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11 / 04 / 18
Why a list of bullets is not a report (and military writing could make you enemies)
A few years ago, I was working with a consultant. We used to meet every week, over breakfast. And, as my daughter was going through a phase of waking up every night, I was invariably tired. I remember one session, during which I had been particularly sluggish. Even a second double espresso could not push […]
15 / 03 / 18
How to avoid the biggest mistake in business writing
Mention writing skills to most people and they will roll their eyes before launching into a confession about how spelling/grammar/punctuation/all three have always been their weakest link. Yet, when they do, they’re missing the point. These things matter, for sure. An email full of typos or a poorly punctuated proposal will almost certainly undermine your […]
01 / 03 / 18
How to blast through word counts – and write 1,000 words an hour
Word counts are a feature common to business and academic writing alike. ITTs (invitations to tender) commonly specify a word limit for key sections. And while an essay or a doctoral thesis usually come with a word minimum, the reality is that it quickly becomes a target. On the face of it, that should be […]
02 / 02 / 18
How to fix the 7 most common glitches in technical writing
Most of us are technical writers at some point or other, even if we don’t realise it. You may be quite happy with the label if you write test reports or standard operating procedures. But you can have a very different role and still sometimes need to write technical things: a design brief, an employee […]
10 / 01 / 18
9 ways to win more work with your bids and tenders
In sport, there’s often a fine line between being hailed as the champ or dubbed an also-ran. For every Olympic 10,000m gold medallist there were probably dozens of potential champions. But no matter. Whoever crosses the line first, even by a fraction of a second, takes the spoils. Coming out on top is often about […]
07 / 11 / 17
The smart way to edit your colleagues’ documents
It’s a sad fact that most business documents simply don’t hit their mark. Too often they fail to make vital messages clear, prompt action or even inspire confidence in the writer’s professionalism. But reports and other documents that do work tend to have something in common – smart editing. Effective documents didn’t always start […]