a little gem

I'm in grad school and write lots of papers. I generally get positive feedback on my writing, and I believe this is for two reasons. One is that I pay close attention to the assignment--I always try to make sure I answer the question or issue posed. Two is that my thoughts are usually well organized.

This is due to one of the best writing investments I've ever made--the purchase of a little gem of a software called Inspiration. I first learned about Inspiration because my kids used it in elementary school for many of their projects. Then I read about it in an article in MacWorld magazine that reviewed outlining software. I considered it because an author said that it was an invaluable tool for helping him to write novels. That sold me and I've been using Inspiration for years now. I don't think I could even write a letter to my mother without it.

Every paper, article or book project I write starts with an outline. Sometimes the outline is three or four points and just helps me get my thoughts in order. For other projects it becomes the essential reference and I'd be completely lost without it (such as in the research paper on Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing and Cognitive Behavior Therapy I'm currently slogging through).

You may or may not find this tool as useful as I have; however, if you're a visual learner/writer, give it a try. Inspiration is definitely not the only outlining software out there and it may not even be the best, but I'm totally hooked on it. For more info and a free trial check out their website.

Less is more, part 2

A couple weeks ago I wrote about the importance of using fewer words to communicate more effectively. Here are some more tips for making your writing pack a bigger punch with fewer words:

• Before you write your piece, ask yourself two questions. 1) Who is my audience? 2) what is my big idea? After you're finished, ask yourself these two questions again. Does every sentence in your piece communicate your big idea in the best way for your audience to hear it?
  
• Look at the piece as a whole. Is there sufficient "white space"? When I see paragraph upon paragraph of unbroken text I tend to skim it or skip it entirely. Consider using bullet points or breaking information into tables or charts if it is technical or repetitive.
  
• Review each paragraph. Are you adding unnecessary details that may detract from your overall message? If so, eliminate them.
  
• Review each sentence and cross out extraneous words. "Due to the fact that..." can be changed to "Due to..." How about this one? We therefore pledge to you a fast, simple method to hop aboard the fitness fast train. A more efficient option is: That's why we offer a simple method to maximize your fitness routine.
  
• Review each word. Are you using big-dictionary words when a more common word will do? Unless you're an attorney or an extremely accomplished literary writer, your readers will appreciate you more if you use simpler words.
  

Just to show you how passionate I am on this topic, I'm offering a free critique of 5 pages or less to the first three people who comment on this post. I look forward to hearing from you!