3.

The Key Points in Effective Writing

Researched by: Ellaiza Khate D. Tupaz
1. Identify your audience—who will read what I write? Am I writing to a specific individual? A
diverse group? How much do they know about my subject? What is their reason for reading my
work? What is their attitude toward me and my work?
2. Establish your purpose—why should they read what I write? What do I want my readers to
do after reading my work? Am I trying to explain? Convince? Entertain?
3. Formulate your message—what do I have to say to them? What is my main idea? What
important points do I want to include? What specific details should I include to illustrate my
points?
4. Select style and tone—how can I best communicate to them? Is formal or informal language
appropriate? Do I want to sound passionate? Matter-of-fact? Persuasive? Unbiased?
Authoritative? Funny?
Other Key Points:
1. Brevity - It is bad manners to waste [the reader’s] time. Therefore brevity first, then, clarity.
2. Clarity - It is bad manners to give [readers] needless trouble. Therefore clarity… . And how is
clarity to be achieved? Mainly by taking trouble and by writing to serve people rather than to
impress them.
3. Communication - The social purpose of language is communication—to inform, misinform,
or otherwise influence our fellows… . Communication [is] more difficult than we may think. We
are all serving life sentences of solitary confinement within our bodies; like prisoners, we have,
as it were, to tap in awkward code to our fellow men in their neighbouring cells… . In some
modern literature there has appeared a tendency to replace communication by a private
maundering to oneself which shall inspire one’s audience to maunder privately to themselves—
rather as if the author handed round a box of drugged cigarettes.
4. Emphasis - Just as the art of war largely consists of deploying the strongest forces at the most
important points, so the art of writing depends a good deal on putting the strongest words in the
most important places… . One of the most important things, to my mind, in English style is
word-order. For us, the most emphatic place in a clause or sentence is the end. This is the climax;
and, during the momentary pause that follows, that last word continues, as it were, to reverberate
in the reader’s mind. It has, in fact, the last word.
5. Honesty - As the police put it, anything you say may be used as evidence against you. If
handwriting reveals character, writing reveals it still more. You cannot fool all your judges all
the time… . Most style is not honest enough. Easy to say, but hard to practice. A writer may take
to long words, as young men to beards—to impress. But long words, like long beards, are often
the badge of charlatans. Or a writer may cultivate the obscure, to seem profound. But even
carefully muddied puddles are soon fathomed. Or he may cultivate eccentricity, to seem original.
But really original people do not have to think about being original—they can no more help it
than they can help breathing. They do not need to dye their hair green.
6. Passion and Control - This, indeed, is one of the eternal paradoxes of both life and
literature—that without passion little gets done; yet, without control of that passion, its effects
are largely ill or null.
7. Reading - One learns to write by reading good books, as one learns to talk by hearing good
talkers.
8. Revision - Every author’s fairy godmother should provide him not only with a pen but also
with a blue pencil.
9. Sophistication and Simplicity - My point is merely that the sophisticated (ready though they
may be to suppose so) do not necessarily express themselves better than the simple—in fact, may
often have much to learn from them.
10. Sound and Rhythm - Apart from a few simple principles, the sound and rhythm of English
prose seem to me matters where both writers and readers should trust not so much to rules as to
their ears.

Sources: https://writerswrite.co.za/ten-keypointsprinciples-of-effective-writing/
https://write.siu.edu/_common/documents/handouts/four-keys-to-effective-writing.pdf
2. A. PRE-WRITING
Researched by: Kaye Alyssa T. Enriquez

Prewriting is the process of gathering information on a subject and planning out what our
communication will say and look like. Prewriting is the roadmap for our documents. We must
establish our purpose, identify our audience, and plan out our message.

Laying out a plan will help ensure that we effectively communicate our message and that our
target audience is able to easily understand and apply the information. During the prewriting
phase, consider following these steps to help map out a plan for your communication:

1. Establish your purpose. Ask yourself, why are you creating this document? Are you trying
inform an audience of something? Do you want to instruct the audience in how to do something?
Do you need to persuade them to believe something? Establishing your purpose will help
determine the type of communication you create.

For example, informing an audience about a new scientific breakthrough may mean you write a
magazine article or a research paper on your topic. However, instructing your audience on how
to use a new sewing machine will require a totally different type of document. You may need to
create a how-to manual with lots of graphics and step-by-step instructions. Knowing what your
purpose is will help you choose the best format for your communication.

