ReWrite to Make it Better

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There are three main phases in my workplace writing workshops and seminars:

  1. PreWrite – Plan what you write.
  2. WriteRight – Write what you planned.
  3. ReWrite – Rewrite what you planned to make it better.

Today, let’s discuss the third – and often overlooked phase – ReWrite. To do that, we’ll assume you thoroughly planned your email or document and wrote it effectively. Since your readers will never see your first draft, you only need to be concerned with your final draft. And if your first draft is your final draft, you miss out on the opportunity to make it better and increase the probability your will accomplish your communication objectives.

So, invest the time to improve your writing by ReWriting it for content, style and appearance.

1.  ReWrite for Content

Review your PreWrite planning and ask these essentially left-brain questions of your document:

  • Does this email or document solve my communication problem?
  • Does it accomplish my objectives?
  • Does it have the right amount of detail in the right format for my intended readers to be able to understand it in a hurry?
  • Do the format and structure support the message and reader?
  • Is it clear? If necessary, show it to colleagues or your manager. Ask for feedback.
  • Proofread effectively. Use your spell checker, but read it carefully as well. Spell checkers alone are not sufficient.

2.  ReWrite for Style

Now, put on your right brain hat and evaluate the word choices you made:

  • Did you use short, simple, specific and active words?
  • Did you use simple and uncluttered phrases?
  • Do your sentences average 15 words or less?
  • Are your paragraphs less than 10 lines?
  • Did you use active voice wherever possible?
  • Is the tone of your message appropriate?
  • What does your message sound like? Try reading it aloud.
  • How does it feel? Does it sound like the person you want readers to think you are?

3.  Re-Write for Appearance

Finally, give it a final assessment from the appearance perspective. How does the document look on the page, screen or – increasingly, on the smart phone? Many of these suggestions do relate more to printed documents, however.

  • If your paragraphs are too long, break them up and use text breakers.
  • Use sub-headings and indents to separate content points.
  • Use extra spaces to set off main sections.
  • Add eye-pleasing white space and one-inch margins to increase reader ease.
  • Minimize page breaks in the middle of paragraphs.
  • Are charts and/or graphs large enough and clearly labeled?
  • How neat and clean does your email or attachment look?

Some Final Rants

  • Avoid the temptation to multi-task and perform all of these tasks together. Assess each set of components in a separate pass because you’ll use different evaluative criteria for each.
  • For those workplace writers who feel they don’t have time to do it right (the first time), they usually will find the time to do it over when it backfires, misfires or generally makes the red pen-wielding big dog unhappy.
  • For those who think the simple memo or email isn’t important enough to warrant this much time and effort, accept the reality that everything you write at work can position you and project your image as a competent professional … or detract from it.
  • Make sure the final draft your readers see is the best thing you could come up with in a reasonable amount of time, not the first thing you thought of the thing you usually think of.

Happy ReWriting!