escribir miedos?.pdf

8/12/2019 escribir miedos?.pdf

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Contents

Contents

5 Writing skills 5: how to writeThe sounds of success from the cave of silence 5.2

Writers: born or made? 5.3

Process: what are you writing, and for whom? 5.3

Writing: fail to plan, plan to fail 5.4

Games writers play, and how to stop

playing them 5.5

I just cant get started: busting thosewriters blocks 5.6

Point of view: the you attitude 5.8

Planning and structuring: creating shapes

for your ideas 5.9

Indirect versus direct approach 5.10

The 5W-H technique 5.10

The AIDA technique 5.11

Question and answer technique 5.12

The diagramming technique 5.13

More structure: outlining techniques 5.17

Editing and proofreading 5.21

Proofreading 5.22

Writing: plan to succeed 5.28

Summary 5.28

Student study guide 5.28

KEY TERMS 5.28

REV IEW QUEST IONS 5 .29

APP LIED ACTIVITIES 5.29

WHAT WOUL D YOU DO? 5. 29

REFERENCES 5.30

SUGGESTED READING 5 .30

ACKNOWLED GEME NTS 5.31


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Writing skills 5: how to write

After reading this chapter you should be able to:

Determine the information/persuasion/entertainment mix of a document

Identify planning techniques for writing

Identify and neutralise games writers play

Overcome writers block more easily

Assess the you attitude of documents

Apply planning and structuring techniques, such as the direct versus indirect approach, 5W-H,

AIDA, question and answer, diagramming, and outlining

Apply editing and proofreading techniques


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tinginthe21stCentury

The sounds of success from the cave ofsilence

Being able to write well and reap the benefits (higher grades or scores, better salary, job pro-motion) means facing some unpleasant news. Heres the news writing is lonely.

If we are not happy with our own company, if we cannot stand silence, if we cannot

stand loneliness and lack of stimulus, and if we bombard ourselves with every kind of tech-

nology to drive away that loneliness and lack of stimulus, then we will never fulfill our

writing potential. Its just you, surrounded by books, photocopies, PDFs, databases, rough

notes, master plans, coffee cups, and a blank screen or blank sheet of paper. Oh, and your

brain.

However, Johnson (2008) tentatively supports the argument for multitasking, especially

with the increasing use of technologically advanced gadgets: mobile phones, email, instantmessaging, and the new generation of 3-, 4- and 5-G phones. These are, in fact, mini-

computers that provide, among other things, dynamic video images, access to maps, texting,

pornography, and gambling, not to mention MySpace, Facebook, music via headphones,

podcasts, chat rooms, computer games, television, DVDs, and split-screen TVs, and whatever

else is around the corner. Johnson suggests that these gadgets are, in fact, evolutionary

accelerators, expanding the neuroplasticity of the brain:

. . . communications gave our ancestors the ability to survive and outlast Neanderthals

pretty powerful evidence that communications makes us smarter, not stupider. With theInternet, IM, social networking and mobility, the intensity and scope of communications

increases dramatically. Obviously theres a time and place for multitasking. Its difficult to

write War and Peace or practise brain surgery while simultaneously texting, Twittering,

emailing and carrying on a phone conversation. For situations in which you need to

maintain intense focus, I respectfully suggest making effective use of the off switch. But

overall, you can definitely say that your phone is making you smarter. Modern-day

Neanderthals, your days are numbered. (Johnson 2008)

Provocative as Johnsons views may be, however, research in the past few years has shownthat the human brain processes tasks serially, or one at a time, if there is to be any learning

taking place (Rosen 2008; Wallis 2006). Dr Edward Hallowell, a US psychiatrist, describes

multitasking as a mythical activity in which people believe they can perform two or more

tasks simultaneously, and refers to a new condition Attention Deficit Trait (ADT), as purely

a response to the hyperkinetic environment in which we live (Edward Hallowell in C Rosen,

2008, p. 106).

In response to this information overload, companies, such as Intel and Google, have intro-

duced no-email Fridays, where people actually communicate face to face (see Shipman 2008;

see also chapter 1, Communication today).Multitasking, it would then appear, leads to poorer performance, not better, greater levels of

stress, and may be signs of addictive behaviour not to mention exposing multitaskers to

electronic equipment that is yet to be conclusively proven not to harm human health (Maisch,

2006; Oberfeld, 2005; Parker-Pope, 2008).

If, then, we are not multitaskers, we face a choice: to be mediocre and self-deluded multi-

taskers, or to be effective monotaskers doing one thing at a time, and doing it well. In the

world of writing, that means probably doing without our beautiful but distracting toys, or at

least only intermittently rewarding ourselves with them after we have achieved a promising

slab of ideas. A result that can only be achieved by becoming comfortable with a measure of

silence, loneliness, and letting our brains get on with the task of taking in raw data, pro-

cessing it, and avoiding the trap of letting our first draft be our last. Consequently, there is

Multitasking:doing morethan one thing at the onetime

Monotasking:doing onething at a time, and doing itwell


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ritingskills5:howtowrite

only one type of multitasking that an effective writer needs to know about, and that is how

to communicate the message to the audience in the right language and style, using the right

channels (see figure 5.1; see also chapter 1, pp. 1925).

Figure 5.1: The best multitasking matching language and style with message, channels and audience

Thus, the language and style through the channel of an academic essay or paper will be

different, as will the message, as will that of a business report and its message. This type of

multitasking is versatility, and versatility +competence is praised by all. Make sure that you

get more than your share of the praise going around.

Writers: born or made?

Writing is a skill that can be learned. If you are a good writer now, then there is no reason

why you should not become an excellent writer. If you consider yourself to be a not-so-good

writer, then there is no reason why you should not become at least a good writer.

In this chapter we will consider different methods of planning and structuring your writing,

overcoming writers block, and editing and proofreading your writing. Look at this chapter in

conjunction with online chapters 1 to 4 and, from the book, chapter 2 Document design and

graphic communication and chapter 3, Doing and using research.

The research process that precedes writing is complex, but it eventually turns data into

wisdom, that is, if you dont get stuck on the initial and intermediate steps of collecting andanalysing data, information or knowledge.

This sounds faintly depressing, particularly if you dont like writing, and you like silence

even less. But stick with it, otherwise youll continue to be looking at that blank sheet, in fact,

a whole slab of blank sheets.

Process: what are you writing, and for

whom?Different documents often have different audiences. Members of these audiences not only havedifferent backgrounds and levels and types of knowledge, but also have different motivations.

AUDIENCE

LANGUAGE,

STYLE

MESSAGE

Channels


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For example, sometimes people read to learn that is, they want to extract information froma document and use that information at a later time. At other times, people read to do thatis, they want to extract information now, act on it immediately and then forget it. On other

occasions, people read to be entertained or distracted. All this means that you will need to write

in different ways to meet the needs of different audiences (see chapters 4 and 5, and online

chapter 6).

