Bring Clarity to Writing


	Bring Clarity to Writing
migcmc03
8-6-2008 11:06 PM
204 views
tags:
writing, thinksimplenow
migcmc03 says:
One of the better blog posts I've read in some time. Practical tips and suggestions for improving your writing.
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<div style="margin: 12px 0px; font-family: arial; color: #333333; background: #ffffff; border: solid 4px #e5e5e5; width: 100%; clear: left;"><div class="CM_CTB_Content_Wrap" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;background-color: #ffffff;"><div style="border-bottom: solid 1px #dcdcdc; white-space: nowrap; margin-bottom: 8px; background-color: #eeeeee ;background-image: url(http://www.clipmarks.com/images/source-bg.gif); background-repeat: repeat-x; height: 24px; line-height: 24px; vertical-align: middle; padding-bottom: 4px; color: #666666; font-size: 10px;" ><a href="http://clipmarks.com/clip-to-blog/" title="see clips that are hot right now"><img src="http://content.clipmarks.com/blog_embed/f8f1e096-44f5-474b-b234-8575831709ef/A2553E79-F5BE-49E2-B819-2A3DF32B7553/" alt="" width="19" height="19" border="0" style="vertical-align: middle; margin: 0px 4px; display: inline; border: none; float:none;" /></a>clipped from <a title="http://thinksimplenow.com/clarity/pen-zen-bring-clarity-to-writing/" href="http://thinksimplenow.com/clarity/pen-zen-bring-clarity-to-writing/" style="font-size: 11px;">thinksimplenow.com</a></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://thinksimplenow.com/clarity/pen-zen-bring-clarity-to-writing/"><div align="center"><img src="http://content8.clipmarks.com/blog_cache/thinksimplenow.com/img/366EECA9-95DB-44F3-BC99-3DA9D2092028" alt="Tina Su's Blog - Think Simple Now. Creativity, Productivity and Happiness. Photography, Usability, Design." /></div></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://thinksimplenow.com/clarity/pen-zen-bring-clarity-to-writing/"><div align="center"><img src="http://content9.clipmarks.com/blog_cache/thinksimplenow.com/img/76C1668A-658B-4E42-B158-A63D41995499" alt="Tina Su's Blog - Think Simple Now. Creativity, Productivity and Happiness. Photography, Usability, Design." /></div></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://thinksimplenow.com/clarity/pen-zen-bring-clarity-to-writing/"><div align="center"><img src="http://content6.clipmarks.com/blog_cache/thinksimplenow.com/img/48EB9343-5ED9-437F-8997-A6D915214182" alt="Tina Su's Blog - Think Simple Now. Creativity, Productivity and Happiness. Photography, Usability, Design." /></div></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://thinksimplenow.com/clarity/pen-zen-bring-clarity-to-writing/"><H1><A title="Permanent Link: Pen Zen: Bring Clarity to Writing" rel="bookmark" href="http://thinksimplenow.com/clarity/pen-zen-bring-clarity-to-writing/">Pen Zen: Bring Clarity to Writing</A></H1></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://thinksimplenow.com/clarity/pen-zen-bring-clarity-to-writing/"><div align="center"><img src="http://content7.clipmarks.com/blog_cache/thinksimplenow.com/img/6C5A89DD-4980-4F89-9B7F-C7898886F941" alt="writing-clarity2.jpg" /></div></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://thinksimplenow.com/clarity/pen-zen-bring-clarity-to-writing/"><P></P></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://thinksimplenow.com/clarity/pen-zen-bring-clarity-to-writing/"><P>Have you ever read an email from someone that was too wordy, lacked focus, and left you confused? How can we learn from reading such emails to improve our own communication? How do we compose emails and writings that others will actually want to read?</P></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://thinksimplenow.com/clarity/pen-zen-bring-clarity-to-writing/"><STRONG>Three Obstacles to Clear and Concise Writing</STRONG></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://thinksimplenow.com/clarity/pen-zen-bring-clarity-to-writing/">Obstacle 1: False ideas about what good writing is.</blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://thinksimplenow.com/clarity/pen-zen-bring-clarity-to-writing/">Obstacle 2: Not being clear about one’s message</blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://thinksimplenow.com/clarity/pen-zen-bring-clarity-to-writing/"><STRONG>Obstacle 3: Distractions.</STRONG></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://thinksimplenow.com/clarity/pen-zen-bring-clarity-to-writing/"><STRONG>How to Develop the Clear Mental State for Writing</STRONG></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://thinksimplenow.com/clarity/pen-zen-bring-clarity-to-writing/">1. Read, Read, Read</blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://thinksimplenow.com/clarity/pen-zen-bring-clarity-to-writing/">2. Read Books and Blogs on Writing</blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://thinksimplenow.com/clarity/pen-zen-bring-clarity-to-writing/"><P>The following are resources that have most directly and immediately benefited my writing mechanics.</p> <UL type="disc">
<li style="margin-left:16px;padding-left: 0px;">Book: <A rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/Elements-Style-Original-William-Strunk/dp/0486447987/ref=nosim/206425-20">The Elements of Style</A> by William Strunk, Jr., and E.B. White.</LI>
<li style="margin-left:16px;padding-left: 0px;">Essay: <A rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.ourcivilisation.com/decline/orwell1.htm">Politics And The English Language</A>      by George Orwell.</LI>
<li style="margin-left:16px;padding-left: 0px;">Book: <A rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/Style-Lessons-Clarity-Grace-9th/dp/0321479351/ref=nosim/206425-20">Style: Lessons in Clarity and Grace</A> by Joseph M. Williams.</LI>
<li style="margin-left:16px;padding-left: 0px;">Blog:  <A target="_blank" href="http://www.copyblogger.com/">Copyblogger</A>      by Brian Clark</LI></UL></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://thinksimplenow.com/clarity/pen-zen-bring-clarity-to-writing/"><STRONG>3. Clear Your Writing Space</STRONG></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://thinksimplenow.com/clarity/pen-zen-bring-clarity-to-writing/">4. Block-Off Time</blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://thinksimplenow.com/clarity/pen-zen-bring-clarity-to-writing/">5. Eliminate Distractions</blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://thinksimplenow.com/clarity/pen-zen-bring-clarity-to-writing/"><STRONG>8 Keys to Clarity When Writing</STRONG></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://thinksimplenow.com/clarity/pen-zen-bring-clarity-to-writing/"><STRONG>1. Visualize Road Signs</STRONG></blockquote></div><div style="margin: 0px 6px 6px 4px;"><table style="font-size: 11px;border-spacing: 0px;padding: 0px;" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tr><td style="background:transparent;border-width:0px;padding:0px;">&nbsp;</td><td align="right" style="background:transparent;border-width:0px;padding:0px;width:107px" width="107"><a href="http://clipmarks.com/share/A2553E79-F5BE-49E2-B819-2A3DF32B7553/blog/" title="blog or email this clip"><img src="http://content8.clipmarks.com/images/c2b-foot.png" border="0" alt="blog it" width="107" height="17" style="border-width:0px;padding:0px;margin:0px;" /></a></td></tr></table></div></div>
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