{"id":23901,"date":"2021-10-13T08:00:38","date_gmt":"2021-10-13T13:00:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/taxprocenter.proconnect.intuit.com\/?p=23901"},"modified":"2021-10-04T13:38:25","modified_gmt":"2021-10-04T18:38:25","slug":"tips-to-instantly-improve-your-writing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/accountants.intuit.com\/taxprocenter\/practice-management\/tips-to-instantly-improve-your-writing\/","title":{"rendered":"7 tips to instantly improve your writing"},"content":{"rendered":"

We\u2019ve all had moments of writing angst. The blinking cursor on a blank page. The empty email reply box. The unwritten proposal for that important project. The response text to a client you\u2019ve drafted and deleted three times. Every day, business owners and professionals have to write. Whether you work in a firm with support staff or on your own, chances are you have writing that needs completed, even as you read this article.<\/p>\n

As a business owner, I face similar writing moments. From general daily email communication<\/a> to proposals, articles, and even books, I\u2019ve written them all. Yet, I don\u2019t see writing as a task to be completed, but rather an opportunity to create. Sure, I don\u2019t love plowing through emails, but I do get a tiny thrill out of crafting a well-thought, clear message. As a former high school language arts teacher turned author, speaker, and trainer, I\u2019ve also taught thousands of people how to improve their writing. I love writing so much that I got bachelor\u2019s and <\/em>master\u2019s degrees in the subject!<\/p>\n

But here\u2019s the thing: I get that not everyone loves writing as much as I do. Maybe you sigh deeply before diving into your inbox, or put off writing a report because you really, really<\/em> don\u2019t feel like it. Maybe it takes you hours to write a proposal, or perhaps you\u2019ve had some bad personal experiences with writing. Wherever you land on the love-hate continuum, I want to help. My hope is that you sit down at your computer feeling confident, clear, and emboldened to write your best email, proposal, article, text, or social post<\/a> ever<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Ready to become a faster, better writer? Let\u2019s do this.<\/p>\n

#1 Batch your writing<\/h2>\n

The secret to success in writing is time blocking and consistency. While you may not write creatively every day like I do, chances are you need to think strategically or work on other projects that require your focus. In our book “Growing Influence<\/a>,” my co-author Ron Price and I refer to this focused space on your calendar as \u201cdiscretionary time.\u201d Creating consistent blocks of time to write, strategize, or create every day \u2013 preferably first thing in the morning \u2013 is scientifically proven to increase your productivity.<\/p>\n

The idea of time blocking applies to emails, too. I suggest batching your emails: Reply twice a day, around 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Remember that constraint begets productivity. Focus for a specific, set period of time \u2013 ideally 30 minutes \u2013 with a hard stop at the end of that period. You might surprise yourself at how much you can accomplish.<\/p>\n

Not convinced? Try my strategy for two weeks and see how it goes. You can always go back to how you\u2019re doing things now. I bet you won\u2019t want to!<\/p>\n

#2 Write without editing<\/h2>\n

\u201cWrite fast, edit slowly\u201d is a saying I often quote to my aspiring author students and clients. This is true for both long-form content such as books, and short-form content such as letters or emails. It\u2019s a waste of time to laboriously edit a sentence before moving on to the next one. Instead, I suggest writing quickly, getting all your thoughts down, and then starting back at the beginning to refine your writing. Of course, the amount of editing time will vary based on the importance of the writing project. But, even for simple emails, I suggest writing them quickly, reading back through, and making any necessary tweaks before sending.<\/p>\n

#3 Know \u2013 and focus on \u2013 your reader<\/h2>\n

One thing that can help is to focus deeply on your audience. Too often, we have internal chatter that prevents accessing our own thoughts, ideas, and insights while writing. Negative self-talk and self-criticism can sabotage writing flow. Instead, keep your focus on the reader<\/em>. Ask yourself, what do they need to know, experience, or understand from this piece of writing?<\/p>\n

When working on articles or proposals, spend time thinking deeply about your reader. This doesn\u2019t have to be time-consuming or complicated. Before writing this article, for example, I spent a couple days contemplating your needs and how to support you through this piece. I set a reminder for myself, so that I could informally consider the possibilities before ever sitting down to write. As I sat down to compose, the page was blank for approximately one second because I was bursting to create. Considering your reader ahead of time can help you have a similar experience when you write.<\/p>\n

#4 Use first-person pronouns \u2013 most of the time<\/h2>\n

I\u2019d guess that 97 percent of writing should be in the first person, using singular pronouns (I, me, my, mine, myself) or plural pronouns (we, us, our, ours, ourselves). Yet my students, clients, and colleagues often write in third person (he, she, it, they, them) for their websites, LinkedIn bios, articles, and even books. In the past, more formal, academic-y writing in the third person worked; today, it feels stuffy and impersonal. There are a few exceptions, such as a bio for an event, but largely first-person pronouns are the way to go. Writing in the first person helps the reader feel connected to you, and enables you to live and breathe on the page or screen.<\/p>\n

