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How can you improve your writing? Reader L wonders…
I am hoping that you and your readers can help me! I am looking for suggestions on how to improve my technical writing skills, either through online courses, tricks, tips — really anything.This is a subject near and dear to my heart — in addition to being a writer, I taught Legal Research & Writing in law school. Here are a few tips from me; I'm sure the readers will have many more great ideas… (Pictured: Pen to Paper, originally uploaded to Flickr by Orin Zebest.)
- Nail down your grammar. No, it isn't sexy, but grammar is really important. Most of my grammar knowledge comes from my time spent in journalism school (my undergraduate degree), where I became really, really familiar with books such as:
- When Words Collide
, apparently now in its 8th edition (and with lots of workbooks! what fun)
- The Elements of Style, by Strunk & White
- When Words Collide
- Nail down your spelling. Yes, really. If a writer makes spelling errors, it distracts the reader from what you're saying and hurts your credibility. It's really tempting these days to let technology “help” you quite a bit, and one tip I have is to use auto-correct judiciously, not automatically. If there are things you should know, don't let your computer automatically correct you on those things! For example, for some reason, when I first got to law school I misspelled “judgment” about 60% of the time when taking notes. I'm not sure what my problem was, but I thought there was an E in there. That is a really commonly used word, and if I'd misspelled that on a handwritten test it would have hurt my credibility with the professor. So I needed to keep seeing the little red squiggle under the word — and review it every time I did a spell check — in order to teach myself how to spell it.
- Know what you want to say. What is the purpose of your writing — to inform, to persuade? What is the ONE point you want the reader to come away with? What action do you want the reader to take? All of this should be said as clearly, and concisely, as many times as possible — in the subject line of the email or the re: line of the letter; in Executive Summary of the memo or the first sentence of the email, in the discussion section of the memo, in the summary of the memo, etc, etc. Something else to consider — what else will the reader ask? If you can answer it before he or she even asks it, you're doing a great job.
- Be flexible in your own writing, because what you want to say may change as you're saying it. One of the things I've done through the years is to write a first draft of whatever I wanted to say — an argument, a paper — and write it down as the words come out of my head. It's a great way to get past writer's block (because it doesn't matter what or how you say, it's just a first draft), but for me it's a way to organize my thoughts, as well, and sort of sound out the arguments. I'll usually then put the draft aside (for at least one sleep cycle, but a day if I can help it) and do an outline of what I want to say, without first referring to the draft. I almost always significantly reorganize and rework the basic structure of the piece, and most of the time I end up rewriting it, ultimately using about 20% of the first draft. It's a long process, but it's the one that works for me.
- Find styles to copy. My favorite tip is one I heard long ago in a creative writing class: when you read something you like, copy it out longhand in order to “absorb” a bit of that writer's style. I'm not suggesting you copy the entirety of War and Peace longhand, but find a passage that you like and copy it, word for word, punctuation mark for punctuation mark, out longhand. I have a special notebook for this purpose so that I can go back and read the different passages when I'm adding a new one. I've primarily copied fiction writers — Margaret Atwood, Woody Allen, P.G. Wodehouse — but if you find a beautifully written sample of writing in your specific field, copy that as well.
- Know your weaknesses. Let's just say a certain friend of mine <cough, cough> has a real problem with using way too many em-dashes and semi-colons. She says she's more of a Faulkner than a Hemingway (Faulkner once wrote a 1200+ word sentence that was completely grammatically correct!) but that doesn't give her an entirely free pass, and she knows it. Whenever she's working on anything very serious she makes sure to go through her writing and find instances where she can use short, declarative sentences instead of long ones. Varying sentence length helps the flow of the text, and helps give her writing more impact.
- Read your writing on paper. (I think this is my third anti-technology tip!) For anything lengthy, I have to print it out and read it on paper — even if I've read it ten times on the screen, I'll find new things to fix. For very important things, I often will read them aloud, as well. (If you don't have your own office, find a space where you can do this without feeling inhibited!)
- Finally, two last tips:
- Read. A lot.
- Write. A lot.
Tired Squared
Just want to say that I’m glad other people have/had trouble spelling “judgment.” If you ask me, the word includes “judge,” so there SHOULD be an “e” in there!
zora
exactly! and I think they *should* ask you, Tired!
momentsofabsurdity
Just tell people you’re British. It means you get to use the prettier spelling of “grey” too!
Magdeline
I’m glad someone else agrees that “grey” is much prettier than “gray.” I shall continue to use the British version.
Always a NYer
I’ve always used “grey.” “Gray” doesn’t look as pretty and I just don’t care for it, LOL.
Tired Squared
I AM good at putting on a British accent…
And “grey” is definitely the prettier version!
LG
i’m impressed you got over the “e” in judgment, kat! i’m studying for the bar exam after 3.5 years of law school (i was a part time student), and it still slips in every now and then for me. on exams, it would avoid using the word as much as possible, just in case!