While it is vital to know, or at least to speculate on, the motivations of your audience, it is

also important to examine your own motivations. Just what is it that you are trying to

achieve in the document you are writing? Is it a case of just give em the facts or is it more

complex than that? To answer these questions, you need to be aware of the information/

persuasion mix (see chapter 5, Reports and proposals).

Note that a largely persuasive document cannot do without some type of information

basis, and even the most relentlessly factual specification for an item of equipment may be

very persuasive to certain readers. In other words, writing is not simply a technical matter

of grammar and format: there is a behavioural or communicative aspect to it as well.

Writing, like all human communication, is not simply a matter of data transfer it is also

the transmission of ideas and values (see chapter 1, Communication today).

Writing: fail to plan, plan to failGood writing is all about good time management, which also means good self-management.

Consider the number of times you have finished a piece of work and delivered it to those youwrote it for, but have then experienced:

regrets that the piece wasnt as well developed as it should have been

concerns as you only now detect critical errors in typing and

layout

concerns that certain crucial issues were not even covered

flashes of insight and really good ideas about the topic

too late for inclusion, of course.

Good writing is not simply about content and style, but about

the minimisation of regrets and hindsight. The best cure forhindsight is foresight, and the best way to ensure foresight is to

plan.

Most of us plan our time pretty badly. Bad planning isnt a

crime, but it is annoying and wasteful. If you want others to

see how good your work can be, it pays to plan a little.

For example, most of us, when writing, use our time in a way

imilar to the pattern shown in figure 5.2. To become more effec-

tive, we need to develop a time use pattern closer to that shown

in figure 5.3.Is it unrealistic to allocate one-third of your time to planning, one third of your time to

editing, and only one-third of your time to writing? Not at all. In fact, if research is part of

your planning process, you may well allocate more than one-third of your time to planning

(see chapter 3, Doing and using research). (Note also aspects of time planning for oral

presentations in chapter 11, Oral communication.)

The reality of all time planning is that:

theres less time available than you think

you can do more with the time you have than you think.

You also need to concentrate on the absolute size of the time pie that you have, as well asthe relative proportions of activities undertaken within the time. In other words, if one-third

of your time allocated for a task is not enough to cover the writing phase, maybe you need a

bigger time pie.

Reading to learn: reading adocument to extractinformation and use thatinformation at a later time

Reading to do: reading a

document to extractinformation in order to acton that information now

Reading to be entertained

or distracted: reading adocument not because ofits practical payoff (as ameans to an end) butbecause of the pleasure ordiversion it provides (anend in itself)

Figure 5.3: Ideal time use

Figure 5.2: Actual time use

Planning

Writing

Editing andredrafting

Planning

Writing

Editing andredrafting


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Games writers play, and how to stop playing themBe aware that we all play mind games with ourselves and others, and that if you wish to

become more effective as a writer, you need to stop playing such games (see the section on

self-talk in chapter 9, Interpersonal communication 1).

Table 5.1 shows us some of the games writers play, and some ways of challenging them.

Table 5.1:Games writers play

Game Analysis and ways to beat the game

Game no.1: I do my

best work only under

pressure.

Wrong. Adrenalin surfing is certainly exciting, but writing isnt like stage acting or sprinting its

more like film or TV acting or a marathon. Dont procrastinate on deadlines and rely on staying up all

night on the day before the deadline. Yes, inspiration may strike, but you will almost certainly leaveout crucial things, and you will certainly not have enough time to edit, clean up, rethink and recast.

Dont get locked into a crisisprocrastinationcrisis loop its exhausting, and utterly unnecessary.

Douglas Adams, the British writer and author of the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxyseries, once

said: I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by (cited in http://

en.wikipedia.org). Thats amusing, but as a rule its really only relevant for superstar authors who

have negotiating clout with their publishers, and not for most of us mere mortals.

Game no. 2: Im a

creative person, so Idont need routine.

Wrong. Routine is the platform on which you can do all your best work; it is the prerequisite for

creativity, not its enemy because it allows you to focus your energy and concentration on your workrather than on chaos control. Have a place set up where you can write regularly, with all your

resources available and all things paper, pens, computer in the places where you expect them

to be.

Game no. 3: Im a

creative person, so I

dont need a plan.

Wrong. Fail to plan, plan to fail. Sketch out an outline of the structure of what it is you are going to

write. Revise it where necessary. Writing without a plan is like undertaking a big drive without a map:

if you dont know where youre going, how will you know when you get there? (Consider also the

planning techniques looked at later in this chapter.)

Game no. 4: That

reference is

somewhere buried

under this paper on

my desk, but I dont

have time to clean up.

Wrong. Cleaning up is real work, not an avoidance of work. Take time to assemble all your resources

in sequence. Have all your work laid out tidily. Dont waste your time by looking for things or losing

things. Remember, at least one-third of the time you need to spend is in planning. The less irritation

you experience in putting all of your material together, the easier it will be to concentrate, excel and

be rewarded for excellence.

Game no. 5: Im a

twenty-first centurykind of person, so I do

everything on a

computer. Working by

hand is so twentieth

century.

Wrong. Typing/word processing can sometimes give a writer some distance or objectivity that

handwriting cannot, but be aware that some writers are positively hostile to mechanical writing,either on a typewriter or on a computer, because they feel that the tactile experience of

handwriting (and editing and revising) helps trigger flows of thought more effectively. Consider

Wendell Berrys views:

In using computers writers are flirting with a radical separation of mind and body, the

elimination of the work of the body from the work of the mind. The text on the computer

screen, and the computer printout too, has a sterile, untouched, factorymade look . . .

The body does not do work like that. The body characterises everything it touches. What

it makes it traces over with the marks of its pulses and breathings, its excitements,

hesitations, flaws and mistakes . . . And to those of us who love and honour the life of thebody in this world, these marks are precious things, necessities of life. (quoted in

Chandler 1992)

Games writers play: mind

games writers play that getin the way of good writing


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Table 5.1 (continued)

Discuss with at least one other person whether you play any of the games writers play. Do you?

Do they? If so, what can be done about it?

Can you think of any other games writers play?

I just cant get started: busting thosewriters blocksWe have all had times when we know we really should have written something by now, but

the muse of inspiration stubbornly refuses to descend. The page stays blank, the screen stays

blank and the deadline stomps on towards us. There are numerous approaches that can be

taken to overcome writers block, but consider trying one or some of these the next time you

are blocked:

Make lists of key concepts and words. It doesnt matter about the sequence just get

words down. Later, when you have a fair-size list, or lists, begin to organise the words into

categories.

Game Analysis and ways to beat the game

Game no. 6: Im goingto sit down and knock

this project off, and

Im not getting up

until I do.

Wrong. Such mock heroics get us nowhere. Its really just the crisisprocrastination mindsetcombined with desperation and stubbornness. You should be able to alternate blocks of work with

blocks of leisure, creating a rhythm that is motivating and dynamic. Reward yourself when a

section or phase is finished get up and walk around, eat and drink, listen to some music, watch

a program, play a game (dont forget to go back, of course . . .).

You dont have to punish yourself. In fact, it makes sense not to do all of a project at the one time.

