Be Brief

BE BRIEF

When writing, always try to be brief. Unnecessary words are a lazy person’s habit, waste the effort of the writers and reader and muddy the thinking and decision making. Here are some tips:

•Make the first paragraph clearly state the purpose answering in a general way the who, what, when, where and why. Let the reader know what you want him/her to do.

•Discuss only one subject in each paragraph, the same subject that the topic sentence introduces.

•Never say in a paragraph what you can say in a sentence. Never say in a sentence what you can say with a word. Never say in a long word what you can say in a short word with the same meaning.

•Where data can stand on its own without explanation let it.

•If something is “needless to say”, why say it?

•Use short words (70% one syllable), short sentences (no more than 25 words) and short paragraphs (no more than seven lines). Brevity helps clarity and persuasiveness.

•Avoid using pompous, long words for the words you would use talking. There should be no difference between your speaking and writing vocabulary. Here is a blacklist:
1.Anticipate (expect)
2.Deceased (dead)
3.Desire (want)
4.Failed to (didn’t)
5.Insufficient (not enough)
6.Obtain (get)
7.Presently (now)
8.Prohibit (forbid)
9.Require (need)
10.Spouse (husband, wife)
11.Substantial (large)
12.Supply (send)
13.Terminate (end, stop)
14.Transpire (happen)
15.Vehicle (car)