313 in a Nutshell: an Intro to Business and Administrative Writing
In the so called real world, nearly all writing is produced to fulfill three simple purposes:
1) To inform
(“The University of Idaho prohibits underage drinking”)
2) To get what you want from some person or organization
(I am telling you this so that you do not drink, or so that I am released from liability.)
3) To maintain or develop a positive image of yourself, your organization or product
(“We love you; please continue to attend the University of Idaho, fellow Vandal!”)
These three are inherently linked cuz you can’t get #2 if you can’t develop #3.
(“Up yours UI! I’m going back to BSU to drink like a fish! Whoohoo!”)
Therefore, each and every time you sit down to write something, ask yourself the following questions (often in the following order):
1) What’s my purpose? What is it I’m trying to accomplish with this document?
2) How likely is the reader to
give me what I want?
3) How can I convince the
reader to give me what I want?
4) What does the reader think of me/our relationship, and how can I improve or maintain that image/relationship, to help me get what I want?
Most writing fails because writers instead insert the following:
1) What are my personal feelings? Am I angry? Am I greedy? Are my feelings hurt? Do I like this person? Why am I so hung-over? How come nobody loves me? Do these pants make me look fat?
2) How can I establish the dominance of my ego over the reader and make him or her feel small, stupid, ugly, fat and irresponsible? I am a living god. Do these pants make me look fat?
3) How can I write this document as quickly as possible and send it off before I wise up and realize I’m totally hosing myself and defeating my purpose?
4) If I write only one draft I can make it to the breakfast buffet, and the reader is too stupid to notice that my punctuation is equal to that of a seven year old.
Good writing helps you get the things you want from the people who have the power, ability and/or resources to give you those things.
Bad writing costs you and your organization in the following ways:
1) Wasted time
a) You’ve wasted the reader’s time because he couldn’t understand you or misunderstood you
b) You’ve wasted the reader’s time because
he had to write back for more information
c) You’ve wasted your own time because now you have to write back to the reader again.
2) Wasted money or resources
a) You lost the contract
b) You lost support for your cause
c) The reader is taking his resources elsewhere
d) Someone is paying you to write another letter to the reader
e) The reader misunderstood you and is getting paid to do the wrong thing.
3) Wasted goodwill
a) The reader thinks you are an idiot
b) The reader knows you are an idiot
c) The reader is telling all of his colleagues what an idiot you are and suggesting they avoid you at all costs
d) The reader is headed over to kick in your teeth.
The bottom line:
When you sit down to write, the essential question is always “What is it I want to accomplish with this document, and what do I need to do to accomplish it.”
Shelve your ego and concentrate on the purpose.