Abigail Joan
This is too funny – I’ve always had trouble with judgment and it’s a dangerous problem when you are a lawyer. I thought I was the only one! I also feel vindicated regarding my ongoing use of “grey” – much more lovely as you’ve said.
b23
My number one tip is to eliminate extra words. Be ruthless. Most words that end in -ly can be cut, and people use way too many “of” clauses.
Also, just because you think you know grammar doesn’t mean that you really do. There are all sorts of rules that people don’t know. As a self-proclaimed grammar nerd, I still learn things from Strunk & White and The Winning Brief. It is easy to get complacent, but grammar rules exist for a reason.
AIMS
Agreed. It is rarely necessary to include the word ‘very’ in a sentence.
Also, just remember, not everyone can be a great writer but everyone can be a competent one. If it’s not your strongsuit, stick to short, declaratory sentence and keep it simple.
Avoid passive voice.
And, read your writing for any missing ‘becauses’ — I am amazed at how often I see conclusory sentences like, “this claim is frivolous” or “defendant is simply seeking to avoid complying with discovery,” or even “this motion should be denied,” without any meaningful reason as to why. If you can’t articulate it, it’s not going to be persuasive.
Anonymous
Good tip re: missing becauses! I’ll remember to try that.
Connie
For legal writing, I would strongly suggest Plain English for Lawyers. This is a short and easy-to-read resource that can make a big difference in grammar and style.
fresh jd
The SEC released “A Plain English Guidebook” for disclosure documents, but it applies to all writing imho. I have the Plain English for Lawyers book, but the free SEC doc covers the same points and is available with a simple google search.
fresh jd
Also, my favorite writing book is called “On Writing Well” by William Zinsser.
Homestar
Love Plain English for Lawyers.
Fish out of NY
Threadjack!
Hi everyone–longtime lurker, first-time commenter here. I always enjoy absorbing the hive wisdom, and I’m hoping it could work some magic for me today.
I work in the consulting field, and have recently been offered a significant job opportunity. I’m feeling conflicted about whether to take it, and if so, what to ask for from my company.
My company has several offices in the US, and we recently opened an office in DC last year. So far, the DC office has one senior executive, and the company is looking for another person to move down, help run the office, and work full time on projects there. The role has been offered to me, and I have about a week to decide whether to take it. It would offer significantly more responsibility than I have in my current role, and could be a good professional opportunity.
One of my main hesitations in taking the position is surrounding D.C. itself. I’ve lived in New York since college, I don’t drive, and I don’t know anyone who lives in D.C. I have an image in my mind of D.C. as a city that doesn’t have a lot of organic urban culture and where most people who work in the city commute in from the suburbs. Is this hopelessly wrong, D.C. Corporettes? If I moved down to D.C., could I live in the city itself? I could afford to pay about $1100/month max, so I assume I’d have to live in a share, which would be OK. I’m in my late 20s, and would prefer to live in a place where I could walk or bike most places I need to go. I’ve also got a boyfriend, but it’s not clear whether we would stay together or break up if I moved, so I might be facing the transition as a newly-single lady. I guess most of my angst about this stems from going from a place I’m very safe and secure to a place I don’t have a network or safety net.
My second question has to do with negotiation. I’ve done a very limited amount of negotiating in my professional life. My immediate boss, who I respect a lot, advised me that if I were to accept the position, I should have a list of ‘demands’ (he didn’t use that terminology but that’s what it essentially would be) about my new position.
The things I think of immediately are a) asking the company to pay for the move and b) negotiating for a raise. Are there any other requests I should be making regarding roles and responsibilities or logistics of the move? I’m also thinking of asking the company to make my role down there a one-year trial, at which point I could have the option to come back to New York or stay down in D.C. Does this sound realistic? Do y’all have any other thoughts about things I should ask for or terms I should try and set?
I realize this might be a bit overly-general, but I feel as if this post is veering towards novel territory. Again, I would really appreciate any advice/life experience you guys have to offer.
HRette
Definitely ask for them to cover the move! They should offer to pay expenses to find a new place to live and the move, or they should give you a lump sum that you will need to manage to cover the expenses.
And yes you SHOULD ask for a raise. It’s more responsibility, so you should expect a raise. You sound like you may be young or newish in your field, but clearly have proven you are competent. Is there anyone IRL who can advise you? A friend, relative, etc?
Valerie @ City|Life|Eats
Hi Fish out of NYC. I used to live in NYC, now live in DC. I had a lot of qualms about moving back (I lived here out of college and for law school) but, at the time, it was absolutely the right move for my career for many reasons, and there were other reasons too. DC does have organic urban culture, and there are many people who live in the city and do not commute from the suburbs. That said, when I lived in New York, most people I knew commuted from the suburbs. Also, there are commuters from near suburbs (ie Clarendon, a part of Arlington) who are more commuters the way someone who lives in Brooklyn and commutes to Manhattan are, rather than commuters from the suburbs. I live in Dupont Circle, walk everywhere, or take the subway, and my lifestyle is very similar to what I had in New York. There are other neighborhoods you could do that (Cleveland Park, Columbia Heights, Capitol Hill) though you might need a bike or metro to get to work (right now I live walking distance to my office).
