Getting better over time.
WHAT IMPROVES WRITING
Writing frequently Reading good writing Editing ruthlessly Feedback
WHAT DOES NOT
Reading about writing, alone.
WHAT TO PRACTISE FIRST
Putting the point first.
WHY
It improves more writing than anything else.
WHAT TO PRACTISE SECOND
Cutting.
HOW
Set a target: remove a fifth of the words.
WHAT THAT FORCES
Decisions about what matters.
WHAT TO NOTICE IN WRITING YOU ADMIRE
Sentence length How it opens What it leaves out Where the point sits
WHAT FEEDBACK TO ASK FOR
Whether the point was clear What they thought you wanted Where they stopped reading
WHY THAT LAST QUESTION
It is the most useful and least asked.
WHAT TO DO WITH YOUR OWN OLD WRITING
Reread it after months.
WHAT THAT REVEALS
Habits you cannot see currently.
WHAT COMMON HABITS TO WATCH FOR
Filler openings Hedging Repeated phrases Long sentences
WHAT TO MEASURE
Whether people act correctly on your messages.
WHY THAT IS THE ONLY REAL TEST
Writing at work succeeds when it produces the right action.
WHAT TO DO ABOUT REPEATED CLARIFICATION REQUESTS
Treat them as data about your writing, not the reader.
