Today, almost everyone pays a mechanic / computer technician – and, 86 times out of 100, a list of checkpoints covered by a $79.95 diagnostic backs him up.
Thus armed, he verifies the car’s engine, electrical and computer systems are at peak efficiency ... or at least won’t leave us stranded by the side of the road somewhere.
1 – Word count: MS Word, Quark and other word-processing software lets you conveniently spot check wordiness. Make sure that count is appropriate for your format and audience, then rip through your draft, line-by-line, and pare at least 30 percent. Excise extraneous words and phrases, rework verbose passages (look for commas and the word “and”), and focus on redundant content. If that leaves you short of your targeted length, add something fresh – but at 30% off, you’ve likely made your point; it’s just punchier and more readable.
2 – Spell check: Let software regenerate everything you learned in 2nd grade spelling class, and then dig in for “your / you’re” and “their / there” errors.
3 – Grammar check: MS Word, in particular, can at least point to sentences that don’t fit templated algorithms. But here’s where you’ll really start to get your hands dirty. Does what you’ve written make sense, flow and comply to basic rules?
4 – Idiot check: Now it’s time to step back and think things through. Ask questions that will keep readers from thinking you’re the village idiot. Do the level of vocabulary, assumed background knowledge, content and angle fit your audience? Is it politically correct? (Do you want it to be?) Does your exposition / argumentation progress logically?
5 – Verb variety: Study each sentence and make a note – mental or physical – of verb usage. If you use the same verb, over and over, a visit to the bookshelf (or online) Thesaurus may benefit your work?
6 – Action verbs: If your verbs are cobbled into sentences with “have” or “is” or “to” ... chances are your writing is passive (Ooops ... you’re writing passively). If, for example, your product “has passed” peer review (or worse, is “peer-reviewed”), consider writing that it “passes peer review.” Think your copy is good? Not in the big leagues: Your copy sings. Are you accepting an offer to sell? No, you’re accepting a sales offer, or, just “selling it.”
7 – Buddy check: It’s critical that friends, associates, brothers-in-law – whomever – read and critique your copy. Even if your brother-in-law is the village idiot, at least he recognizes idiocy when he sees it – he’s probably an expert.
8 – Recheck: Take all seven steps, review, reorganize, rewrite, edit and re-edit. Did a Step 5 change cause some problem with something you did in Step 2? Even likelier, you probably didn’t do it right in the first place, haven’t noticed it so far, and need the “recheck” to polish the work.
9 – Publish: The point of all writing is that someone reads it. And don’t just “put it out there.” To one extent or another, you need to be a salesman, an advocate, if written work is to have the impact you desire .... whatever that impact may be.
10 – Feedback: In the age of computers, it’s never too late for second-thoughts. If others say they love your work unconditionally, that’s great. But don’t count on it. Even brothers-in-law can be sycophants. Dig in until you really know how others perceive your work – then fix what you can, re-publish as appropriate, and note the lessons learned to guide you on your next project.
These writing checkpoints combine hands-on and computerized evaluation of potential flaws.
Like today’s professional grease monkeys, it’s not wise to ignore the myriad high-tech tools available to assist in their work.
Still, I gravitate toward the service guy who has a little bit of grease on the soles of his shoes ... whose fingernails are three shades shy of neatly trimmed and de-gritted.
After all, it’s still a car, and somebody needs to poke their head under the hood once in a while.
Next: Potpourri
[For personal writing assistance, go to www.fixadocument.com]
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