All of that said, no matter how nice DC is in terms of providing me with an urban lifestyle, it is not NYC. My advice would be to negotiate a significant raise and moving expenses and see if you can afford a little more in rent. I don’t have a good sense of rental prices anymore, but $1200-$1500 ought to get you a studio in a more urban neighborhood in DC.
Feel free to contact me through my blog if you have any more questions about DC – I can’t answer much on real estate, but definitely can in terms of “I love x in NYC, is there a comparable thing to x in DC”
Best of luck.
Monday
Do an outline (but be willing to change it as you go). Think about why each point needs to follow from the last, and why it also needs to precede what comes next.
Read a draft out loud–does wonders in identifying errors, repetition, and awkward phrasing.
Get feedback and use it.
Misspell many words, capitalize randomly, put most nouns in all caps, and each paragraph should be 2 sentences long at most. Establish a tone of incompetence, and be artistic with punctuation. Fooey!
b23
He he. As to your second point, though, it is absolutely true that reading out loud does wonders for your writing. Any time I have something important going out, I read it aloud with my door closed.
SF Bay Associate
100% agree. I first got onto the exciting trial teams as a first year because I became known as the best proof reader. How did I do that? I read every draft brief I was given aloud, and caught errors that even the eagle-eyed partners missed. I also do cntl+f for ” ” (that’s three spaces) – there should never be three spaces in a brief unless it’s at the end of a paragraph, where it doesn’t matter.
AIMS
You can also do “reveal codes” and it will show you spaces by dots.
a.
My favorite: reading aloud from a print-out. When I did that with college papers I would always be aghast at my awful writing, which somehow looked fine on the screen.
Also, I know there are a couple of words that I’m constantly tempted to over-use, so I keep my eye out for them. “Just” and (dang it) “and” spring to mind.
tika55
Reading it aloud is a great tip, and I think this is equally useful for presentations. I have probably done 10 dry-runs of a big upcoming presentation, and the presentation is totally unrecognizable from the starting point. I also agree that reading is an excellent way to improve your writing.
Blue
Go through and look at every sentence and ask yourself “What purpose does this sentence serve?” and “Does this sentence relate to my thesis (on the macro level) and my topic sentence (on a paragraph by paragraph basis)”? If it doesn’t relate to your main point and serve a purpose, then either change it or get rid of it.
k
Also for legal writing, The Winning Brief is excellent. It’s impossible to absorb all of the material in one read, but each time I pick it up I leave with at least one or two really helpful points. The bit about hyphenating phrasal adjectives stuck.
Anonymous
Good tip – I will check it out! I’m struggling with brief writing now. I have a very different style from the partner I often work with, and while I don’t want my briefs to end up reading just like his, I do want to improve them to the point that he has fewer corrections. Other great resources out there for brief writing (esp appellate), corporettes?
Ashley
Get a fresh pair of eyes! There are things that sound perfect in my head, and when I read them on paper, they still make sense. Then I give them to my husband/colleague/group member, and they just put some question marks by the phrases they don’t understand or don’t read well. They also catch typos that I miss after reading something 20 times :)
On another note, for those wondering about the aqua blue skirt from JCP that I posted yesterday, it is, in fact, lined :)
karenpadi
For legal writing, I would add that people should never, ever forget IRAC (issue, rule, analysis, conclusion). I’ve used IRAC to structure sentences, paragraphs, and 20-page briefs. You can even “nest” an IRAC in another IRAC too!
I would also add that most people assume their readers know too much. It’s always helpful to explain things like procedural posture and assumptions made.
R11
Yes, IRAC is so key. It seems silly and obvious, but I find that it’s almost always the best way to structure a legal argument, no matter how complex.
Porter
Yes! This is the number one mistake I see from junior associates. It is mostly due to the omission of the “A”.
Holly
And even when the “A” is there, it’s still more like IRaC.
JK
I definitely second Kat’s recommendation of The Elements of Style by Strunk and White. It helped me conquer the difference between “that” and “which.”
MeliaraofTlanth
Thirded. My old boss made that required reading for all his staff.
Weirdly, the thing that really taught me English grammar was learning Latin in school. Because it had different endings for various cases/tenses, you really had to learn what was correct in English before you could learn what was correct in Latin.
I also wholeheartedly agree with “read a lot”. Today my boyfriend, who has graduated from top undergrad and law schools, informed me that he just realized discreet and discrete are spelled differently. How he never picked up on that, I don’t know, but I suspect it’s because he’s not a reader. I probably picked it up somewhere along the way because I read all the time as a child (less now that I have actual work, but you know). There are certain words where I can tell you what book I first read them in and had to look up the definition (maladroit, for example). I, ladies, am a grammar and language nerd.
