PROFESSIONAL WRITING TECHNIQUES

Professional Writing Techniques
Part 3 of 3

And a few last tweaking tips to better please your readers~

8. Include an occasional quotation or statistic. 

    Such additions to your text add variety, wisdom and depth to your words, as well as wisdom from a known authority. State the source of all your statistics.

QUOTATION     "Today, growing your global markets has never been easier. With recent advancements in technology, any small- to medium-sized company can grow its business in international markets." 

from Grow Your Global Markets: A Handbookfor Successful Market Entry

by Raymond A. Hopkins

STATISTIC

     "According to a report released by the Pew Research Center, 68% of Americans are on Facebook."

from How Floor DealersCan Beat the Boxes Online

by Jim Augustus Armstrong

9. Use – but don’t overuse – well-known slang or colloquial expressions.

     In nonfiction as well as fiction, a light scattering of such colorful words will go a long way. Really -- how many time do you think we need to read Y'all, before we get it! Too much sounds trite.

And unless you're writing an "adults only" book, be cautious about sexually suggestive slang or derogatory expressions.

10. Condense, but don’t stretch the content. 

      Judicious condensing (tightening the writing) of a paragraph or sentence can be done in ways that keep the meaning clear and eliminate unnecessary words.

Sometimes we string together a series of descriptive, short phrases that would "read" much better if they were combined using one or two specific words that incorporate the phrase descriptions.

However, stretching your content to fill more space always dilutes the message and looks like lazy writing. Your readers will catch on to “word fill” without any trouble and either be bored or so very annoyed!

11. Always ignore MSWord’s corrections except for spelling — usually.
      So often they are dead wrong! And copying their mistake will NOT exonerate you from using it!

That's all the pro tips for now, friends. But you know, deep down, that I'll soon be back with more~

(Yes, I know... that picture plays with my brain, too!)

Happy writing,

Lin