1.	Decide why you are writing. To persuade? Inform? Instruct? What is your goal and how will you know if you achieved it?
2.	Decide to whom you are writing and why they need the information. This information will help you choose which facts are important and how to present them.
3.	Pre-write. Plan and organize your thoughts. Even a rough outline on the back of a paper napkin can save you valuable time later. Spend 40% of your time pre-writing.
4.	Draft without judgment. Don't agonize over each word as you write. Just get the ideas written according to your outline. Spend 30% of your writing time drafting.
5.	Revise, revise, revise. Spend 30% of your writing time reviewing the draft and improving it. Ask a colleague to read it and see if they get the message you were trying to send.
6.	Revise to improve your opening. Will it attract the attention of your busy reader?
7.	Revise to change passive to active voice. People are responsible for actions; make your writing reflect it. "This office has been advised that…the conclusion was reached that…" Who is responsible here?
8.	Revise to be concise. Eliminate any unnecessary words or phrases—especially the ones you love but don't mean anything! "Serves the function of being"? How about "is"? Use short, familiar words.
9.	Revise to improve tone. You're writing to real people—talk to them. Instead of "This office is in receipt of your letter," try "We received your letter."
10.	Revise to correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, consistency, and word usage. Research shows that even small errors in spelling and grammar take away from a writer's credibility. Don't rely on electronic spell checkers. Call Edit Express!

 
Nan Fritz is Founder and President of nSight, the company behind Edit Express. She has more than 25 years of communications experience. Nan is an Associate Fellow of the Society for Technical Communication, and is also an active speaker and participant in many professional organizations for writers, editors, and publishers.

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