TX Lawgirl
Not a an amazon employee or anything, but amazon has elements of style kindle edition for 2.99.
Night & Day
Anyone have suggestions with dealing with reviewers who have radically different styles? We have a 2-person review process in my office and manager 1 does not agree, AT ALL, with manager 2. Manager 2 is in charge, so I try to do what 2 says, but from a practical standpoint, I think most people in the office agree that manager 1’s style is better for certain purposes. I have a feeling that when I switch jobs, I will have to relearn everything to go back to a style that is more in line with manager 2’s style. Has anyone been in a similar situation?
AnonInfinity
Yes. This describes my office. Yours might be different, but in my line of work, one person generally signs what I wrote (the motion, memo to client, whatever), even if more than one person edits it. I try to write using the signer’s preferences if I know who’s going to sign it . If I don’t know who is going to sign it, I try to use the preferences of the person I most naturally write like.
I don’t know if that was helpful at all. This is one of the things I find very challenging about practicing law.
zora
I have no tips, but this is my life. I spend so much time trying to reconcile edits that go in two opposite directions, but in my case neither of the people are higher in the hierarchy than the other, so it falls to me to ‘pick one’ … which is the source of most of my anxiety attacks these days…. and it sucks, so I’m commiserating… and i would also love to hear any advice people have
Blonde Lawyer
I do not miss that at all. I switched jobs but at my first legal job two people above me edited my work. Mid-level wrote totally different than me. Senior wrote like me. Mid-level would change my work, senior would red line all of it and then I would be stuck explaining to senior, if I ever got a chance to, that my original work looked just like what he wanted. Mid level and senior also didn’t get along putting me as the monkey in the middle. Ick.
Anonymous
Holy cow — that sounds familiar! And in my case too, the partner with a verbose style is the “writing partner.” Then again, he’s brilliant at strategy and his knowledge of our practice area is encyclopedic, so it can be forgiven.
karenpadi
This is the story of my profession. I had a mentor explain to me that I should learn each of the styles and why each reviewer did what they did. Then develop my own style. Some reviewers had reasons based on gut instinct; others had reasons based on cases and statutes.
Now, I’ve developed my own style (mostly based on the latter) and review others’ work. I tell them the same thing and I include my reason for doing what I do. I know I disagree with other attorneys I work with and why I don’t like what they do. So when I review a document written for another reviewer, I try to be fair and not tear it all to pieces.
Night & Day
I sign all my own work, so that is part of my concern with the differing points of view.
AIMS
The Atlantic had a really fantastic compilation of books on reading and writing a few weeks ago. Lots of fantastic resources.
http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2012/01/new-years-resolution-reading-list-9-books-on-reading-and-writing/251079/
KOB
I highly recommend The Redbook for all lawyers — it’s my bible!
JK
My co-clerk told me about this. I really need to order it!
SB
I second The Redbook. However, sometimes it has a different answer than other grammar books. That makes it very tricky when certain partners like to rely on their tried and true grammar book. I tell them this goes hand-in-hand with blue book and would they use Chicago Manual of Style to cite their cases?
NDR
I love On Writing Well by William K. Zinsser.
I agree with b23 – simplify! I taught a few Comp 1 courses where some of the students thought that the more words they could squeeze into a sentence, the better. It was absurb to try to figure out the subject, verb and object of anything they wrote.
Cutting words makes your writing easier to follow and strengthens your points (first to go are hedging words and adjectives or adverbs – use a more precise word).
Anne-on
Yes! Love Zinsser – it was required reading in my journalism undergrad classes for good reason. My journalism school also used to issue a grammar test to all incoming freshman. Those who didn’t pass on 3 tries got kicked out of the program. Sadly, they shelved this policy not long after I graduated.
North Shore
The Curmudgeon’s guide is the best thing out there for legal writing. He lays out crucial rules and proper brief format in a super-short guide, available here: http://apps.americanbar.org/abastore/products/books/abstracts/5310356ch1_abs.pdf. I give it to all law students and new lawyers who pass through my office.
And on grammar, I love the Grammar Girl podcast. We play it in the car all the time, and my kids are starting to pick it up, too. We’re such fans we went to see her on her recent book tour, even. She’s a former technical/science writer, so it’s an all-purpose writers’ podcast, not a legal thing.
AG
I love the Curmudgeon’s Guide. It’s definitely a must-read for law clerks and early-year associates.
1L
Early threadjack – whats the first thing you did when you decided you wanted to lose weight?
I want to do it slowly, step by step, without a fad diet. I’ve already cut out pop and most sugar/bread, but I still overeat on things that are healthy, which doesn’t help…
1L
* what’s. Funny that this was on a thread about improving your writing :-)
TCFKAG
I signed up for a website like My Fitness Pal and started carefully tracking what I eat and drink. Its really the only way I think (sorry if you’re already doing this) — and then you need to start eliminating or cutting back on the places where you have the most calories.
