An E-Newsletter of Profitable Advice about Writing
To Increase Your Personal and Professional Success
|
|
| June 2010
Volume III, Issue 6
|
Forward
this Newsletter
to a Friend!
|
|
Increase Your Success by Improving Your Writing Skills.
Subscribe Today!
|
"The Write Stuff!"
|
| Writing, Ghostwriting, Editing & Publishing Services
| |
|
|
My office is conveniently located on an island in the Atlantic Ocean. |
|
Sarah Buell Dowling
Original Paintings
Prints & Note Cards
| 
|
|
|
The Fourth of July Is Coming!
What does that have to do with improving your writing skills? Read on to find out. Also in this issue of The Write Stuff, you'll learn about a consultant's successful book project and about a book that may be helpful to your writing. And you'll get to see how much you know about grammar by taking my famous grammar quiz. Enjoy reading about writing!
Michael J. Dowling
Professional Writer, Ghostwriter, Editor & Publisher |
This Fourth of July, Don't Be Too Independent!
|
| As the editor of The Write Stuff, I feel it's my duty to remind our readers that the Fourth of July holiday commemorates the signing of a written document, not the invention of fireworks. When it comes to making a big bang, nothing beats words!
I'm probably more passionate about this topic than most, because I lived for twenty years in Boston, site of the famous tea party. If you've spent your entire life in some place like, say, Las Vegas or Miami, you've probably been to lots of parties, but none involved tea.
My passion for the Fourth of July only intensified when our family lived for twelve years in Charlottesville, Virginia, which just happens to be the home of Thomas Jefferson, the author of the Declaration of Independence.In fact, the lovely University of Virginia, which Jefferson founded, was just a short walk from our house.
Some UVA fraternities were an even shorter walk from our house - like about two hundred yards - and that wasn't so lovely, especially on Friday and Saturday nights when their parties didn't start until 11:00 p.m. and our house had no air conditioning so all of our windows were open. But I digress.
You're probably thinking, How is all this stuff about the Fourth of July going to help me become a better writer?
I'll get to that in a moment. But first I want to set the stage by telling you a true story about the writing of the Declaration of Independence.The following is summarized from a picture book by Candace Fleming titled The
Hatmaker's Sign:
It's July 1776, and Thomas Jefferson believes
tha t his draft of the Declaration of Independence is perfect. But his
colleagues in the Continental Congress are ceaselessly suggesting changes (Jefferson calls them ''mutilations''). Every treasured phrase
is under attack: "This is unnecessary; that should be rephrased; more needs to be added here!"
To console his friend, Ben Franklin tells
Jefferson a story about a Boston
hatmaker who's on his way to the sign shop with a plan for a new sign. On his
parchment are the words, ''John Thompson, Hatmaker. Fashionable Hats Sold
Inside for Ready Money.'' Below the words is a drawing of a hat.
Along the way, the hatmaker meets a few
people who offer suggestions: Your name is irrelevant, says one. It's the hats that are important.
Why say
''inside''? says another. Where else would the hats be sold? The word "sold" is
unnecessary, says a third. It's obvious the hats are for sale.
Gradually, all of the hatmaker's carefully
chosen words are struck out, until only the picture of the hat remains. But
that's not necessary either, someone suggests, because real hats are on display in the
shop's window.
By the time the hatmaker arrives at the
sign shop, nothing is left on his parchment. So the sign maker offers a suggestion: ''How
about, 'John Thompson, Hatmaker. Fashionable Hats Sold Inside for Ready Money.'
Underneath, you can draw a picture of a hat."
''Perfect!'' says the hatmaker.
With Franklin's encouragement,
Jefferson
persevered.
The Declaration
of Independence we have today is undoubtedly a better document because of
these revisions. We know that Jefferson was proud of it because his
tombstone is graced
with this inscription:
"Here
was
buried Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of American
Independence, of
the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom, and father of the
University of
Virginia."
Isn't it
interesting that a man who was once president of the United States
wanted to be
remembered chiefly as a writer and educator? Writing truly is a noble
endeavor!
Here's the takeaway for you:
To become a better writer, make
it your habit to review and revise everything you
write. That includes your letters,
memos, and even your e-mails.
