is Appropriate to the Piece 22
7 Punch Up Your Writing with One-Sentence Paragraphs (Sparingly) for Emphasis 23
8 Begin Some Paragraphs with a Question to Revive Your Reader's Attention 23
9 Use Proper Paragraph Form to Introduce Quotations, Adding Life and Humanity to Your Work 24
10 Eliminate the Amateur's Typical Repetitive Habits: "I Told You So"-Type Tagging at the End of a Paragraph and Repeating Material Already Stated in Other Paragraphs 26
Chapter 3 Employ Muscular, Accurate Words to Do Your Heavy Lifting 27
1 Make Verbs Do the Work 27
2 Remember That the Best Adverb Is Often No Adverb 28
3 Use Vivid Adjectives 29
4 Choose the Right Power Word 30
5 Be Certain Not to Mix Up Similar-Sounding Words That Have Different Meanings 31
6 Make Sure You Know What Words Really Mean 35
7 Expand Your Vocabulary by Understanding the Stories Behind Words 36
8 Edit Out Vague Word Meanings and Unclear References, Particularly in Your Opening Sentences 37
9 Remove Loaded Words or Those That Can Be Easily Misconstrued 41
10 Eliminate Unnecessary or Redundant Words 42
Chapter 4 Make Your Writing Come Alive with Vivid Style 45
1 Create Powerful Images with Figurative Words and Phrases 45
2 Drive Your Point Home with Creative Similes, Metaphors, and Personification 47
3 Engage the Reader with Specifics-Colors, Smells, Details 49
4 Take Advantage of Accessible Alliteration 50
5 Use Present Tense When Appropriate 51
6 Spotlight Ironies and Incongruities 51
7 Exploit the Power of Threes 52
8 Use Humor When Appropriate 53
9 Include Lingo and Inside Information That Intrigue the Reader and Offer a Glimpse into Other People's Thoughts and Actions 56
10 Streamline Your Style with Strong Sentence Structure 57
Chapter 5 Don't Turn Off the Reader by Making Dumb Mistake's with You're Grammar and Usage
1 Use Apostrophes to Indicate Possession-But Know the Handful of Exceptions 60
2 Use Apostrophes to Indicate Missing Letters 62
3 Make Your Subjects and Verbs Agree in Number 62
4 Avoid "Our Salespeople Do Not Have Quotas Because They Are Unproductive" and Other Hazards of Vaguely Referenced Pronouns 64
5 Use Commas, Properly When Setting Off Clauses, Introductory Elements, and Lists-Not for Random Decoration as After the Second Word of This Sentence 66
6 Do Not Compose Run-On Sentences, They Are Very Amateurish 68
7 Know the Proper Usage of Quotation Marks, Semicolons, and Exclamation Points (Avoid Them!) 69
8 Learn the Rules for Choosing "Which vs. That," "Who vs. Whom," and "Lay vs. Lie" 70
9 Avoid the "I Saw a Moose on Vacation in Maine" Conundrum and Other Hazards of a Dangling Modifier (And If You Can't Avoid a Dangling Modifier, Follow Johnny Carson's Advice and Wear a Long Coat) 72
10 Keep Sentence Elements Parallel, Make the Wording Similar, and Look Do You See How Stupid It Sounds When You Don't? 73
Chapter 6 Use Concrete Examples, Explanations, and Evidence to Reinforce Your Point (Speaking of Concrete, the Hoover Dam Used Enough Concrete to Build a Road from New York to California) 75
1 Use Examples That Relate to Everyday Life 75
2 When Offering Explanations, Don't Define Unfamiliar Concepts with Unfamiliar Words 76
3 Put in Enough Background So That Most Readers Understand Context-But Don't Overload 77
4 Utilize Examples of Behavior That Show the Subject's Personality and Character Development 78
5 When Using Numbers, Round Them Off When Appropriate 80
6 When Using Numbers, Make Them Instantly Meaningful 80
7 Don't Cite Misleading Statistics, and Don't Be Fooled by Other People's Misrepresentations 81
8 Never Make or Fall for a Spurious Cause-and-Effect Explanation and Know How to Deflate Such an Argument If It Is Used Against You 83
