Chapter 10 Writing Techniques

1. Writing Styles

Writing style is determined by target audience and overall purpose. Technical, legal, political, promotional, poetic, prose, journalistic, fiction, nonfiction, inspirational, speech and script writing are the most common styles found in today's literature.

For example, in a financial services organization, promotional, technical and legal documents make up the majority of its publications. Promotional, customer service and support materials dominate the paperwork. Technical publications include manuals, guides, research and educational papers and textbooks. Legal documents are also abundant and include agreements, contracts, disclaimers, policies and procedures.

Remember to be consistent. Avoid mixing categories, such as inspirational or journalistic styles added to a service manual or guide; you might sound too "preachy."

There are basic rules to promotional and technical writing. Make sure to use "third-person," capitalize on the "You Formula," be positive and persuasive, avoid negations and absolutes, and watch for other verbosity traps.

2. The Value of Third-Person

Technical publications require writing in "third-person." Although persuasive writing can include first- and second-person, it is recommended to compose your promotional document using little or no first-person words.

The rule here is simple. If you use first-person, try to limit yourself to one "I" per paragraph. You might find it challenging. It's also the only case where you are allowed to convert sentences from active to passive tense. The words "we" and "us" are good words to use as substitutes. Remember that "I" and "my" are weak words, whereas "we" and "ours" are collectively stronger and less egocentric. Do not use idiomatic expressions, such as, "Let me tell you why," "Don't take my word for it" and "I'm here to tell you." First-person idioms should only be used in speeches, promotions and quotations.

Wrong	I make this promise to you.
Right	This promise is made to you.
Wrong	At Bank of America, I am proud to ...
Right	We at Bank of America are proud to ...

3. The "You Formula"

The "You Formula" is so important to the advertising and marketing industries that entire classes and seminars are dedicated to this "prime directive." It's best to think of the "You Formula" as the method by which you step down from the podium and step over to the customer's ear. This formula is most effective in letters, marketing documents and customer service materials. For samples, read professional marketing letters to get an overdose of such words as "you," "yourself" and "yours."

Weak	I (We) guarantee our services are the best available.
Strong	You are guaranteed our services are the best available.

4. To Negate or Not to Negate

The tone of your writing is very important. To be persuasive one must exude the positive and squelch the negative. Primary negation words like "no" and "not," used alone or in contractions, do little to increase positive feelings. In fact, the mere utterance of a negation reduces positive attitudes, invites arguments and instills fears in the audience.

Negations are acceptable and sometimes unavoidable in guides, manuals and instructional documents, rules and procedures. You'll even find a smidgen of negations in this manual, since it is a guide. If you must use negations, then consider a "Do & Don'ts" list. Watch out for negative contractions — a sure way to embarrass yourself.

Bad	It is not necessary to give a receipt.
Good	It's unnecessary to give a receipt.

5. Verbosity Traps

When writing and editing, there are important rules to follow that help you avoid verbosity traps - overuse or misuse of prepositions, adverbs, gerunds and absolutes. To avoid being called verbose or loquacious, follow these rules:

Reduce Prepositions

• Newspaper journalist are guilty of taking the prepositional phrase where "no man has gone before." Avoid overusing prepositions and remember that a prepositional phrase should modify the noun, adjective or clause directly preceding it. Make sure you correctly place prepositional phrases using appropriate commas when the sentence's natural flow is interrupted. Do not end sentences with a preposition.

• Prepositional phrases are often unnecessary, especially when modifying nouns. Use plurals and possessives, or even adverbs or gerunds, to reduce prepositions and articles. Prepositions are classified as Enemy Number One.

Weak	The services of our company have improved by dramatic measures. (two prepositional phrases)
Better	Our company's services have dramatically improved. (no prepositions)
Wrong	New members of UFCU may choose to keep their mortgages from previous banks after they join UFCU.
Right	After joining, new UFCU members may choose to keep their previous mortgages.

Reduce Adverbs

• It's common to hear rhetorical adverbs used in a speech or, colloquially, in everyday conversation. Adverbs used this way are often unnecessary and illogical when put on paper. Avoid using "generally," "literally," "usually," "really" and other adverbs that might make you sound too much like a "geek" or local television ad.

• Adverbs categorized as "absolutes" have such an impact on statement validity that we've dedicated a section, titled "Reduce Absolutes" to explain why.

Wrong	What's really happening down at the car lot? (What "really" happens and what happens are both the same in meaning. Colloquial use of phrases like "down at," "down on" and "down in" is bad English)
Right	What happens at the car lot? (logically, the same statement as above)
Weak	It's usually customary to hear from literally hundreds of really unhappy customers after our computers are shut down, accidentally.
Better	It's customary to hear from hundreds of unhappy customers after our computers are accidentally shut down.

Reduce Gerunds

• Although Associated Press style guide rules recommend using gerunds (changing verbs to end with "ing") to replace longer prepositional phrases, one can get trapped by this common technique and stray from the "active tense" you wish to maintain. Remember, it's okay to use gerunds as nouns and present-tense verbs, but for future- or past-tense situations try to use properly conjugated or infinitive verbs to maintain an active tense.

Weak	Tellers at UFCU will be attending the meeting next week.
Better	UFCU tellers will attend next week's meeting.

Reduce Absolutes

• Limit absolutes; they invite argument and can get you in legal trouble, particularly when applied to present or future circumstances. Most absolutes, unless used as matter of fact, can be eliminated without changing essential and intended meanings. The statement "all our services are guaranteed and will never be changed" can be edited to "our services are guaranteed and will not change" — arguably stronger than the former statement.

• Words like "all," "always" and "never" can logically invalidate your written statement. The word "every" and its variants "everywhere," "everything" and "everyone" can also be illogically used, especially within predictive statements. Instead, use "anywhere," "anything" or "anyone," and be safe from any burden of proof or legal repercussions.

• If you want to avoid enrollment in a logic class to better understand use of absolutes, adhere to the following rules:

  • Do not use absolutes in present or future conditions;

  • Do not combine absolutes with other absolutes or adverbs, i.e. "I am always forever yours" or "virtually all;"

  • Substitute absolutes with more accurate modifiers, such as "some," "most" and "entire."

• It's okay to use absolutes for past situations - a case that's easy to prove. According to strict logic, absolutes used with present and future tense verbs weaken a statement's meaning and verisimilitude. Recall the famous cliché, "never say never," and next time you hear a politician or company say he, she or it "will never do this or that," you'll intrinsically know that the opposite is just as likely. Rather than weaken your message with invalid statements, strengthen your sentences with accurate, simple emphatic nouns and adjectives!

Bad	The Wheels 101 program has never been better and will always provide its members all the conveniences they will ever need.
Good	Wheels 101 is better than ever and provides the conveniences you need. (Or, if Wheels 101 is previously referenced, you may shorten the sentence) Our program is better than ever and provides the conveniences you need.