The brain stews on a problem over a period of time, and you usually get the best insights into what

you are writing about only when you allow yourself time. Get your best insights down on paper

before the deadline, not after. Time is not your enemy, but you have to work at it to make it your

friend.

Game no. 7: I do my

best work when

listening to music.

Wrong. There is no such thing as background noise. All noise music, TV, people talking, traffic

places a cognitive load on your brain that pre-empts real concentration (see, e.g., Ransdell &

Gilroy 2001). We tend to want music and other distractions because we get bored and/or lonely.

Writing by definition is a lonely task, but its a type of loneliness that can actually be helpful,

because:

it may be the only silence you can get in a noise-polluted world

it can actually help you expand your concentration span, and that cant be bad (why exactly do

you need so much ear candy anyway?)

it can help you focus on the real conversation: the analytical conversation that goes on inside

your head as you solve the problems you are writing about (and that may be the best

conversation youre going to have all day, or week or . . . )

given the cognitive penalty of irrelevant noise, silence can actually help you get through the

task quicker, so that you can relax, return to the real world and indulge your senses.

ASSESS YOURSELF

Writers block: state ofmind writers get into when

they feel they cannot write


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Write anything. It doesnt matter if its garbage or not, just break the ice by beginning to

get something on the screen or on paper

Make mini-posters of key concepts on sheets of paper, and stick them on walls. Walk

around and look at them.

Talk to someone about it. As you talk, take notes. Sometimes simply talking about something

gets the juices flowing.

Tape yourself talking about the topic, and then go back and transcribe those bits that seem

to make sense.

Begin in the middle, rather than at the beginning. Write about things you know about

rather than things you dont know about yet.

Do something else: give your brain a break by working on something else. Once the ideas

are in your brain it keeps working on problems, even when you are not consciously

thinking about them.

Analyse your own procrastination behaviour: why are you putting this off? Attempt to overcome procrastination by tackling the part of the task that repels you

most and thereafter everything else should be easier (known sometimes as the eat a live

toad in the morning, and everything else throughout the day suddenly becomes easier

principle).

Sleep on it. Read as much as you can in the area, and then put the problem away for

at least a day. Think about the problems before going to sleep, and then return to them

the following day. Again, your ever-reliable brain may have been processing the

problem, and may deliver the goods (see also chapter 7, Academic writing: the essay,

p. 233). Use some of the structuring techniques covered later in this chapter, such as mind mapping

and 5W-H.

Start to research, and think of it as a game or a hunt. Whats the newest journal article can

you get from a database? What is the oldest reference you can get from the rare books

room or from Internet archives?

Use the Search Inside feature on books at amazon.com to find content, quotations and

data that may not be on your bookshelves for several years.

Build up a collection of journal articles in hard copy and/or as PDFs, texts with pictures,or HTML pages on your computer. Scan them as you collect them, and use an overliner

(yellow and fluorescent light is not a great combination) to pick up key points. Skimming

for ideas like this may trigger some enthusiasm.

Know when to stop researching. Too much researching is just another form of procrastina-

tion. There is no point in spending eighty per cent of your time researching but only

having a few hours to put it together.

Buy a wall calendar and a diary and fill in both to keep track of when assignments are

due. Coordinating both will help to keep the due date in your mind.

Set aside time, and defend it to the death. Set aside a work space, and be disciplined.

Organise your material, write it up (see online chapter 6), and build on it at a later stage of

you career, when new insights and inputs will produce an even mightier piece.

If you are not a morning person, set the next day up with idiot tasks typing up the

bibliography, doing online searches for interlibrary loans. This will warm you up and

wake you up, and perhaps trigger interest in doing something with your hoard of

material.

Work with someone else to relieve the loneliness, and discuss/argue over the key ideas.

This satisfies your need for company, and gives your adrenalin a workout. Unless it is a

team or joint assignment, however, write it yourself, otherwise you may be accused of

plagiarism or collusion.


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Give up and go and exercise. Sometimes the blood flow through the brain will stimulate

new ideas. Sometimes turning off your brain is in fact a form of turning it on.

Beware of perfectionism: you might look at a mountain of books and articles and say,

whats the use? Its all been said before. There is a hidden motivation for perfectionism: it

means that you dont have to do a thing, and have the bonus of wallowing in being a

victim.

Dont be a dopamine dope: dopamine and serotonin in the brain are critical for focus,

energy and concentration. They can be quickly triggered by sugar, chocolate, white flour,

caffeine, cigarettes, and more chocolate. All of these give a quick hit for an hour or two,

but then may dump you into energy deficit, where you become worse off than you were

before.

Play: use diagrams or mind maps to form a visual plan from your idea. Its more fun than

writing, its quicker, you can make interconnections with the stroke of a pen that may give

you a lateral thinking breakthrough. Jot down notes over several days and use adhesive notes, cards or sheets to fasten them to

a wall. Make a point of rearranging them often.

Consider how you intuitively feel about a topic, and then begin to plan a counter-stance

by developing an argument for something you wouldnt normally believe in. It may not

change your mind, but you may gain insight into the weaknesses of your initial position.

Carry a notebook with you at all times, and at least two reliable leak-proof pens. Ideas

arrive when you least expect them, so capture them.

Read books on the area. It wont kill you, and it will increase your attention span. Use

indexes and table of contents to get what you want, but dont hunt and peck so much that

you miss the main point. When was the last time you read a complete book?

Join commercial libraries that provide you with searchable resources, or use free services

to kick-start ideas.

Using print and online resources, research writers block. Make up a list of at least five strategies

that make sense to you. If you are working with a group or class, share your thoughts with others,

and find out what they have discovered and what works for them.

Point of view: the you attitude

Lets consider your audience, or audiences, again. One of the mistakes writers often make isforgetting the needs and preoccupations of their audience, and instead concentrating on their

own needs and preoccupations.

Change your mindset to that of thinking from the audience's point of view (see online

chapter 4) and developing a you attitude. When you are writing, ask yourself the most basic

motivational question: what's in it for them?

Members of your audience are just like you:

They have a point of view.

They empathise most directly with people who share or at least are aware of that point of

view. They have scarce time.

They are already suffering from information overload.

ASSESS YOURSELF

You attitude: attitude

focusing on the readers

needs and motivations

rather than the writers


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To keep in mind the you attitude, hunt out and destroy, or at least play down, the I/we

attitude (what's in it for me/us?). The I/we attitude can be seen in people who:

write documents that are full of jargon the writer and the writers colleagues know what

it means, but the reader certainly doesnt (see online chapter 4)

write documents that are more notable for what is not there than what is the writer hasso many blind spots that he or she has simply assumed that the reader shares a background

of knowledge and familiarity with process

write documents that stress company policy, rather than addressing the needs of the reader

write documents that emphasise problems instead of solutions

write documents about systems that emphasise features (what this system can do) rather

than benefits (what this system can do for you) (see chapter 13, Argument: logic,

persuasion and influence)

deal with customers in an off-hand or rude manner, or ignore them completely, while giving

full attention to in-house matters (see chapter 18, Communicating with customers).

