Instructor Guide Writingskills

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Instructor Guide

Advanced Writing Skills print-on-demand courseware

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Advanced Writing Skills

Instructor Guide

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Copyright All rights reserved world-wide under International and Pan-American copyright agreements. No part of this document can be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of Velsoft.

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Table of Contents

Instructor Guide ........................................................................................................................................... 1

Agenda........................................................................................................................................................... 2

Session One: Introduction and Course Overview........................................................................................... 3Icebreaker: Top Ten Challenges..................................................................................................................... 5Session Two: The Three Cs .......................................................................................................................... 6

Writing Clearly ..................................................................................................................................... 6Writing Concisely ................................................................................................................................. 9Group Exercise ................................................................................................................................... 10Debrief ................................................................................................................................................ 11Writing Correctly ................................................................................................................................ 12Choosing Your Sources ...................................................................................................................... 14Debrief ................................................................................................................................................ 15

Break ............................................................................................................................................................ 16Session Three: Grammar and Writing Mechanics........................................................................................ 17

Seven Ways to Simplify Your Writing ............................................................................................... 17Proper Paragraphs ............................................................................................................................... 24More on Paragraphs ............................................................................................................................ 25

Session Four: Determining Readability........................................................................................................ 28The Readability Index......................................................................................................................... 28Pre-Assignment................................................................................................................................... 30

Morning Wrap-Up........................................................................................................................................ 30Lunch............................................................................................................................................................ 30Energizer: Almanac ...................................................................................................................................... 31Session Five: Writing Letters ....................................................................................................................... 32

Parts of a Business Letter.................................................................................................................... 33Letter Styles ........................................................................................................................................ 36Dissecting Documents ........................................................................................................................ 40Debrief ................................................................................................................................................ 40

Break ............................................................................................................................................................ 40Session Six: Dealing with Specific Requests ............................................................................................... 41Session Seven: E-mail Etiquette................................................................................................................... 44Session Eight: Business Documents............................................................................................................. 45

Business Cases.................................................................................................................................... 45Requests for Proposals ........................................................................................................................ 47Writing Reports................................................................................................................................... 48Documentation.................................................................................................................................... 50

Workshop Wrap-Up ..................................................................................................................................... 53

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2007, www.velsoft.com

1

Instructor Guide

Before the Workshop

Read through the instructor guide. This is intended as a guide and not a bible. Be guided by your experience, the needs of the participants, and your own common sense, as well as the information in here. Most of the suggestions and all of the information have been developed through research and hands-on, classroom experience. We recommend arriving at least one hour before the start of the session, particularly on Day One of working with a client. We suggest you shake hands with each participant as they come into the classroom and introduce yourself to them; it breaks the ice and sets the type of friendly atmosphere that is conducive to learning. Many of the flip charts can be prepared ahead of time. The first page should be set up like this:

Name of Workshop Facilitated by (Your Name) Your Organizations Name

Include in a different color, around the perimeter of the room, the words Courtesy, Participation, and Confidentiality. You might also want to add the words Exercises, Role Play, Learning, and Fun.

Materials Required

Other materials you will need: Flip chart paper Markers One Readability Index sample per participant (found in the Handouts folder, or

you can choose any sample of your liking) One set of Almanac cards per four participants (located in the Handouts folder) Three sample letters (provided in the Handouts folder)

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Agenda

8:30-8:45 Session One: Introduction and Course Overview

8:45-9:00 Icebreaker: Top Ten Challenges

9:00-10:15 Session Two: The Three Cs

10:15-10:30 Break

10:30-11:15 Session Three: Grammar and Writing Mechanics

11:15-11:45 Session Four: Determining Readability

11:45-12:00 Morning Wrap-Up

12:00-1:00 Lunch

1:00-1:15 Energizer: Almanac

1:15-2:30 Session Five: Writing Letters

2:30-2:45 Session Six: Dealing with Specific Requests

2:45-3:00 Session Seven: E-mail Etiquette

3:00-4:15 Session Eight: Business Documents

4:15-4:30 Workshop Wrap-Up

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Session One: Introduction and Course Overview

(8:30-8:45)

