Writing is simply a form of communication, conveying ideas and feelings from your mind to another mind. While you can list tons of do's and don'ts to keep in mind while writing something. These simple tips can help you improvise your writing skill
Remember your Readers
You have to keep your reader constantly in mind as you write. This is not always so easy, often, you may become inward looking, struggling to put your own ideas into words, and forget all about the person who will be finally reading your piece of writing.
You must keep your eyes forever on your Reader.
That alone constitutes the Technique.
- Ford Madox Ford, The English Novel
That involves taking trouble - ordering your thoughts in the most methodical and logical sequence, and wording them in the most lucid language. The more clearly you express your ideas, easier it becomes, for the reader to decipher them.For example, if your readers are all laymen, don't burst into technical explanations. On the other hand, if they all are experts, then do use some technical jargon, for brevity's sake and avoid long-winded non-technical explanations.
Be Attentive
Many of the commonest faults in the everyday writing can be put down to simple lack of concentration. For example, British English allows a group noun such as Board, team, or jury, to take either a singular or a plural verb in most of the contexts.Now, consider the statement :
"The Board was united in their support of the Company's legal actions and appeals." Incorrect
Here, the writer chose to treat Board as singular, by using singular verb - only to treat it as plural by using their.
"The Board was united in its support of the Company's legal actions and appeals." Correct
"The Board were united in their support of the Company's legal actions and appeals." Correct
Such inconsistency could have been easily avoided, had the writer been little more attentive.No matter how few of the grammar and usage rules you know, you can avoid most of the common errors by simply keeping your wits about you as you write.Constant vigilance is the key.
Logical Lapses
Logic here means the soundness of the ideas expressed, the order in which they are presented, validity of the links between them. Consider the statement : "Are you still beating your wife?". It contains a hidden claim, which if not justified puts the reader or listener in a difficult position, unable to supply a simple response. One of the complex response could be : "I have never beaten my wife".
Testing your writing for the logical correctness is usually nothing more than using your common sense.
Above all, remember that someone has to do the work if communication is to take place successfully. An inverse proportion operates : the more work you as writer do to get it right, the less work the reader has to do. And vice versa.
References:
Readers' Digest "How to Speak and Write Better"
Personal Experiences
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