The you attitude is often accompanied by a personal and less abstract style (see online

chapter 4). This style is not always appropriate for all documents, but it is very effective for a

wide range of them. Experiment with your writing style, so that you can vary it for maximum

impact with different audiences (e.g. consider the range of you attitude to non-you attitude

passages in figure 5.4).

Figure 5.4: Most you-oriented wording to least you-oriented wordingSource: Adapted from Rodman (2001, p. 25).

Planning and structuring: creating shapesfor your ideasClarity of purpose can be created by eliminating or modifying certain words and groups of

words, and also by using correct punctuation. Words and punctuation can do only so much

to create clarity, however. The simplest words and punctuation are not of much use unless

your documents have a clear and logical structure, and unless the sentences within those

documents also have a clear and logical structure. Lets now turn our attention to techniquesfor creating structure for your ideas. In creating documents, you may decide to mix and

match these techniques or models, according to your message and your audience.

1.1. For the convenience of regular parking-lot users like yourself, a new roof covering

the parking lot will be built. To offset the cost of construction of this facility, a nominal

extra monthly charge of $5 will be necessary.

1.2. In order to protect your vehicle better from the effects of rain and snow, we have

decided to cover the parking lot. To offset the cost of construction, we regretfully

must increase the monthly rental from $10 to $15.

1.3. We are covering the parking lot so that your car will be protected against the

seasonal elements. We regret that in order to offset the costs of construction, the

monthly rental will be increased from $10 to $15.

1.4. We have decided to improve our service by covering the parking lot and we would

appreciate it if you could contribute to this construction by paying $15 instead of $10.most

you-oriented

least

you-oriented


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Indirect versus direct approachYou will use a direct or indirect approach, depending on whether you think your audience

wants to hear what you have to say whether you have good news for them or bad news

(see online chapters 4 and 5).

If you have bad news, you will probably use an indirect approach that is, you will try toconvey some good or neutral news first. This is not hypocritical or procrastinating: it is

merely placing bad news in a positive or neutral context so that the reader does not give up

after the first few words.

If you have good news use the direct style.

An abuse of the indirect style is when writers beat about the bush, even when they have

good news to convey. (The direct/indirect technique has something in common with the

media writing techniques of news versus feature style writing (see online chapter 8).

Some examples of direct versus indirect approaches are shown in table 5.2.

Table 5.2:Direct versus indirect structuring of documents

The 5W-H techniqueThe 5W-H technique is a very simple one learned by all journalists: when writing a story,

answer these questions:

Who? What?

Where?

Why?

When?

How?

It is a useful model to follow for ensuring that all aspects of a topic are covered (see online

chapter 8). While all six aspects are not always appropriate, it is surprising just how often

they are (note also the expanded formula 5W2H [Who? What? Where? Why? When? How?

How much?]; see online chapter 6). When composing a document, you may find it useful to

take a copy of figure 5.5, and use it not only as a planning tool, but also, as with all of these

techniques, as a writers block buster.

Direct technique Indirect technique

Letters, memos,

emails

Yes, we can give you what you

want message placed at the

beginning of document

No, we cant give you what you

want message placed in middle of

document after rationales andbuffers

Reports, proposals Conclusions and recommendations

likely to be favourably received by

audience if placed at beginning of

document

Conclusions and recommendations

likely to be unfavourably received by

audience if placed throughout

document or at the end

Website, brochure Attractive price details prominently

displayed

Unattractive price details

downplayed

Direct approach:

structuring documents so

that the main message is

given at the beginningIndirect approach:

structuring documents so

that the main message is

delayed until later in the

document

5W-H technique:

structuring a document so

that it answers thequestions Who? What?

Why? When? Where? and

How?


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Figure 5.5: The 5W-H plan for writing

The AIDA techniqueAIDAis simply an acronym for:

A Attention

I Interest

D Desire

A Action

When readers start reading your document, you want them to finish reading it. To make

that outcome more likely, you need to take them through a sequence of behavioural phases,

each phase flowing on from the previous one. The AIDA model is just such a sequence

(table 4.3), which can be effective, particularly for persuasive communications such as per-

suasive letters, memos and emails (see a sample AIDA format in chapter 4, p. 114 and note the

dynamics of persuasion analysed in chapter 13).

Table 5.3:The AIDA model of document structuring

Phase number Phase name Emphasis

How the writer wants

the reader to react

1 Attention Attention of the reader needs to be gained at the

outset. If the document is slow-moving, theindirect approach is employed and the language

is lifeless, the document is probably doomed. No

matter what pearls of wisdom await the patient

(or masochistic) reader, such pearls will remain

undiscovered in the majority of cases they will

languish with the rest of the text in the

wastebasket.

Attention can be gained by throwing

unusual openings at the reader forexample, a telling quotation, a startling

statistic or an anecdote.

What? Oh that's

interesting . . . tell memore . . .

TOPIC

Question Answer

Who?

What?

Where?

Why?

When?

How?

AIDA: acronym forAttention, Interest, Desire

and Action. An approach tostructuring documents thatreflects this sequence


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Table 5.3 (continued)

Question and answer techniqueThe question and answer techniqueof getting ideas across can also be very useful. Most humanlearning takes place using questions and answers, and thus this model works through

sequences most people are already familiar with. See, for example, figure 5.6.

Figure 5.6: Question and answer document structuring

Phase number Phase name Emphasis

How the writer wants

the reader to react

2 Interest Interest can be awakened in the reader byshowing the features of the product, process,

system or idea being talked about, and giving

objective proof of its excellence such as

guarantees or samples. This is an objective

appeal to the logical side of the reader.

Hmm. . . so it can do

that?

3 Desire Desire can be created by stressing the personal

benefits of the product, process, system or idea

for the reader, and tapping into deeper

motivational patterns. This is a subjective appeal

to the emotional side of the reader.

Hey, I've got to get

that . . .

4 Action Action can be triggered by showing the reader

what he or she can do: respond, telephone, fax,

mail a card or letter, request that a sample be

sent, attend a demonstration, endorse a

recommendation or click a button.

How do I get it? What

do I do now?

Question and answertechnique:an approach tostructuring documents sothat the content ispresented in the form of a

dialogue

Do I need to re-register a second-hand car I want to buy?

Yes, you need to tell the Vehicle Licencing Authority (VLA) that you have bought the vehicle.

You need to do this within 24 hours.

You need to fill out the green Change of Ownership (L6) form. You can do this online or in

person.

Note: If there is more than one months registration left on the registration sticker on thevehicles windscreen, you do not have to pay for any more registration.

Do I need to tell the VLA if I have modified or changed my vehicle?

Yes, you do. You need to record any major changes (such as engine modification,

suspension modification), as well as some minor changes such as colour change.

You need to fill out the green Changes in Vehicle (L9) form. You can do this online or in

person.


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Question and answer format allows a dialogue to take place between the writer and the

reader. The reader is drawn into the process. Questions mean that verbs will be used, which

always adds vigour to writing (see online chapter 4).