Introduce yourself. Establish credibility by giving examples of training experience, and your own experiences with writing, including some war stories if you have them. Ask that participants respect confidentiality: what we say in this room stays in this room. Remind them that it was Mark Twain who said, If two people have the same opinion, you dont need one of them, so we are at liberty to disagree with one another, and with the instructor. However, respect other peoples opinions. We ask that you act courteously, to make sure we give other people their share of air time, and that we listen when other people are talking. Finally, we ask that you participate. You get out of a workshop just about what you put into it, and you will learn as much from sharing with others as you will from the concepts we bring you. Give the participants a chance to introduce themselves to you. You will probably want to know their name, their department, their position title, and what kind of writing they do. Address housekeeping items, like breaks (usually 10:15 and 2:15) and noon hour (12 to 1, go to lunch on their own). Give them info about washrooms, coffee, and cell phones. Remind the group that this is a safe house, the place where they can learn from their mistakes in a supportive atmosphere, rather than in the workplace where it can harm their credibility or their organization.

Course Overview

Ask students to turn to their workbooks and read the introduction with the overall objectives of the workshop (Session One). Then ask them to identify their own learning objectives. Present the agenda (as a handout, electronic presentation, or flip chart) and look at the topics you plan to cover. Go over these with the group and ask if there is anything there they didnt expect to see, or something not there that they had been hoping for.

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For topics they dont see:

Reassure group if a topic will be covered although it doesnt appear in the agenda. Opt to squeeze in something not covered if there is time, its appropriate, and if

everybody is interested. For those things they feel are not of interest to the group, you have the option of

touching it briefly and moving on. This doesnt happen often, but these questions are your hip pocket needs assessment to make sure participants get what they expect, if it is possible.

Generally, topics not within the realm of this program must be dealt with at another time. Suggest other programs, preferably those of Velsoft, or talk with the participant at end of day.

Learning Objectives

This is a one-day workshop for those who already are good writers. Our time will be devoted to writing letters of recommendation, of persuasion, of refusal or of action, that reflect current word usage and up-to-date formats. You can also become more skilled at writing business cases, proposals, and reports, and learn a bit more about e-mail etiquette. During this course, we will:

Discuss your writing challenges. Learn how to make your writing clear, concise, and correct. Improve sentence construction and paragraph development. Identify some ways to make your writing simpler and easier to read. Learn about a tool that can determine how readable your work is. Develop effective business letters for tough situations. Discuss e-mail etiquette. Develop an appropriate writing style and format for your letters, business cases,

and reports. Recognize standard ways of documenting materials. No

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Icebreaker: Top Ten Challenges

(8:45-9:00)

Activity

Divide the class into groups of four to five people. Have them work together to determine their top ten writing challenges. Ask them to put these on flip chart, to share these ideas with the group at large. Pass out markers and flip chart paper to each group.

Debrief

Now, bring the group back together and combine all the challenges gathered onto a flip chart. If any items that will not be covered during the day are brought up and can be covered off quickly, then do so.

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Session Two: The Three Cs

(9:00-10:15)

Writing Clearly

(9:00-9:15)

All writing should be clear, concise, and correct. Good writers use plain language to express clear meaning. They write in a simple style that uses every day words. They do not use showy words and ambiguous expressions in an effort to dazzle or confuse readers. They write to express ideas, not to impress others. What do you think this manager meant in the following message? Personnel assigned vehicular space in the adjacent areas are hereby advised that utilization will be suspended temporarily Friday morning. You would probably have to read that sentence several times before you understand that you are being advised not to park in the lot next door on Friday morning. Clear messages contain words that are familiar and meaningful to the reader. Whenever possible, use short, common, simple words to say what you mean. No

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Familiar Words

Look at the following list. Can you decide which words your audience would be more familiar with?

Ascertain Find out Conceptualize See/visualizeEncompass Include Hypothesize Guess Monitor Check Operational Working Option Choice Perpetuate Continue Perplexing Troubling Reciprocate Return Stipulate Require Terminate End Utilize Use

However, dont give up a precise word if it says exactly what you mean. For example, The report was on time, is not as precise as, The detailed, twelve-page report was submitted on time. Likewise, There is a change in our budget, is less clear than, There is a 10% reduction in our budget. Another example: The president of the company said we should contribute... vs. The president of the company [urged, pleaded, demanded] we should contribute.