The additional time you invest in each
bit of communication will pay off handsomely in the long run. As I
pointed out in the January 2010 issue of The Write Stuff, there seems to be a correlation between good
writing skills and business success.
When working on more
important documents, ask others whose writing skills you respect to critique your work. You may occasionally disagree with their advice, as Jefferson did, but the overall benefits will outweigh any hassles.
To illustrate how even a small amount of editing can make a big difference, consider the following sentence from an actual book manuscript I was asked to edit:
One of the fatal errors
committed by many top
executive officers is to create the vision by
themselves
and then hand it down with the expectation that
others will execute it.
Here's how the sentence read after I revised it:
Executives commit a
fatal error when they create the vision by themselves and expect others
to
execute it.
The edited sentence uses approximately
half the number of words to communicate essentially the same message.
And as Stunk and White say in their classic book, The Elements of Style, brevity is a
byproduct of vigor.
Even the best writers revise extensively. In fact, that's one reason they're good writers.
So, take the time to edit and revise your written communications. And have fun celebrating Independence Day. But don't be too independent to
ask others for editing assistance.
P. S. My wife edited this newsletter, so if you notice any mistakes, blame her.
|
Do you know people who would like to
increase their
success by improving their writing
skills, all while having fun?
Encourage them to subscribe to "The Write Stuff!"
|
|
A Success Story
|
|  I'm always delighted to receive success stories from my clients. So, when consultant and coach Marty Harshberger sent me the following e-mail about his recently published book, Bottom Line Focus, I asked his permission to share it with you.
Mike,
I thought you'd like to know what has happened with Bottom Line Focus. One of the executives I gave a copy to bought ten more. Then he asked me to conduct a seminar. That resulted in a fee of $3,000.
And as a r esult of the seminar, I received a consulting contract for $20,000. So within a few months after publication, my book has more than paid for itself! Thanks again for your excellent ghostwriting and publishing help.
Marty
|
Our Readers Are Writing!
|
| In response to last month's newsletter, in which I recommended reading The Elements of Style (affectionately called EOS by some), I received the following e-mail from Peter Bowerman, author of several excellent books, including The Well-Fed Writer:
Hey Michael,
An even better book than EOS, in my opinion (and many others), is Woe Is I.
While EOS has a new look and apparently a new co-author, so perhaps it's better
than the original, I always refer to WII as the book EOS could've been but never
was... Check it out...
PB
Peter,
Thanks for the tip. I bought a copy of Woe Is I, and you are indeed correct. It's an excellent book and fun to read. I can't say that I think it's better than EOS. They're different, and I like them both. But I'm certainly glad to know about it and will recommend it to my clients.
Mike
|
Mike's Famous Grammar Quiz
|
|
Both of the following sentences are grammatically correct? How can that be?
If I were a rich man, I'd be happier.
If I was rude, I apologize.
(See answer below)
|
You May Find These White Papers Helpful.
(They're free, but don't let the price fool you!)
|
| |
|
| Answer to Grammar Quiz
|
| When writing takes on an "iffy" mood - the subjective mood, to be technical - was becomes were. That is, when a sentence or clause starts with if, and what's being talked about is contrary to fact, use the word were:
If I were a king, I would rule wisely. (I'm not a king.)
If she were older, she'd know better. (She's not older.)
But this rule does not apply if what is being talked about may actually be true:
If I was rude, I apologize. (I may have been rude.)
If she was absent, I didn't notice. (She may have been absent.)
Editor's note:
The above answer was taken from Woe Is I,
The Grammarphobe's Guide to Better English in Plain English, by
Patricia T. O'Conner.
By the way, if you thought this quiz was too hard, I'd read Woe Is I, if I were you!
|
|
|
Michael J Dowling ~ Writer ~ Editor ~ Ghostwriter ~ Publisher
133 Worthing Road, St. Simons Island, GA 31522
Phone: 912.230.5051 Fax: 912.634.5777
E-mail: MJD@MichaelJDowling.com Website: www.MichaelJDowling.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/michaeljdowling
Clear, concise, creative, and convincing writing and editing to enable individuals and organizations
to accomplish their goals and increase their visibility, credibility, and profitability.
|
|
|
|
|
|