The only drawbacks to question and answer writing are:

the writer may not be able to anticipate all the reader's questions

the approach can become boring and irritating (and perhaps patronising) when sustainedover a long document.

The diagramming techniqueWe will consider two types of diagram here: the pattern diagram and the outline or tree

diagram. Ideally the pattern diagram is the basis of the outline or tree diagram.

Pattern diagramming, also known as mind mapping (Buzan 2003), is a simple technique for

visualising ideas you wish to convey, without imposing a premature and possibly limitingstructure on them.

Diagramming can be a good way of breaking writers block, and of developing a fuller

treatment of a topic you are working on. Diagramming allows you to:

combine drawing with writing, and thus tap into the right (inductive, spatial, non-linear)

side of the brain as well as the left (deductive, sequential, linear) side

use senses of play and brainstorming (see chapter 21)

take advantage of the tactile nature of drawing as opposed to the more disconnected

processes of writing using a word processor

keep options open by sketching, modifying and interconnecting concepts rather thanprematurely locking in to a limited frame of concepts.

Take, for example, a simple concept: cycling. If we were to write a passage about cycling

for someone who is thinking about taking it up, we might be able to use the diagramming

technique to produce a document that is more thorough and useful than if we simply sat

down and wrote the first thoughts that came into our heads.

Here's how it works:

1. Start with a clean sheet of paper and coloured pens.

2. Use printing, not cursive writing.

3. Write your central concept in a circle drawn in the centre of the page.

4. As related sub-concepts or related ideas occur to you draw lines away from the central

concept, and identify those lines as sub-concepts.

5. If the main concept is a tree trunk, and the sub-concepts are branches, what about twigs?

Develop these twigs, or sub-sub-concepts, that flow out of the branches, or sub-concepts.

Sketching your thoughts on a diagram, you might come up with something like figure 5.7.

This pattern diagram could also be turned into an outline or tree diagram (see figure 5.8).

Pattern diagramming:

approach to planningdocuments that uses

diagrams to visualise the

structure of ideas


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Figure 5.7: A pattern diagram


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Figure 5.8: A tree diagram


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Once you have done this, you could turn it into a text sequence (see figure 5.9). This block

of text is not particularly appealing to the eye in its current form, and could benefit from

some more creative layout and formatting (see chapter 2), but for the moment, thats not a

problem. We have solved the problem of trying to fill up a page on words about cycling, and

the chances are that the solution has been arrived at fairly painlessly thanks to the concept

and word generation that becomes possible with diagramming techniques.

Figure 5.9: Sample text about cycling

Cycling is an interesting travel option, with possible health benefits. If you are thinking of taking it up, there are a

number of aspects you might need to consider.

Firstly, the bicycle itself. You will need to make some decisions about what type of bike you get, particularly in terms

of frame, suspension and tyres.

Frames can be made of titanium, aluminium and steel.

Traditionally, bikes havent had much suspension at all, but now you can get suspension springs built into the wheel

forks, as is already the case for motorcycles.When choosing tyres, you will need to choose between street, mountain and racing tyres.

Next, you will need to consider what equipment you need.

Important types of equipment include helmets, jackets and lights. Helmets for bicycling are usually lighter than

motorcycle helmets, and you will need to consider various features of lightweight helmets. Do you want a rear-view

mirror attached, for example? Do you require a model with a chin-strap, which may mean that the helmet is more secure?

Given that you can work quite hard on a bike, and thus sweat, what about the question of ventilation? When choosing

a jacket, you will have a wide variety to choose from, so choose one that meets your needs. Do you want a lightweight

jacket or a heavier one? Do you want a waterproof jacket in case the weather turns bad? Do you want a jacket with a

reflective surface that will help make you more visible to other road users?Lights on a bike are essential, and not only for night-time riding. You should consider whether you want lights at both the

front and the rear. On the front lights, do you want the light to be static, or flashing? The same options apply to the back

lights. You should also consider what type of power system you want to drive your lights. You can have a battery system or a

generator system.

If you are going out on a bike, consider some planning. Do you need maps to navigate your way around? You can now

get maps for most cities in the world, and these are not only traditional print-format maps but also online versions. Try

to find out if the route you propose to take has bike pathways that are separate from main roads, or if the roads you

need to travel on have designated bike lanes that will keep you protected from motorised traffic.

The experience of riding a bike can be pleasant, but you need to know that in some circumstances it can also beunpleasant. The pleasant side of bike riding is all about being out in the weather, and breathing fresh air for a change.

Riding a bike can also be a form of exercise, which is no bad thing. Also, simply riding a bike through an area you may

have driven through for years may change your perception of that environment: you notice things that you have never

noticed before.

The downside of riding a bike cannot be ignored, of course. To state the obvious, you are exposed to the elements,

and this can be sometimes unpleasant. Windy weather can make it difficult to stay on a bike, and wet weather may

mean that you will get soaked to the skin unless you are wearing protective clothing. Hot weather may sound like fun on

a bike, but it can prove to be exhausting because you need to work so hard. There is also a danger element involved in

bike riding. There is always the threat of being knocked off your bike by cars or trucks, and the road surfaces cansometimes be tricky.

The future of bike riding may well be quite interesting. In the future, bikes may be made of new materials, which may

mean that they will be not only cheaper but also lighter and more robust. New systems of energy storage may mean that

when you coast down a hill, energy will be stored, and this could be released to make going up hills easier. Some futurists

have dreamed up the idea of bike trains, which would be multi-station vehicles made of ultra-light materials, with

recumbent bike cavities or cockpits. The theory is that these would run on tracks, and you would catch such a train and

sit in a cavity, combining your cycling efforts with those of others. Another blue-sky idea is that of overhead bike tunnels,

so that bike riders could completely escape sharing roads with dangerous and polluting motor vehicles. It has also been

suggested that riders in such tunnels could get a speed boost from solar-powered fans on top of the tunnels.


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There are numerous aspects of the particular topic of cycling that have not appeared in the

diagrams above, such as costs, folding bikes, mountain bikes, tricycles, tandem bikes, recumbent/

prone bike frames, car racks, health aspects of breathing in pollution, injuries sustained by cyclistsand government policy. The bigger the list, the better it is for us as brainstormers and writers block

busters.

Create your own pattern diagram and tree diagram for a passage of text about cycling. Compare

your efforts with those of others.

Use large sheets of paper, and stick these onto walls. Make adjustments or changes to your

originals as you think about them over a period of hours or days. If necessary, do multiple versions.

More structure: outlining techniquesPattern diagrams and tree diagrams help to progressively refine ideas and impose a structure

on them. If we need to go further, its time to consider structured outlining. For example, if

you were to create a report on cycling, you could do it as an essay, where the text has a very

basic information structure: initial heading, paragraphs and nothing more. There is nothing

wrong with that some of the worlds great non-fiction writing has made do quite nicely

with only this degree of structure but you may decide that your audience needs more struc-

ture to help them navigate an extensive text. (See the comparison of essay and report genres

in chapter 5. See also chapter 6, Online writing.)

