The Writing Process
An Overview
Planning
What is the purpose of the message?
Who is the reader ?
In what sequence the information will be
presented?
Clear Purpose :
General: To secure permission for my
preschool students to tour a restaurant
and have lunch.
Specific: To secure permission for my
preschool students to tour Salad Haven
Restaurant and have lunch between 11
a.m. and 1 p.m. (its busiest time).
Remember this about your audience
No one is perfect.
People need specific information.
Most people are honest and reasonable.
People don’t like to be “talked down to.”
People want to know what they will gain by
taking action.
Most people are likely to react to your
message the same way you would if you had
received it.
Drafting
Composing the first draft of the message.
Success depends upon how much
attention you gave to the first stage.
Just let go.
Writing is Art. Rewriting is Craft.
The Writers Block ! Causes :
The inability to focus on the writing
process.
Procrastination
Impatience
Perfectionism
How to Avoid :
Choose the right environment.
Schedule a reasonable block of time.
State your purpose in writing.
Engage in free writing.
Don’t try to be perfect.
Think out loud.
Write the easiest parts first.
The role of Persuasion :
Every document that one writes, seeks to
persuade.
This word stems from a Latin root which
means agreeable.
So it is not coercion.
Aristotle’s Rhetoric talks about three
methods.
Persuasive appeals are based on
Ethos: Credibility
Pathos: Emotion
Logos: Logic
Revising : Coming to the Craft
Content
Style
Correctness
Formatting:
Arranging the document in an
appropriate format
Proofreading
Reviewing the document to check for
content, typographical and format
errors.
Proofreaders’ marks
OBER, CONTEMPORARY BUSINESS COMMUNICATION, 5/E. COPYRIGHT © HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 6.8
OBER, CONTEMPORARY BUSINESS COMMUNICATION, 5/E. COPYRIGHT © HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 6.9
FORMATS
Some regularly used ones !
Standard letter format
4
September 29, 2010
Center page
vertically and
Ms. Ella Shore, President use default
Department of Journalism margins.
Mountainside College
Great Falls, MT 59404 2
Dear Ms. Shore: 2
Subject: Yearbook Advertising 2
Thank you for thinking of The Book Mark when you were planning the
advertising for next year’s yearbook at Mountainside College. We instead
OBER, CONTEMPORARY BUSINESS COMMUNICATION, 5/E. COPYRIGHT © HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 6.10
of taking a full-page ad, are happy to purchase a quarter-page ad, as follows:
2
• The ad should include our standard trademark and the words “Welcome to
The Book Mark.”
2
• The ad should appear in the top-right corner of a right-facing page.
2
Our logo is enclosed for you to duplicate. I am also enclosing a check for $275
to cover the cost of the ad. Best wishes as you prepare the fifty-fifth edition of
your yearbook.
2
Sincerely,
4
Joseph W. Dye
Sales Manager
2
Enclosures
cc: Advertising Supervisor
OBER, CONTEMPORARY BUSINESS COMMUNICATION, 5/E. COPYRIGHT © HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 6.11
Standard Memo format
Tab
MEMO TO: Max Dillon, Sales Manager 2
Center page
FROM: Andrea J. Hayes 2 vertically and
use default
DATE: February 25, 2002 2 margins.
SUBJECT: New-Venture Proposal 3
I propose the purchase or lease of a van to be used as a mobile bookstore. We
could then use this van to generate sales in the outlying towns and villages
throughout the state. 2
We have been aware for quite some time that many small towns around the
state do not have adequate bookstore facilities, but the economics of the
OBER, CONTEMPORARY BUSINESS COMMUNICATION, 5/E. COPYRIGHT © HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 6.12
length of our stay to the size of the town and the amount of business
generated. 2
Please let me have your reactions to this proposal. If you wish, I can explore
the matter further and generate cost and sales estimates in time for your next
manager’s meeting. 2
Attachment
OBER, CONTEMPORARY BUSINESS COMMUNICATION, 5/E. COPYRIGHT © HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 6.13
Standard email format
2
2
2
2
2
OBER, CONTEMPORARY BUSINESS COMMUNICATION, 5/E. COPYRIGHT © HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 6.14
Key terms
audience analysis
brainstorming organization
drafting primary audience
editing revising
free writing secondary audience
mind mapping writer’s block
OBER, CONTEMPORARY BUSINESS COMMUNICATION, 5/E. COPYRIGHT © HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 6.15