Magdeline
1. I ordered the Jillian Michaels 30 day shred DVD from Amazon.
2. I signed up for the Livestrong MyPlate calorie calculator/food tracker. It is vastly superior to the Sparkpeople food tracker, by the way.
SB
I swear by the Livestrong MyPlate calorie tracker.
nev
+1 Livestrong MyPlate.
Lynnet
+2 for tracking calories, but make sure you overestimate the calories you’re eating and underestimate the calories your burning. Our tendency is to do the opposite, so that will help you get a more accurate count.
KOB
I’m all about food journaling and use the “Lose It!” app on my iPhone. It’s really important for me to see exactly how many calories I’m eating and burning. I exercise a lot to begin with (run 5 days a week and cross train once a week) but when I was trying to lose weight after my first baby (and when I try to lose weight after the second one comes this May), food tracking is key for me.
I also try to up my water intake while dieting an limit/eliminate alcohol as much as possible. Drinking leads to extra calories and mindless eating for me. I’m also a big believer in just eating “real” food — fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and I put serious limits on anything processed. Good luck!
anon
I joined a running group to have some accountability for my fitness, and I joined Weight Watchers with a friend. We went to the meetings and everything. For me, WW was a total eye opener re portion size and its crucial connection to the almighty calorie.
CN
For me, I started to replace carbs with protein. At home I eat mostly protein, fruits and vegetables. I allow myself anything I want in restaurants, but at home its going to be pretty spartan.
Anon
I’ve never been a dieter, but after I studied abroad, I had a few pounds to lose. I’d recommend the book called something like “How to Fit into Your Little Black Dress Forever.” One of the authors is a food writer, so there are no foods that are restricted. The book is all about sustainable eating practices and enjoying what you eat.
Once I put my mind to it, I got back to my usual weight pretty quickly, but I’ve picked up some of the healthy practices they advocate (like snacking on fruit rather than chips, say) permanently.
Pest
The first thing you should do is come up with a plan (diet and exercise) that is realistic. Then, get on that plan. Then, stay on that plan. Then, make changes to the plan as necessary. Sorry, I can’t be more specific. Weight loss is so individualized, and only you can know what your needs and available resouces are.
I’m on Atkins to lost another 25 pounds or so, because I did it my last year of lawschool and I lost thirty pounds without an exercise plan. Because I don’t eat many carbs, I don’t get extremely hungry very much, and if I crave sweats and salty food, I have options. This is a diet I know I can just put on autopilot while I recover from bunion surgery, and if I stay on it, it will work. It may eventually slow down to just two or three pounds a month, but it will still work. I tried to just count calories, but I found that after a while, I would go off the reservation because I was so deprived. I got to a point where the app only gave me a calorie budget of 1000 or so.
SF Bay Associate
Portion control. Whip out the 1-cup measure for your cereal, have a deck of cards on standby for meat portions, and a baseball for carbs. Half my plate/bowl should be veggies. I get the correct portions, and a glass of water. If I’m still hungry 20-30 minutes later, I can have seconds. I usually find that I’m not hungry after all, despite how woefully small the portions looked to begin with. Also, after getting nice french dinnerware from Williams Sonoma as wedding presents, I was surprised to discover that European plates and bowls are smaller than American ones, naturally helping to control portion size.
MJ
Oh boy…this is very personal.
I would say that you need to think about what you are eating and how much you are moving. Then you need to think about what your “bad” triggers are and what keeps you motivated.
For me, I don’t believe in crash diets or whatnot. But I do like to keep a few guidelines in mind when I want to eat.
1) Do I want this or do I need this? (This also doubles as a shopping mantra.) Example: Coffee/Caffeine vs. Double Frappucino with whip — want or need?
2) Motto: “Thin tastes better.” This is sort of a catch-all when I think, “It’s just one cookie and I’m in my afternoon slump.” Then I remember “Thin tastes better” and visualize myself going down a size and reach for an apple instead of a cookie.
3) I have to get really honest with myself in that whatever I have been doing isn’t working for me. This generally happens when I see an unflattering photo or feel like a total fata$$ when trying on jeans or a bathing suit. If I am going to change, I have to actually commit to it.
4) I make daily changed that include moving more–that’s parking further away in my parking lot, walking to a colleague’s office to pop in instead of sending an email, getting up half an hour early to take the dog for a walk, etc.
5) I add veggies to my diet–I buy a ton on the weekend and cut them up the night before–cucumbers, celery, bell peppers and a few carrots. Then this is my “I’m hungry!” snack
6) Think outside the cultural eating box. It’s OK to have a sandwich for lunch or fruit for dinner–just because you normally have meat and two sides doesn’t mean you have to–look to other cultures for inspiration.