In such cases, you might consider an alphanumeric or decimal structure. This simply means

that sections and subsections of your writing are identified with labelled headings and sub-

headings. Figure 5.10 shows some of the differences between Arabic and Roman numerals,

while Figure 5.11 shows how different levels of text (in diminishing sequence) are identified.

Figure 5.12 shows the alphanumeric and decimal structure or outline of the text on cycling

in effect, the tree diagram of figure 5.8, but this time with an identified structure.

ASSESS YOURSELF

Outlining: approach tostructuring ideas through

headings

Arabic 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 11 12 20

Roman upper

case I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X XI XII XX

Roman lower

case i ii iii iv v vi vii viii ix x xi xii xx

Figure 5.10: Arabic and

Roman numerals

Level type Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5

Roman upper-case numeral I

Alphabetical: upper case B

Arabic numeral 3

Alphabetical: lower case d

Roman lower-case numeral v

Figure 5.11: Typicalordering in

alphanumeric outlines


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So which system is best? There is no correct answer to this question, because some

disciplines (e.g. science, technology and law) prefer decimal, while other disciplines prefer

alphanumeric. Some of these preferences are rational, and some have simply evolved over

time. (There are similar differences in citation or referencing styles; see chapter 3.) Some

readers find the decimal style cleaner, although the pure numbering can irritate some readers

after moving beyond the third level.

Note that these outline sequences could also work as tables of contents in complex documents.

Note also that the sequence Future>Overhead tunnels>Solar fanshas only one sub-concept,

Solar fans, coming out of the point at the higher level, as opposed to all other sub-points,

which tend to come in groups. Some readers prefer to see multiple sub-points coming out of

points, so it might pay to brainstorm a little in situations like this to see whether you could

identify (at least) a second sub-point. Then again, it will always be better to have only one

real sub-point rather than one real and other bogus sub-points just for the sake of aesthetics.

Figure 5.12:Alphanumeric and

decimal hierarchies

CYCLING

I. BICYCLE

A. Frame

1. Titanium

2. Aluminium

3. Steel

B. Suspension1. None

2. Sprung

C. Tyres

1. Street

2. Mountain

3. Racing

II EQUIPMENT

A. Helmet

1. Mirror2. Chin-strap

3. Ventilation

B. Jacket

1. Weight

2. Weatherproof

3. Reflective

C. Lights

1. Position

a. Reari. Static

ii. Flashing

b. Front

i. Static

ii. Flashing

2. System

a. Battery

b. Dynamo

CYCLING

1.0. BICYCLE

1.1. Frame

1.1.1. Titanium

1.1.2. Aluminium

1.1.3. Steel

1.2. Suspension1.2.1. None

1.2.2. Sprung

1.3. Tyres

1.3.1. Street

1.3.2. Mountain

1.3.3. Racing

2.0 EQUIPMENT

2.1 Helmet

2.1.1. Mirror2.1.2. Chin-strap

2.1.3. Ventilation

2.2 Jacket

2.2.1. Weight

2.2.2. Weatherproof

2.2.3. Reflective

2.3 Lights

2.3.1. Position

2.3.1.1. Rear2.3.1.2. Static

2.3.1.3 Flashing

2.3.1.4. Front

2.3.1.5. Static

2.3.1.6. Flashing

2.3.2. System

2.3.2.1. Battery

2.3.2.2. Dynamo


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Software toolsIf you are working with complex documents, it may be to your advantage to become skilled

in using outliner functions in word processors, such as Microsoft Word or Corel Word Perfect.

For example, Figure 5.13 shows part of the text on cycling set out using the MS Word outliner

function.

Another software tool that you can use to track the structure of your ideas is the document

map (see figure 5.14). Document maps are, in effect, snapshots of the structure of your docu-

ment, as shown through the heading and subheading structure. You can use document maps

to monitor the structure of your ideas, checking to see whether the structure is truly reflecting

your intent, or whether changes need to be made.Whether you use computer outliners or document maps, or simply have outline plans and

tables of contents on paper, treat them as tools and not as straitjackets. Be flexible enough to

re-edit the structure of your text if you feel:

this section here is growing fast. I really should promote it to a higher level, or even give

it its own section, with its own subsections

that sequence isnt really panning out. Its quite thin. I think Ill demote it to a subsection

on the next page . . . or maybe its just a footnote

that sequence doesnt make as much sense now that Ive added that new information. That

part really needs to be ripped out of there and given much more prominence near the front.When you start thinking like this, you are really beginning to think about editing and

proofreading, so lets defer consideration of more of these issues until that section.

III. PLANNING

A. Maps

1. Print

2. OnlineB. Pathways

C. Designated lanes

IV. EXPERIENCE

A. Pleasant

1. Weather

2. Fresh air

3. Exercise

4. Environmental perception

B. Unpleasant1. Weather

a. Windy

b. Wet

c. Hot

2. Danger

a. Vehicles

b. Road surfaces

V. FUTURE

A. New materialsB. Energy storage

C. Bike trains

D. Overhead tunnels

1. Solar fans

3.0. PLANNING

3.1. Maps

3.1.1. Print

3.1.2. Online3.2. Pathways

3.3. Designated lanes

4.0. EXPERIENCE

4.1. Pleasant

4.1.1. Weather

4.1.2. Fresh air

4.1.3. Exercise

4.1.4. Environmental perception

4.2. Unpleasant4.2.1. Weather

4.2.1.1. Windy

4.2.1.2. Wet

4.2.1.3. Hot

4.2.2. Danger

4.2.2.1. Vehicles

4.2.2.2. Road surfaces

5.0. FUTURE

5.1. New materials5.2. Energy storage

5.3. Bike trains

5.4. Overhead tunnels

5.4.1. Solar fans

Figure 5.12 (continued)


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Figure 5.13: Using a

software outliner tostructure text

Figure 5.14: View of a

document map


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Analyse the strengths and weaknesses of six different approaches to structuring documents

namely, direct/indirect pattern, 5W-H, AIDA, question and answer, diagramming and outlining. Use

the attached table. How might it be possible to combine various approaches?

Editing and proofreadingWhy do we need to edit our writing? We edit because human beings are not perfect. Editing

comprises a series of techniques that helps to clarify, unify and streamline your document.

Redrafting is a form of editing, and the final edit is the final chance to get it right. The editing

phase also presents opportunities to rework material based on any usability testing you mighthave done on reading to do documents, such as manuals or instructions (see online chapter 6).

Remember what was said earlier about the amount of time you need to set aside for editing,

redrafting and proofreading. These are not trivial tasks that can be squeezed in at the end of

the writing process or perhaps ignored altogether. On the contrary, they are processes that can

make or break your document.

Note that there is a difference between a structural edit and a copy edit of a document, and

a difference between editing and proofreading. Structural editing is a process wherein the

structure of the argument of the document is challenged: Does it make sense? What is

missing? What is there too much of? Copy editing, in contrast, does not challenge content butprocess, and is used to check mechanical details such as spelling, punctuation, grammar, con-

sistent use of terminology and other matters. Proofreadingis primarily a quality control pro-cess, and not a substitute for copy editing (Snooks & Co. 2002). It is a process of checking the

final copy in printed form and attempting to pick up mistakes that have escaped the struc-

tural and copyediting processes.