#5 Use specific, clear language<\/h2>\n

\u201cAll you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence that you know,\u201d Hemingway wrote in A Moveable Feast<\/em>. I know, I know \u2013 quoting Hemingway in a piece about writing is a tad clich\u00e9, but I can\u2019t help but reference this quote because it\u2019s … well, true. Too often, writers get hung up on sounding smart, and end up using unnecessarily complex sentences and flowery vocabulary that confuse readers. After you write fast, and as you edit slowly, look to simplify. In my previous career as a book editor, my biggest task was word annihilation. I spent hours slicing and dicing sentences to drill down to the essence of what the author was trying to say.<\/p>\n

For example, let\u2019s say you\u2019re writing a cover letter to a new client proposal. Instead of saying, \u201cIn the following pages of this proposal, you\u2019ll find a detailed, step-by-step exploration of our various stages of work, including our methodology, proprietary system, and team expertise, and how we can support you through the future phases of your business,\u201d try, \u201cIn this proposal, you\u2019ll find a detailed overview of how our expert team can best support the future of your business through our industry-leading methodology and proprietary system.\u201d Notice how I shifted the focus from you to them and simplified the language, so that it\u2019s clearer and easier to understand. I also ninja-chopped thirteen words. And you don\u2019t miss them, do you?<\/p>\n

#6 Eliminate unnecessary words<\/h2>\n

Words like \u201cthat,\u201d \u201cvery,\u201d \u201creally,\u201d \u201cjust,\u201d and other unnecessary words can often be removed without impacting the meaning of a sentence. For example, \u201cI\u2019m very tired\u201d could become \u201cI\u2019m exhausted,\u201d or \u201cthat\u2019s really interesting\u201d could read \u201cthat\u2019s fascinating.\u201d The word \u201cthat\u201d and \u201cjust\u201d can usually be removed without any additional editing. Hemingway\u2019s quote, for example, could remove \u201cthat\u201d to read: \u201cWrite the truest sentence you know.\u201d And \u201cI just really like option one in the proposal\u201d could read \u201cI like option one in the proposal.\u201d Or for stronger language, try, \u201cI prefer option one in the proposal.\u201d<\/p>\n

Repetitive or layered adjectives can often get the axe, too, or a sentence can be restructured for clarity and impact. Instead of \u201cThe party was loud, pulsing, and crowded,\u201d try, \u201cThe party pulsed with noise and people.\u201d<\/p>\n

Two other phrases that I\u2019d love to see eliminated? \u201cI think\u201d and \u201cI believe.\u201d While these can begin powerful statements, too often they discredit ideas or expertise. Rather than \u201cI believe we are the best fit for your needs,\u201d try, \u201cI am confident we are the best fit for your needs.\u201d Instead of \u201cI think Sarah is our best candidate for the position,\u201d say, \u201cI see Sarah as the best candidate for the position.\u201d Subtle shifts in language can make your writing clearer and more influential.<\/p>\n

#7 Use a read-aloud macro<\/h2>\n

Ready for a pro tip? Have your computer read to you. I programmed a macro on my Mac to read back important documents, emails, and other content. A macro is an input (such as keystrokes or clicks) that tells the computer to complete a task. Once a macro is installed, simply highlight the text, push your chosen keyboard keys (mine are command + \/), and listen. Alternatively, read your own writing aloud.<\/p>\n

For more information, check out this article for Apple computers<\/a>, using the \u201ckeyboard shortcut\u201d option. Windows isn\u2019t quite as straightforward. While Microsoft Word has a read-aloud feature<\/a>, you may need additional software for other writing tasks like email. Reference this article<\/a> on how to use the built-in narrator to read text on your screen aloud.<\/p>\n

Start now!<\/h2>\n

As with anything in life, remember writing is a skill. No one is born knowing how to form perfect sentences, write an engaging article, or author a bestseller. Instead, practice and consistency are a writer\u2019s secret sauce. You can<\/em> improve the quality and speed of your writing. Try out my tips on that important email waiting for a reply in your inbox right now.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re feeling especially excited about writing, I did a training for Intuit\u00ae, complete with a detailed handout and writing guide to help you craft your core message and write your professional story. Access a free professional story writing guide<\/a>\u00a0created for my QuickBooks\u00ae Connect<\/a>\u00a0session.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Are you old-school low tech or a technology zealot? Either way, learning to be a better writer takes time, patience, and practice. Get 7 on-point tips from writing pro Stacy Ennis.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":144649029,"featured_media":23903,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rkv_browse_by_id":0,"rkv_cta_id":0,"rkv_optimize_for_pagespeed":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"useModifiedDate":false,"customPublishDate":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false},"categories":[116807],"tags":[],"intuit_collection":[],"intuit_series":[],"coauthors":[646041825],"class_list":["post-23901","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-practice-management"],"header_image":"","yoast_head":"\n7 tips to instantly improve your writing - Tax Pro Center | Intuit<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/accountants.intuit.com\/taxprocenter\/practice-management\/tips-to-instantly-improve-your-writing\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"7 tips to instantly improve your writing - Tax Pro Center | Intuit\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Are you old-school low tech or a technology zealot? 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