You need something from a colleague, a vendor, a partner, a relative – what do you do? If you’re of a certain age, you write an email. You do it in hopes that something will happen as a result – the recipient(s) will take action, respond, whatever. Yet often, those emails go unnoticed, lingering unread […]
Business writing
Collaborative Writing
Although writing in the workplace is a team sport, usually only one team member bats at a time. After the planning phase, the designated writer accepts responsibility for putting the words together for the first draft. In some situations, however, team participation also extends to the drafting phase. Truly collaborative writing presents significant challenges for […]
How to Improve Your Technical Explanations [Video]
![How to Improve Your Technical Explanations [Video]](https://annejanzer.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/femgineervideoimage-300x200.png)
In this Femgineer video, Poornima Vijayashanker and I discuss techniques for being understood when you’re writing or speaking about abstract topics. Highlights include: Getting over your misconceptions about using story Balancing brevity and repetition Dumbing down vs. being clear The video covers topics from my book Writing to Be Understood. If you like the […]
Humor in Otherwise Serious Nonfiction Writing
Let’s have a serious talk about humor. It’s tough to do well. It can be controversial. And it may land with a thud in business or nonfiction writing, particularly across cultural contexts. And yet … the careful application of humor catches the reader’s attention, sustains their interest, and, if done well, earns their trust. Many […]
Revising for Cognitive Ease
Every writer faces similar questions when revising their words: How much revision does this need? How much time am I willing to put into it? When is the piece “good enough”? Can I hand it off to someone else to edit, clean up, and take care of? You only know when you’ve done enough if […]
Tips for a Writing Style Makeover
The revision process is like a beauty makeover for your writing – it turns awkward, ungainly words into elegant prose. If you’re not happy with your writing, you can repair it in revision. Like a good make-up artist, you need to understand what you’re starting with and where you want to go. Do you want […]
