Category: Writing/Editing

Which are you more likely to write: “Do not waste energy” or “Conserve energy”? If your writing contains a lot of “no’s” and “not’s,” it’s a signal of negative writing. Using positive language is a better way to promote your ideas.

What do your customers think? The answers are often uncovered through a survey. But writing a customer survey is more compli­cated than most people think. If you’re ever tasked with finding out what people think, use these tips for writing survey questions:

Whenever possible, choose concrete words to express your ideas, says Deborah Dumaine, author of Write to the Top. “Abstract writing is open to many interpretations, all potentially inaccurate,” she says. “Make a real effort to clarify your ideas so that the reader understands your intention.”

Paradoxically, being a perfectionist could get in the way of your ability to polish your business-writing skills. One professor at Smith College, Randy O. Frost, has studied perfectionism for years. He believes that perfectionists avoid writing tasks, procrastinate about them, and avoid having others review their work—all of which hinder improvement.