2. Identify your audience. For whom are you creating this document? Who your audience is
determines how you will communicate your information.

For example, if you intend your document to be read by computer geeks creating a new
processing system, the language you are going to use will be high-tech and full of jargon. But if
you're explaining to the general public how to use the new processing system, your language
must be simple and easy to understand. You must determine who your target audience is before
you begin writing so that you know how to say what you want to say.

3. Gather your information. Now that you know what you want to say and who you want to
say it to, you need to collect the details. Make sure you consider everything the audience needs
to know. Do you have the correct dates, times, expenses, locations, and required actions?
Communication cannot be effective if it is not complete and accurate.

Imagine going on a road trip with part of the map missing. You need to gather all of the
information you need to write your document so that you don't accidentally leave out any
important detail in your communication.

4. Plan your message. Once you have all of your information together, you can begin to lay out
exactly what you want to say. Consider using one of these prewriting techniques as you plan out
what to say and when to say it in your communication:
  Bubble-mapping - Bubble maps allow you to brainstorm ideas by putting your main
topic in the center circle, then linking all of the ideas you need to express about that topic
in circles that link to the center.
 Outlining - If you like your information organized in a more orderly manner, you could
make an outline of your information. The concept is the same as bubble mapping in that
you determine your main points and the details that explain those points, but the layout
allows for a neat, orderly examination of how the details fit together. Outlining may be
the most beneficial for those who have a lot of little details you want to make sure you
include in your document.
 Storyboarding - If you are a visual learner, storyboarding is an excellent way for you to
visualize what you need to say. You simply draw out all of the important details of your
communication in order of importance or action.

Source: https://study.com/academy/lesson/the-technical-writing-process-prewriting-writing-
rewriting.html

Prewriting is the first stage during which the writer needs to consider three main factors: topic,
audience, and purpose.

A student may have to deal with two different types of topics: assigned topics or chosen topics. If
the topic is assigned the directions for the assignment will limit and determine the approach to
take. Instructions must be read carefully and directions must be followed exactly. If the student is
free to select a topic, it is important to reflect on the value and meaning of the finished product.

A writer should select something he is interested in and knowledgeable about, but he should also
anticipate the desired effect he hopes to achieve and the reader's reaction he is looking for. Any
topic can generate an interesting discussion, if one considers the following possibilities: selecting
an uncommon topic or using a new and original approach for an old topic.

Audience's experience and knowledge of the subject needs to be considered for communication
to be effective: too technical and specialized information may be above the reader's level of
comprehension; a too basic or simple approach will bore the reader. The question to ask is: What
does the reader have to gain from reading this essay? The purpose will be to inform, to entertain,
or to persuade. Often these purposes will be combined in a paper, each purpose occurring in
function of another.

The main purpose of prewriting activities is to find the focus of the paper. Focus is the point on
which all energy is concentrated. If the topic is too broad, the paper will be vague, superficial,
and likely disorganized. To determine if the topic is limited enough, consider the audience. You
may want to take a general approach if your audience does not have specific knowledge of the
subject. You are also limited by our own knowledge of the subject. You cannot be specific about
something you know little about. Of course, research will give you needed information about a
topic.
Once you decide on the approach you may begin gathering ideas. Remember that you can always
change the focus of your paper provided that you have enough time to make the necessary
adjustments. If you have trouble limiting the subject, a prewriting activity may help you find the
focus.

Try these prewriting techniques:

FREEWRITING
BRAINSTORMING
LIST MAKING
ASKING QUESTIONS
KEEPING A JOURNAL
READING ABOUT A TOPIC
OUTLINING
LOOPING

The next step will be organizing the ideas that have been generated so far. Those ideas will have
to be evaluated.

Some will deleted. New ones will be added. Some will be moved. Some will be expanded. Some
will be categorized (grouped together). Also you need to rank ideas for importance.

The result should be a tentative outline. You may want to use a topic tree.

 TOPIC
o MAIN IDEA
o MAIN IDEA
 EXAMPLE
 FACT
 DETAIL

To find the focus you need to write a thesis statement. To decide on an organizational pattern,
you need to consider a method of development. You need to consider several things
simultaneously (at the same time): Thesis, outline, and method of development. The thesis helps
you shape your view or opinion on the subject, the outline helps you organize your presentation
of the ideas, and the method of development helps you see the shape that your paper will take.

Source: http://www2.southeastern.edu/Academics/Faculty/elejeune/prewriting.htm