Writing with Style and Substance

Writing with Style and Substance Sue Robinson & Marilyn J. Shaw Institute on PhilanthropyUniversity of Richmond Step 4: Drafting June 2011

Mark Twain on Writing “Anybody can have ideas—the difficulty is to express them without squandering a quire of paper on an idea that ought to be reduced to one glittering paragraph.” —Letter to Emeline Beach, Feb. 10, 1868 (c) Well Put LLC and Robinson & Assoc LLC

Step 4: Drafting • Review similar past examples critically. • Hone in on previous successes. • Outline content, how you will get the audience to read from start to finish. • Focus on good writing form to achieve the desired reaction. (c) Well Put LLC and Robinson & Assoc LLC

1. Review past examples • Part of continuous improvement • Time saving • Boilerplate • Make note of any past omissions to include this time, errors to avoid. • Keep a file of distributed work on which you make notes for next-time changes. (c) Well Put LLC and Robinson & Assoc LLC

2. Hone in on past successes • If a previous fund-raising communication brought in new donors like crazy and that’s your goal, your new draft may be a simple update. • If your board praised your meeting summary for its clarity and completeness, repeat that approach. (c) Well Put LLC and Robinson & Assoc LLC

3. Outline Content, Approach • Make use of Motivation, Collecting Ideas and Organizing steps. • From your theme, draft a headline. • Craft an opening that grabs the reader. • Determine the point of each paragraph; map information from old to new. • Figure out how you want to close. (c) Well Put LLC and Robinson & Assoc LLC

4. Good Writing Form • Clarity (Subject, verb) *“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” • Brevity • *Twitter fiction (140 characters) “If I position my head just right, my wife will be looking into my eyes when she smiles. The hologram flickers as I rewind one more time.”—R. Gatwood • Consider lists instead of comma series. (c) Well Put LLC and Robinson & Assoc LLC

Draft Sample: Notice anything? “Then came the day of the date. Luke bathed and dressed in new clothes and asked his mom if he should shave. She laughed and said, ‘Of course not.’” His mom gave him tips on how to treat a girl like a queen. Luke just hoped he would not act like a fool at the film or when he and Jen ate at the joint next door.” (c) Well Put LLC and Robinson & Assoc LLC

4. Good Writing form (cont’d) • Simplicity—Hemingway(?) story: “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.” • Use active voice. • Make verbs do the heavy lifting. • Make every word count. • Rule of 3 (c) Well Put LLC and Robinson & Assoc LLC

Breaking Down the Elements • Words—find the root of long words; think keywords, metatags, conversation • Sentences—vary word order for interest, cadence, emphasis. Compose • Paragraphs—each needs a theme/ purpose; sentences in them fit theme • Composition—transitions and flow (c) Well Put LLC and Robinson & Assoc LLC

Group Exercise (10 mins.) • Let’s take the sentences the class offered about the computer that died before its time and start drafting a short eulogy. (c) Well Put LLC and Robinson & Assoc LLC

Start Writing! • Where do I begin? • Writer’s block • Find your personal creative peak time • Too many notes; too much data • Deadline looms (or pretend it does) Remember: medium, audience, goal (c) Well Put LLC and Robinson & Assoc LLC

Group Exercise (10 min.) Take a few minutes to read “Social Networking Theme.” Jot down at least one question you have about this draft for a brief discussion. Was the writer successful in communicating? (c) Well Put LLC and Robinson & Assoc LLC

Individual Exercise On your own, or in class if time permits, work on your draft and bring it to the next class. (c) Well Put LLC and Robinson & Assoc LLC

Writing with Style and Substance