9 Check Comparisons to Make Sure They Are, in Fact, Comparable 85
10 Be Judicious When Using Poll or Survey Data to Reinforce Your Contentions 86
Chapter 7 Use Simple and Proven Techniques of Persuasion If Your Aim Is to Motivate or Convince 89
1 Assess Your Audience and Gauge Your Persuasion Accordingly: Reinforce Those Who Are Likely to Agree with You, Persuasively Inform Those Who Are Neutral, and Deflect and Redirect Those Who Disagree 90
2 Don't Contradict the Reader's Opinion at the Beginning 91
3 Have a Clear Goal: Establish in Your Own Mind What You Want the Persuasive Piece to Accomplish 92
4 Move Your Reader from Point A to Point B Along the Path of Consistency 93
5 Establish Your Credibility Quickly 94
6 Assemble Evocative Evidence and Arguments 96
7 Acknowledge and Counter Conflicting Arguments 97
8 When Possible, Include Graphics That Support Your Case 98
9 Harness Feelings, Emotions, and Narratives to Reinforce Your Arguments 99
10 Provide a Conclusion That Funnels the Readers' Views into the Conclusion You Want Them to Draw 100
Chapter 8 Show, Don't Tell-Master the Technique at the Heart of Compelling Writing 103
1 Let the Story Tell Itself without Telling the Reader the Story 103
2 Use the Story That Tells the Story: The Power of Anecdotes 104
3 Use Quotes from Others to Conscript Them into Doing Your Showing for You 106
4 Use Dialogue to Invoke Reality in the Theater of the Mind 106
5 Show Examples Unfolding and Then Introduce Your Premise 107
6 Stage Scenes, a Technique Surprisingly Appropriate in Many Types of Writing 108
7 Propel Your Narrative with a Varied Tapestry of People Doing Things and Events Unfolding 109
8 Place All of Your Narrative on a Clear Time Line 110
9 Subtly Demonstrate Why Your Quotes, Anecdotes, and Descriptions Are Important-and Use Them as a Telling Detail 110
10 Use Your Most Vivid Details and Evocative Descriptions When You Make Your "Show Point" 111
Chapter 9 Borrow from the Best: Use Quotes to Add Power to Your Writing 113
1 Understand Why Churchill Said, "Quotations, Engraved Upon the Memory, Give You Good Thoughts" 113
2 Use a Quote When You Can't Say It Perfectly but Someone Else Already Has 114
3 Use Quotes to Lend Authority 114
4 Use Quotes to Add Color 116
5 Use Partial Quotes and Paraphrases to Make the Quote More Readable 116
6 Be Transparent in Citing the Source of Your Quotes 117
7 Attribute Quotes Ethically 118
8 Attribute Quotes Gracefully and Grammatically 118
9 Change Quotes with Extreme Caution 120
10 Employ Evocative Interview Techniques to Coax a Quote from a Source 121
Chapter 10 Grow as a Writer Using This Ten-Step Plan 123
1 Model Your Style on Your Favorites: Good Writing Is the Sincerest Form of Imitation 124
2 Start an Organized File of Anecdotes, Quotes, and Facts That Are of Particular Use to You 125
3 Take Notes Assiduously 126
4 Learn What "Assiduous" Means and See How Knowing One Latin Root Can Add Three Excellent English Words to Your Repertoire, and Then Formulate a Lifetime Vocabulary-Building Plan 127
5 Read with a Purpose: Graze in Different Genres-in a Systematic Way-to Nourish Overall Verbal Growth 128
6 Test Your Limits by Trying Different Styles and Genres 129
7 Create an Environment, Schedule, and System That Support Your Writing Goals 130
8 Get Paid for Your Writing 131
9 Become Widely Published (or at Least Well Known) in Your Field, Specialty, or Genre 132
10 Build an Online Presence 132
Chapter 11 The Ten Techniques in Action: Step-by-Step Demonstrations of the "Write Like a Pro" Techniques in Various Styles of Writing 135
Notes 187
Suggested Readings 191
Index 193