What techniques do you use when writing your blog, an article, a chapter in your book or even an email? Over the years, I’ve noticed that I’ve created some interesting and workable methods for remembering what I want to write, for self-editing and for enhancing an article or blog post that seems to be lacking something.
For the most part, these techniques are automatic—I apply them without much thought. Recently, however, I began to notice some of the habits I’ve adopted over the years.
One thing I do, for example, is to jot notes ahead of the writing I am doing. If a thought occurs to me while I’m typing and it’s something I want to be sure to include in my email, blog or article, I will space down and make a note so that I will remember to write on that issue or thought before completing the piece. Otherwise, I tend to forget the bit of wisdom or the comment or other addition I thought was important to add.
I will sometimes research a topic while in the middle of an article or even an email. Did you know that you can open two of your Internet windows at once? So you can be doing research while writing an email. If I’m responding to an email from a client and I want to add a bit of information I don’t have at my fingertips—a statistic or the name of a young adult fantasy publisher, for example—I can open another Yahoo window, find the information and then go back to my email and insert it. But most of you probably know this.
I write longer or more sensitive emails off-line—in my word processing program rather than directly in an email. When someone sends me interview questions, I write my answers off-line, as well.
I have developed the habit of re-reading everything before I click “send.” I even read personal emails before sending. This is an excellent habit to adopt. I used to think I was pretty good at creating good copy the first time around. Sure, I always double/triple-checked articles or my blog post before sending. But I was pretty quick to send emails without checking them. When I started looking them over more closely, I discovered that, in my haste, I sometimes typed the wrong words. My email might read, “I sue enjoyed our lunch together last week,” instead of “I sure enjoyed our lunch together last week.” I might unknowingly type “The food was band and the was service poor,” instead of “The food was bland and the service was poor.”
I’m positive that most of you make similar (and worse) mistakes as you are hurrying to complete an email. I know this because I receive so many emails with small and horrendous errors.
I’d like to hear about some of the habits you’ve developed in order to create more mistake-free emails, articles and such. And I hope that those of you who still find serious mistakes in your writings at some point down the road, will consider spending a little more time proofing what you write.
If you’re ready to have your article or book manuscript edited, please contact me for an estimate. Learn more about my work and my services here: http://www.patriciafry.com
Remember, I’m teaching a class on article-writing this Saturday (December 3, 2011) at the Ventura College in Ventura, CA. There’s still time to sign up. http://www.communityed.venturacollege.edu