Edit to ensure consistency and unity. What we need to achieve when editing is objectivity.

This is quite difficult if you are editing your own work: we tend to be too involved with our

own productions, and can be reluctant to make the ruthless decisions sometimes necessary to

make a document work. As the great eighteenth-century writer Samuel Johnson advised,Read over your compositions, and wherever you meet with a passage which you think is

particularly fine, strike it out (cited in Boswell 1791 [1998]).

Approach Strengths Weaknesses

Direct versus indirect

5W-H

AIDA

Question and answer

Diagramming

Outlining

ASSESS YOURSELF

Structural editing: aprocess wherein thestructure and content of adocument is examined andwhere necessary reworked

Copy editing: a processwherein the mechanicalaspects of a document(spelling, grammar,punctuation) are examinedand, where necessary,corrected

Proofreading: a qualitycontrol process used toremove all errors from thefinal document


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There are a number of ways you can bring some objectivity to the process:

Get someone else to do it. Empower the other person with the right to challenge content

and process; dont become precious and oversensitive about this (at the very least, you can

get revenge by returning the favour). It sometimes helps if the person helping you knows

absolutely nothing about the content of the area in which you are writing. Let your friends

point out the weaknesses in your writing before your enemies do. Use software tools such as document maps and Autosummarise to help you get a grip on

the structure. Print out the document in reduced form (e.g. 24 pages per normal size page)

for a new perspective. Temporarily reformat in different fonts and layouts to make it

strange so that you can see your work with new eyes.

Attach the document page by page, in sequence, to a wall (laying it out on the floor will

do, but a wall display is better). Walk along in front of the document and read it.

Use time. Put the document away, and then come back to it afresh. This is perhaps the

most difficult approach to use, because usually there are deadline pressures that make it

impossible. But you need to make it possible if you want to make sure your ideas are deliv-ered to the world in a perfect condition. Time is the greatest editing tool of all.

So what should we be looking for when editing? Here are some key points to consider:

Does the text flow smoothly, or does it look like a series of ill-digested chunks loosely con-

nected? Is there unity of function?

Are there differences in style between sections (sentence length, word length, vocabulary,

rhythm, formality/informality, concreteness/abstraction)? This can be particularly impor-

tant if other writers have contributed to the document.

Are there stylistic tics that may irritate some readers (e.g. overused words, phrases and

abbreviations)? Are there repetitions in the text (unless the repetition is deliberate, for emphasis)?

Is there a lack of transitional words or phrases (see online chapter 3) at the end and begin-

ning of paragraphs and sections?

Is there a lack of visual unity in graphics, fonts or general layout?

Are there problems with structure and process? For example, in a large document like a

report, it may be that the title is inaccurate, the table of contents and body structure are

different or the conclusions and recommendations do not emerge logically from the body

of the text. In a fiction piece, it may be that the plot has gaps, characters behave in ways

that seem problematic or the dialogue is unrealistic. If you are editing a document for an organisation and there is a prescribed house style,

does the document match that house style?

ProofreadingProofreading comprises a series of techniques that were originally devised for the correction

of proofs trial sheets of printed material, such as pages of text from a book or an article in

a journal. Proofreading is a specialised skill, but you can use some of the techniques to edit

some of the more mechanical mistakes in your document.Proofreaders use specialised marks to highlight the errors in the text they are examining. A

list of such proofreading marks is given in figure 5.15 and a sample of marked-up text and

the corrected version of the same text is shown in figure 5.16.

How does the proofreader pick up such errors? It's amazing how many errors you can miss, even

when you have read your document through several times. Some proofreading techniques are:

proofreading the text backwards (reading each word, but starting with the last word in the

document, and working backwards to the first word)

having someone else read the text to you while you check it (ensuring that everything,

including punctuation, is read out) placing a piece of card under the text line as you read it.

All these techniques are designed to help you get some distance from the text you have written.


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Figure 5.15: Common proofreading marks Source:Snooks & Co.(2002, pp. 5235).


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Figure 5.16: Sample of marked-up copy and corrected proof Source:Snooks & Co.(2002, pp. 5267).


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Writing: plan to succeedLook again at figure 5.2 (p. 2). This diagram suggests that good writing is, to use the language

of film and television, not only about production but also about pre-production and post-

production. Each of these three can reinforce, or weaken, the other two.

When you write, you usually have specific goals in mind high marks for an essay, imple-

mentation of recommendations in a report, empathy in the minds of readers in a novel. To

achieve any of these goals you need to plan. Dont have your success spoiled by mind games,

writers blocks, sloppy preparation or inadequate editing. As we saw earlier:

Writing is a skill that can be learnt.

Good writing is all about good time management, which means self-management.

Most people could write well if they tried, but dont. If youre the only person in a group or

workplace who canwrite if, for example, you can apply the content of these five online

writing chapters then that has to be good for your reputation, your rsum, your career andyour own sense of achievement and self-worth. Write now.

SummaryIn this chapter we saw that documents can be classified according to the mix of information,

persuasion and entertainment values present. We identified planning techniques, noting along

the way the games writers play. We investigated the concept of writers block, and considered

ways of overcoming it. We saw that the you attitude is critical in the composition of somedocuments and in general processes of communication. We looked at a number of document

planning and structuring approaches, such as direct versus indirect method, 5W-H, AIDA,

question and answer, diagramming and outlining. Finally, we looked at a number of editing

and proofreading techniques.

Student study guideKEY TERMS

5W-H technique p. 5.10

AIDA p. 5.11

copy editing p. 5.21

direct approach p. 5.10

games writers play p. 5.5

indirect approach p. 5.10

monotasking p. 5.2

multitasking p. 5.2

outlining p. 5.17

pattern diagramming p. 5.13

proofreading p. 5.21

question and answertechnique p. 5.12

reading to be entertained ordistracted p. 5.4

reading to do p. 5.4

reading to learn p. 5.4

structural editing p. 5.21

writers block p. 5.6

you attitude p. 5.8


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1. Writers block is a myth. Anyone who wants to write can write. Discuss.

2.What is the difference between reading to do and reading to learn?

3. Name at least three games writers play.4. Identify at least two strategies for overcoming writers block.

5.What is the point of considering the you attitude in documents?

6.When would you consider using the indirect approach when writing a document?

7.What are the disadvantages of the question and answer mode of structuring?

8.Why does it make sense to create a pattern diagram before a tree diagram?

9. Name three ways in which we can get some objectivity when editing our own text.

10.What relationships might there be between the content of this chapter and chapter 2,

Document design and graphic communication?

1. Follow the example of figure 5.3 and write a series of passages, ranging from a style that

shows a strong you attitude to a style that shows a weak or non-existent you attitude.

2. Analyse a number of documents (letters, brochures, website text) to see to what extent they

follow a direct or indirect style of exposition.

