A web page devoted to news and views on WordTask training courses and on good writing practices in general. FEEDBACK | PREVIOUS ISSUE | HOME PAGE INDEX OF ARTICLES | LIST OF WEBNOTES ISSUES December, 1999 IN THIS ISSUE-- NEWS BRIEF | COURSE NOTES | TIPS 'N TECHNIQUES | WORD PLAY COURSE PROFILES NEWS BRIEF WordTask quick reference card now available Useful learning aid in courses and after! WordTask now supplements the detailed view of the writing process that its course participants receive with a handy laminated reference card, summarizing the key ideas of the writing process. The detail provided in WordTask courses is necessary to give the participant a solid footing in the writing process. This body of information also makes the application of the tips and techniques easier. But participants have also noted there is a lot to remember, especially in the two-day duration of most courses. WordTask has responded with a laminated quick reference card that highlights the key steps and guidelines of the writing process. Designed for use right at the computer after the course, the 8.5-by-11-inch card is three-hole punched so that the writer can mount it on a wall or place it in a three-ring binder. The card covers the four process phases: planning, design, drafting, and revision. Under each is a checklist of considerations, tips, and reminders--a valuable memory jogger after the writer has completed the course. Distribution of the reference card began in September, 1999. WordTask instructors now hand them out in all courses that deal with the writing process. Participants in the following courses will not receive the card, since these courses do not revolve explicitly around that process: Making Effective Presentations, The ESL Writer's Workshop, and Taking Effective Minutes. COURSE NOTES Building a rapport with our customers: Long-term improvements in writing skills Usually, after our first course offering in an organization, WordTask is in right there again to provide other services. This excellent track record stems from a careful analysis of our customers' needs and a visible commitment to strategic improvements in the way the whole organization communicates. Good writing in today's organization is more than the best wording for the reader, more than good grammar and effective style. Although these are of course necessary factors, organizations are also looking for efficiency in the way their employees communicate: higher quality in less time. The WordTask strategy is built on the confirmed belief that no single writing course meets the needs of the diverse workplace. We attribute the popularity of our curriculum to its comprehensiveness and its flexibility. The result is the ability to offer a customized course to a variety of different groups in an organization. In addition, we can customize our curriculum around specific document types you are writing, importing document models or templates directly into the course book as required. The WordTask course list contains over 15 different programs, whose contents can be mixed and matched to meet the specific needs of your group. TIPS 'n TECHNIQUES Negative news in writing: A combination of tact and good sense Bad news or a message that may cause resistance in your reader requires a special approach in your writing, a strategy quite different from neutral messages. Above all, your goal should be to soften the impact of such information. A negative message in your correspondence or any other form of documentation benefits from these strategies: To begin with, use discretion when even considering negative-news documents. Ask yourself whether the written word is really the appropriate medium for this message. Often it isn't. Don't make the negative message the opening point in the document. Soften the impact by working toward it with preliminary information. At the same time, though, don't sugar-coat the negative news with insincere or unbelievable supporting information. For example, it's fine to suggest the long-term benefits or a positive outcome to the change in the office schedule, but don't insult the reader with excuses, sentimentality, or blind optimism. Provide additional information to explain, justify, or provide the rationale for the point you are making. Negative messages usually require more text to support the point than do neutral or good-news messages. If the supporting information referred to above is either too detailed or simply inappropriate for the document, then provide an opportunity for the reader to get this information in some other way, such as through a face-to-face meeting. WORD PLAY Below are some words that often play havoc with even the most careful writers! The error rate in their use is high, especially when we write in a hurry. affect/effect The word "affect" is usually a verb, as in "This change will affect our schedule." By contrast, the word "effect" is usually a noun, as in "What are the likely effects of this change?" imply/infer To imply is suggest an implicit meaning, while to infer is to discern a meaning or conclusion. So a writer might imply a certain point, while the reader of the same document might infer another conclusion altogether. irregardless There's no such word! It's either "irrespective" or "regardless," but not both words slammed into one. its/it's The word "its" is the possessive form, as in "The department is reviewing its objectives." The word "it's" is a contraction of "it is," as in "It's sometimes hard to remember the difference between these two words." as (used to mean "because") Our advice? Don't use "as" in this way: "As it was raining, we moved the party indoors." Not only is this an archaic use, making you sound like someone right out of the nineteenth century, it can also be ambiguous in some sentences. Consider the meaning of the following statement: "As I was carrying ten books in my arms, I tripped on the stairs." Does this mean because I was carrying the books I fell, or does it mean while I was carrying them I fell. The reader would never know! COURSE PROFILES THESE ARE ONLY THREE OF OUR MORE THAN 15 WRITING PROGRAMS TO CHOOSE FROM EFFECTIVE WRITING FOR TECHNICAL SPECIALISTS (2 days) An overview of the writing process, tailored to technical professionals who write design specifications, project reports, functional descriptions, and other technical documents. TAKING EFFECTIVE MINUTES (1 day) The essentials of good meeting minutes: what to do before, during, and after the meeting to ensure an accurate and comprehensive record. THE ESL WRITER'S WORKSHOP (2 days) The key grammar and style points that improve the writing of those for whom English is a second language. FEEDBACK | PREVIOUS ISSUE | TOP OF PAGE | HOME PAGE | INDEX OF ARTICLES | LIST OF WEBNOTES ISSUES © 1999 WordTask Information Strategies