7) Try to have a “Veggie Day” where you are more vegetarian than normal. This does cut calories.
8) As SFBayAssociate said, portion control. My trainer showed me this book called “Picture Perfect Weight Loss.” And then she told me that if I can’t eat cereal without having three bowls, then I can’t have cereal. She was right. If I can’t control myself, it doesn’t come in the house. (Banned foods include FrootLoops, Potato Chips, Tortilla Chips and Cheese of any kind but sliced for sandwiches.)
Hope some of this reasonates with you. The main thing is that you HAVE to make an effort every day, and you have to be willing to change, because whatever got you to above where you want to be needs to stop. Good luck!
NDR
I have found that lately, being mindful of everything that goes in my mouth has helped tremendously. It keeps me from absently drinking a glass of wine while cooking dinner or cleaning out the container of almonds just because they are there. I haven’t denied myself anything that I want, but I make sure I am controlling my portions and consuming them while I am actually enjoying them, not out of reflex.
Also, I have cut down to a maximum of one serving of “white food” (white rice, white pasta, potatoes, white bread) per day and substituted a lot of whole grains instead. I feel fuller longer and am eating less empty calories.
Both of these are easier to do that a strict “diet” but have put me on the right track.
We also put an exercise bike in the bedroom, which makes it so much easier to fit in cardio than trying to get to a gym or walk/run in our “transitional” neighborhood.
R.C.
I read French Women Don’t Get Fat when I wanted to lose 10-15 pounds, and had a couple of major revelations:
* I know this is totally counterintuitive, and I’m sure it’s not for everyone, but I switched to whole milk. I realized that I would get hungry and snack on granola bars and Pirate’s Booty. I realized that 8 oz. of whole milk filled me up AND was probably good for me (with its calcium, and especially protein, as I am a vegetarian). So, I put whole milk in my cereal and then started using whole milk as an actual snack itself. Generally, I refocused my attention on sugar as being evil, whereas fats in small quantities can round out a meal and prevent snacking because they are filling. Avocados, nuts, cheese, whole milk yogurt, etc. (To be clear, I’m talking about the “fatty” foods that also have protein and vitamins — obviously, I am not talking about butter.)
* Whole foods are more satisfying. I put down the granola bars and started eating nuts and dried fruit and yogurt (but plain, because yogurt can be so sugary). I avoided anything processed, since it so often has sugar in it or other weird stuff. I am very anti-white sugar/corn syrup.
* A beautiful presentation. Part of the French Women philosophy is that a beautiful presentation is itself satisfying. Put everything in a nice dish, use a placemat, put it on a tray, get a candle or a vase, make it pretty. Sounds ridiculous, but I actually think this helped me lose the weight.
* I find it easier to stop eating/not snack if at the end of the meal I have coffee/tea, a small piece of very dark chocolate, or even a small dish of fruit as dessert to symbolize “the meal is over.”
* It’s been said, but literally measure your food in serving sizes and never eat anything directly (read: mindlessly) from the bag or box.
* While you are eating, don’t read or watch TV. Think about how each item arrived on your plate. Picture the farm worker who picked the vegetable, the cheesemaker who made the cheese, the truck driver who drove the tomato all the way to your supermarket. Appreciate the abundance on your plate and all the work to bring this food to you. It’s kind of humbling. I find when I do this, I appreciate the food more.
* Last tip: Read The Omnivore’s Dilemma.
ESquared
I totally feel you on the whole fat thing. Somehow every time I try to eat “diet-food” (as in a lower-cal, lower-fat options of something) I end up miserable & heavier.
I think your body needs/responds better to whole foods.
Reader J
I also really like listening to Grammar Girl’s podcasts. They are free on iTunes and usually 8-10 minutes long.
Loans
Oops. I did not see your post and I posted this below. I second this!
Ellie
I follow her on Facebook and get a tip every day or so.
RRugosa
“Read. A lot.” yes.
Read lots of books from Big Six publishers, so you know they’ve been through the hands (and minds) of real, professional editors. Read observantly. Notice how punctuation works, how the words go together.
I used to teach novel-writing. I read the samples people submitted. I listened to these people tell me how very, very many books they had read. And I thought, “If you’ve read so many books, how is it possible you’ve picked up so very little grammar and punctuation along the way???”
Please, read observantly.
January
Stupid question: can you identify the Big Six publishers, please? Thanks :)
RRugosa
No such thing as a stupid question :)
Random House (several big imprints: Crown, Doubleday, Knopf, Bantam). Simon and Schuster. HarperCollins. Hachette (formerly Warner; Little, Brown is one of its big imprints). Macmillan. Putnam Penguin.
There are, of course, many other excellent publishing houses. The idea I wanted to get across was that these days there are so many vanity press (self-published) titles coming out, sticking to the big names is a good way of making sure the book is well edited.
January
Ah, okay, thanks! I’ve read a couple of self-published books and regretted it – the lack of professional editing was obvious.