Concrete Nouns

Concrete nouns help readers visualize the meaning of words. Concrete nouns name objects that are more easily imagined, such as desk, car, and earring. On the other hand, abstract nouns name concepts that are difficult to visualize, such as automation, justice, integrity, and environment. In business writing, help your reader see what you mean by using concrete language whenever possible.

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Jargon

Every workplace has some words and some terms that are particular to that industry or that business. Discuss:

What are some examples of jargon you use in your workplace? Why do we want to avoid using jargon in our writing? When is it appropriate?

We avoid jargon so that people outside our industry or organization will not be confused. It would only be appropriate to include jargon when we are writing to someone who we know for sure will not only understand but expect us to use that jargon. As an exercise, you can ask the class to name at least five words that could be called Internet jargon as they would only be familiar to people in that industry.

Slang

This refers to the trendy use of certain words, or in some cases, made-up words. This is dangerous as such words may not be understood by our audience or they may date us since they quickly go out of fashion. Can you give some common examples of current slang/out of date slang?

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Writing Concisely

(9:15-9:25)

Writing concisely means saying exactly what you mean in the fewest words possible. Often, when you re-write a sentence to make it more concise, it will also make it clearer. Here are some easy tips to remember that will help you make your writing more concise.

Use the active voice when possible.

Passive voice: The groceries had been carried away by the manager. Active voice: The manager carried away the groceries. Notice how much shorter the second sentence is, even though it contains the same information? Its also easier to read and understand.

Watch out for adverbs.

Adverbs can add unnecessary bulk to your sentences. In his writing treatise On Writing, Stephen King says, The road to hell is paved with adverbs. Example: The dog moved much more quickly than the cat. The dog moved quicker than the cat.

Dont be redundant.

Have you ever seen a sentence like, I watched the colorful sun set in the west, or, I took off the purple colored shirt? Now, if the sun were setting in the east, that would be something to comment on, but we all know that the sun sets in the west. Likewise, you can safely assume that your readers know that purple is a color. Similarly, watch out for words that mean the same: We drained and emptied the tank, could be replaced by, We emptied the tank.

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Eliminate empty words.

The Writers Brief Handbook lists these words as the most common empty phrases. By means of Due to the fact that For the purpose of For the simple reason that In order to In spite of the fact that In this world today It is important that It is necessary that On the occasion of Prior to In anticipation of Until such time of With regard to In the neighborhood of Had an effect on

Group Exercise

(9:25-9:35)

Divide the class into groups of four. Ask each to come up with more concise alternatives to the phrases listed above. No

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Debrief

(9:35-9:45)

Bring the class back together and discuss their answers. We have included suggested responses below.

Instead of Write

By means of By

Due to the fact that Because

For the purpose of For

For the simple reason that Because

In order to To

In spite of the fact that Even though/although

In this world today Today

It is important that Must

It is necessary that Must

On the occasion of When

Prior to Before

In anticipation of Before

Until such time of Until

With regard to About

In the neighborhood of Of about

Had an effect on Influenced

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Writing Correctly

(9:45-9:55)

Ask participants what sources they have used to ensure that their work is correct. Answers may include:

Dictionary Thesaurus Company style guide Encyclopedia The Internet Reference books Friends The library

There are two components of correctness.

Style

The first component of correctness is style. If you are writing a document that must conform to particular style specifications (such as Chicago or the American Psychological Association, or a style guide created by your organization), you must also ensure that your document meets those specifications. You will also ensure that your document is free of spelling and grammar errors. How can we ensure that our document is stylistically correct?

Use a dictionary to check for meaning and spelling Proofread several times Dont rely on spelling and grammar checkers Be familiar with your style guide

Factual

The second component of correctness is factual correctness. Did the budget actually come in at $5,671? Was the temperature actually 67 degrees? Were the test results really positive? There are a few ways to ensure that your document is factually correct. When writing, make sure you list the source whenever you include a fact. These sources can be for your own reference and not part of the final document, but they will help you when editing. These references will also help you answer any questions that readers may have later on.

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