As a child, I read a fairy tale about a boy who wanted to be a wizard. The current court wizard gave him three tasks to accomplish.
First, the boy had to show him something no one else had ever seen. Cleverly, the boy brought an egg just as it hatched, revealing a brand new chick.
The second task I don't recall; I suspect it wasn't that important to the story.
But the third task was truly amazing. Pointing toward a tall tower in the distance, the mage said, "Jump to the top of that tower." The boy started hopping, all the way to the tower, then up the steps one by one. What had seemed impossible merely took some time.
One mistake many writers make is wishing to get a project over with in one quick leap. Consequently, the project seems more daunting than it really is. They avoid the writing process (planning, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing), thinking it too time consuming, thinking it unnecessarily focused on polish. They miss the fact that the process can actually save time and effort by breaking things down into easily manageable stages.
Of course, it's also about polish, producing writing that makes you seem like a wizard. For example, as writing trainer Lynn Gaertner-Johnston points out in "Editors: Here Is Data to Support Your Job," a recent IBM study revealed a 30-percent higher click rate on edited Web text.
What's your writing process like? Do you plan an e-mail message before sending it? Do you write more than one draft of a memo? For that matter, what are your most common writing challenges? Click the link below to add a comment.
- Lester Smith





With the rise of social media, requests to write a "letter of recommendation" are ever more common. I put those words in quotation marks because the requested recommendations are often less formal than a traditional letter - more of a note. Still, the effect can be far-reaching for everyone involved. It's important, then, to do it right, while keeping time, and words, to a minimum. I recommend the following two-step approach.
If you've ever done a Web search for "business writing," you know just how many "business plan" results occur. Obviously, writing a business plan is an important topic. From the content of those search results, it's just as obviously a daunting one. Most people launching a small business seem more comfortable just jumping in and adapting to whatever happens than writing a business plan to prepare first.
Chances are you recognize in the title above a reference to the 2002 movie. (If not, definitely go rent
Business writing is a craft, not an art form. Like all other crafts, it can be broken down into teachable steps that can be practiced and mastered. What follows are nine steps for writing any sort of business document, from start to finish. These are the steps that every professional incorporates into writing, and that every writing student should be taught. Follow these steps, and you will find steadily improved results with steadily decreasing labor.
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