Anon
Just looking for advice from my fellow Corporettes-
I’m in my first trimester and I woke up this morning to a lot of pain and bleeding. Had a big presentation, so I called my boss ASAP and let her know I wasn’t coming in and was going to the doctor. Went to the doctor, who says surprise, its twins and it looks like I might be miscarrying twin B. She thought twin A looked good but we’re basically in wait and see mode. So in the next week or two I could end up miscarrying one or both babies or I could end up with 2 healthy babies.
My question is what do I say to my boss? No one at work knows about this pregnancy yet and I wasn’t going to say anything for another month at least. My office is the kind of place where everyone would expect details. I sounded awful on the phone this morning so I know my boss is worried about me personally. My friend at work had to cover for me today so she’s been calling all day to check on me. Should I give them some vague answer or should I tell my boss what’s going on?
Emily
Anon, I’m so sorry to hear that! I hope this response isn’t too late. For some reason, longer comments had a big delay in getting posted today. If it were me, I would tell the truth in an extremely vague way. Something like “I’m having some medical issues. I don’t have all the details yet and my doctor just wants to monitor the situation. I’d rather not discuss it until I know all the details myself,hopefully in two weeks. Thank you for covering today.” Would that communicate that you’re planning on talking about it eventually, but now is not a good time?
Best wishes to you and the babies.
ss
It sounds like your office culture wants to know because they care. If this is the case, it may also be ok to say to your boss and your cover “I’m in my first trimester and am having a complication. We’re in wait and see mode for the next couple of weeks. I really appreciate your understanding and support.”
This communicates the facts to the people on whom you may need to rely to cover/ create a buffer for you in case the next couple of weeks are tough going. It should also be sufficient detail that you can reasonably deflect further probing “Appreciate your concern. But doc says best thing is not to think too much about it.”
Will be thinking of you over the next couple of weeks, hope very much it works out.
Ruby
You absolutely do NOT need to tell them this private sensitive info. Even close offices understand when you say a private medical issue. You could say ‘I should be fine but need to be treated urgently.’ or something. I went through something very similar last fall (just not twins) and it would have been worse to have to tell them I was bleeding etc.- none of their business. Don’t feel pressured- you have enough stress. Good luck with everything. My hemorrhage passed and I’m now 5 months so as super scary as it was, it can work out okay. I hated the waiting- for weeks I didn’t know each day whether she was alive or not. The worst. You’ll be in my thoughts.
Different Anon
I agree that you don’t need to specify. I like Emily’s suggestion, especially since it’s not yet (?) conclusive.
Good luck– I hope both twins make it! I’ll keep you and your twinin my thoughts. Keep us updated, if possible– we’re rooting for you!
anon
Don’t read comment threads on Corporette when you are trying to write briefs. ;)
b23
Ha ha. Same here.
R in Boston
When I was on speech and debate team way back in the day, we always stood in corners and read our work aloud to ourselves (the corner helps focus you on a point and reflects sound back). Now I don’t stand in the corner because I think that looks a little dorky, but I still read everything aloud to myself at least once during the editing process. Hugely helpful both at catching errors and at developing a natural but strong voice.
I also agree with the Latin comment above (and think that it probably extends to many foreign languages) and with the reading comment. Read good writing, not necessarily legal writing.
Niktaw
I am very happy to see the phrase “a lot” spelled (grammed?) correctly by, um, a lot of Corporettes!
http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/04/alot-is-better-than-you-at-everything.html
anon
Kurt Vonnegut nailed it on the head:
1. Find a subject you care about.
2. Do not ramble, though.
3. Keep it simple.
4. Have the guts to cut.
5. Sound like yourself.
6. Say what you mean to say.
7. Pity the readers.
Loans
I used to listen to the quick and dirty tips to grammar on podcast. It was free and probably still around. That is where I learned about which and that!
S
In college, I was an awful writer. I have improved a great deal since then. What helped me was knowing what the problems were, and doing separate proofreading sessions for each problem.
Someone told me that I had too many run on sentences and that I’d switch between tenses in a paragraph. So I started reading papers over three times: (1) to look for the run on sentences; (2) to check the verb tenses; (3) final proofread for typos. I’d take a break between them so I could look at the paper fresh each time. Over time, I learned not to make these mistakes or I’d catch them during the normal writing and revision process.
If you start big and work your way down, it is easier. Read for structure and organization, edit, take a break. Read for run on sentences, edit, take a break. Read for subject/verb agreement, edit, take a break. Read for typos. Etc.
Since then, whenever someone has pointed out some flaw in my writing or some new tip to be a better writer, I’ve taken that approach.
If you want to improve, ask for specific feedback, keep a running list of things to watch out for, and do reviews for each of those things. This thread has a good list of common pitfalls, so if you are not sure what you are doing wrong, list the problems identified here and look at your writing to see if you are doing any of them.