3. Analyse a number of documents to see to what extent they follow the AIDA pattern of

exposition.

4. Take a document that you or someone else has already written. Do a diagram analysis of

the document to analyse its structure. Does this analysis suggest any changes that you

might consider making?

5. Take a document that you or someone else has already written. Open up the document in

a word processor, and then analyse its structure via the document map function. Does this

suggest any potential changes you might consider making?

6. Working with at least one other person, write a passage of text that is full of errors.Exchange texts, and correct them, using proofreading marks. Produce a finished copy of

the text.

You have been asked to edit the monthly newsletter by the Head of Human Resources,

Joanna. You have received copy from a number of contributors, including Manny, Tai and

Joe. All three write in a unique style that very much reflects the way they talk. Peoplethroughout the organisation sometimes remark, not unkindly, on the differences in the styles

of these people (usually along the lines of Manny is so assertive: he really punches his points

home with such skill!; Tai always seems to come up with a quirky take on things that no-

one else has thought about; Joe is so quiet, but so methodical: he builds up an argument

piece by piece, until you realise that you have become completely convinced by him). You

decide that, in these three cases in particular, each persons style is important, and only give

their writing a light copy edit. You have just shown the draft of the newsletter to Joanna, and

she is not happy. She said, Look, we have a house style manual, and I want all contributions

to conform to that. We cant just run the words of every weirdo around just the way they sentit in. I mean, what are we paying you for as an editor if you cant clean this rubbish up?

How can you best respond to Joanna?

REVIEW QUESTIONS

APPLIED ACTIVIT IES

WHAT WOULD YOU DO?


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REFERENCES

Buzan, Tony 2003, How to mind map: make the most of your

mind and learn to create, organize and plan, Thorsons

Publishing, London.

Boswell, James 1791 [1998], Life of Johnson, Oxford Worlds

Classics, Oxford.

Chandler, Daniel 1992, The phenomenology of writing by

hand, Intelligent Tutoring Media, vol. 3, nos. 23,

pp. 6574.

Johnson, Johna Till 2008, Does your phone make you

smarter?Network World, 26 June www.networkworld.com.

Maisch, Don 2006, Medical warnings needed on DECT cordless

phone use,Journal of the Australian College of Nutritional

and Environmental Medicine, vol. 25, no. 6.Mundis, Jerrold 1991, Break writers block now!St Martins

Press, New York.

Nelson, Victoria 1993, On writers block, Houghton Mifflin

Company, Boston/New York.

Oberfeld, Gerd 2005, WLAN and DECT in Schools and

Kindergardens, Salzburg Region Public Health

Department, December 5, www.mastsanity.org.

Parker-Pope, Tara 2008, Experts revive debate over

cellphones and cancer, The New York Times, June 3,

www.nytimes.com.

Peterson, Karen E. 2006, Write. 10 Days to overcome writers

block. Period.Adams Media, Avon MA.

Randsell, SE & Gilroy, L 2001, The effects of background music

on word processed writing, Computers in Human

Behavior, vol. 17, pp. 1418.

Rodman, Lilita 2001, You-attitude: a linguistic perspective,

Business Communication Quarterly, vol. 64, no. 4,

pp. 925.

Rosen, Christine 2008, The myth of multitasking, The New

Atlantis.com, www.thenewatlantis.com.Shipman, Tim 2008, New lifeline for staff drowning in emails,

Telegraph Co.UK, 29 June, www.telegraph.co.uk.

Snooks & Co. 2002, Style manual for authors, editors and

printers, 6th edn, John Wiley & Sons, Brisbane.

Wallis, Claudia 2006, The multitasking generation, Time,

March 27, www.time.com.

SUGGESTED READING

Bazerman, Charles 1999, Changing regularities of genre, IEEE

Transactions on Professional Communication, vol. 42,

no. 1, pp. 12.

Billingham, Jo & Seely, John 2002, Editing and revising text,

Oxford University Press, Oxford.DVari, Marisa 2000, Script magic: subconscious techniques to

conquer writers block, Michael Wiese Productions, Studio

City, CA.

DeVoss, Danielle & Rosati, Annette C 2002, It wasnt me, was

it? Plagiarism and the web, Computers and Composition,

vol. 19, pp. 191203.

Ferrari, Justine 2008, Routine makes a good student, The

Weekend Australian, August 23, p. 5.

Flaherty, Alice Weaver (in press), The midnight disease: the

drive to write, writers block, and the creative brain ,

Houghton Mifflin/Mariner Books, Boston, MA.

Gemmill, Erin 2006, Technology use among college students:

implications for student affair professionals, NASPA

Journal, vol. 43, no., 2, pp. 2830.

Giorgi, Elizabeth, The one thing: Its meditation, Tribune

Business News, June 28.

Houston, Velina Hasu 2009, Writers block busters: 101

exercises to clear the deadwood and make room for flights

of fancy, Smith and Kraus, Lyme, NH.

Glatzer, Jenna 2003, Outwitting Writers Block, and other

problems of the pen, The Lyons Press, Guildford CT

Kleidermacher, Kathy 2007, The pocket idiots guide to

beating writers block, Alpha Books, New York.

McGee, Tim & Ericsson, Patricia 2002, The politics of theprogram: MS Word as the invisible grammarian,

Computers and Composition, vol. 19, pp. 45370.

Rabin, Stanton 2008, How to get past writers block, The

Writer, vol. 121, no. 4, pp. 4245.

Rekulac, Jason 2001, The writers block: 786 ideas to

jumpstart your imagination, Running Press, Philadelphia,

PA.

Ryan, Kevin 2003, Write up the corporate ladder: successful

writers reveal the techniques that help you write with ease

and get ahead,Amacom, New York.

Shaw, Fran 2001, 50 Ways to help you write: tips, techniques,

and shortcuts to help you write like a pro, iUniverse,

Lincoln, NE.

Trimmer, Joseph F 2004, The new writing with a purpose, 14th

edn, Houghton Mifflin, Boston, MA.

Uld, Michael 2008, Effectively manage your multi-tasking

day, The American Salesman,vol. 53, no. 7, pp. 2529.

Whitehead, David 2003, Writing frameworks: easy-to-use

structures for creating confident, successful writers,Pembroke Publishers, Markham, ON.


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Chapter5


Figure 5.4, p. 5.9: Lilita Rodman, Business Communication Quarterly, vol. 64, no. 4, p. 25, 2001. Reproduced with the

permission of Sage Publications via Copyright Clearance Center

Figure 5.13, Figure 5.14, p. 5.20: Screen shots reprinted by permission from Microsoft Corporation. Text

Baden EunsonFigure 5.15, pp. 5.2325: Style Manual6th Edition, 2002, pp. 523525, Australian Government Information Management Office,

Department of Finance and Deregulation, Commonwealth of Australia, reproduced by permission

Figure 5.16, pp. 5.2627: Style Manual6th Edition, 2002, p. 527, Australian Government Information Management Office,

Department of Finance and Deregulation, Commonwealth of Australia, reproduced by permission.

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