Write Well- It Will Take You Places

Write well and you’ll go places, write badly and people will think you’re shoddy and sloppy and can’t deliver the goods.

Writing well is an art. But how do you learn to write well?

You can learn from the masters. Read, read, and read some more. Read writings of the great masters. The New York Times has an excellent link called Writers OnWriting. Read it! Read great literature too. Tolstoy, The Odyssey.......

Did you learn writing rules in school? Did you also learn some writing rules on your own? Do the writing rules you learnt in school still work? Have you noticed that language evolves and the rules of writing also change with time?

Here are some tips on writing well. We hope you'll find them useful.

Write using simple strong words. Don’t write long-winding flowery language where it isn't required (and usually it isn't) or add big words just to show off how much you know. Write simply. Take for example Gandhi’s words. “There is enough in this world for every man’s need but not for every man’s greed” Simple, strong and effective.

Avoid using passive voice. Using passive voice in your writing makes it flat and uninteresting. Instead use active voice. “Sunita won the prize” not “the prize was won by Sunita.”

Avoid using acronyms that people don’t understand. Say you’re writing a report. And you add a dozen industry related acronyms to your report. A layperson will only get frustrated reading such a report. Don’t put your reader through this ordeal.

Use words that attract your readers and don’t push them away. Too much of “I” does not sound good. Use friendly words such as we, you, your, our. Make reading interesting for the reader, don't make your writing stuffy and boring.

Wish you great success with your writing!

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