AG
I’ll also add: don’t use exclamation points. Almost everything that most people think need exclamation points really don’t. Nothing ever happens in the first paragraph that requires an exclamation point (regardless if it’s fiction or non-fiction, technical or creative writing).
Anon
I am not a lawyer but found this book very helpful for tips on writing concise and effective work emails, proposals and reports
“How to Say It For Women: Communicating with Confidence and Power Using the Language of Success”
Love Shoes
I’m reading this book at present.
Leslie
If you need some humor to help those grammar lessons stick, then check out these cartoons: http://theoatmeal.com/tag/grammar
New Here
Any suggestions for someone who is dyslexic? My SO has a lot of trouble writing and reading because his eyes and brain aren’t on the same page; he’ll read a word and think it’s correct, even though it’s not. I’ve suggested that he do “find” searches for obvious things he knows he’ll screw up, like their, they’re, and there, but he insists that the only thing that helps is to read it all word by word very carefully (which takes forever) or just have someone else check it. I’m inclined to just say that yes, he does need to read it word for word even if it does take forever, and it’s not really practical to have someone else proofread emails to his boss or coworkers. This situation is particularly frustrating to me because I’m a copy editor and I notice errors in everything, so I can’t understand how he can be ok with making so many mistakes.
Aussie
Serial lurker, first time commenting
I understand your frustration; my SO is also dyslexic. His job does not require him to wrote large documents, but it sometimes frustrates him when he struggles reading just in everyday life. However, he can’t change how his eyes and brain communicate, so he doesn’t let it get to him that much. If he worried about all the errors, can you imagine the effect it might have on his own self
I guess what I’m trying to say is that it might be a good thing that it doesn’t bother him. He can’t really change it.
Lawgirl
All good points. Oddly, I’ve never read a book on writing from beginning to end. Dunno how smart that is, but it boils down to this for me: Good writing — I know it when I see it, that’s for sure. (I’m sure that’s grammatically incorrect, no doubt).
KS
These rules have always worked for me! :-)
1. Avoid alliteration. Always.
2. Prepositions are not words to end sentences with.
3. Avoid cliches like the plague. (They’re old hat.)
4. Employ the vernacular.
5. Eschew ampersands & abbreviations, etc.
6. Parenthetical remarks (however relevant) are rarely necessary.
7. It is wrong to ever split an infinitive.
8. Contractions aren’t necessary.
9. Foreign words and phrases are not apropos.
10. One should never generalize.
11. Eliminate quotations. As Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “I hate quotations. Tell me what you know.”
12. Comparisons are as bad as cliches.
13. Don’t be redundant; don’t use more words than necessary; it’s highly superfluous.
14. Profanity s*cks.
15. Be more or less specific.
16. Understatement is always best.
17. Exaggeration is a billion times worse than understatement.
18. One-word sentences? Eliminate.
19. Analogies in writing are like feathers on a snake.
20. The passive voice is to be avoided.
21. Go around the barn at high noon to avoid colloquialisms.
22. Even if a mixed metaphor sings, it should be derailed.
23. Who needs rhetorical questions?
zora
Heehee, grammar humour…. it’s funny cause it’s true…
Tired Squared
Love these!
Homestar
These are funny, but many of these rules should be broken in appropriate circumstances. Passive voice is appropriate when the focus should be on the action itself, not the person doing the action. One word sentences are useful to emphasize a point.
These are good rules to know, but you should also know when to break them.
L
Thank you all so much!! This is really helpful and I appreciate the suggestions.
K in NYC
I th0ught I’d add too that if you ever need another pair of eyes for something not full of legal jargon, you can always shoot me an email since I’m home with the pup and spending tons of time at the computer job hunting. I’m always happy to help with a short piece or so, though for more frequent pieces or longer ones, you’re always welcome to offer to pay me to edit or double-check for you!
personal email: munchkin1616 at juno dot com
Ruby
1. BLUF: bottom line up front (military tenet- use it).
2. write it, then delete at least 20% of the words.
3. Don’t use shall, hereto, or other annoying ambigous legal words- ever.
4. don’t overly trust spellcheck. can turn words into wrong word.
anony
My addiction to this blog is old news. But this post is a godsend. I am going to share it with my daughters (who will appreciate this condensed fortune) and with my students (who need it badly)
Mitchell
The best book I ever read for improving your writing is “Style: Toward Clarity and Grace” by Joseph Williams. I guarantee that your writing will improve if you follow the advice listed in that book; it did for mine.
MJ
Bird by Bird by Anne LaMott…more for writing or fiction writing, but so, so great. She is amazing!!!!
Aspiring writer
Found this helpful link to writing and grammar guides: enhancemywriting dot com forward slash style.html
Anon
On a related note, new associates out there, remember to self edit. When your partner wants to see your “draft” by Tuesday, he or she actually wants to see what you consider the final draft. It may sound silly, but I always thought of a “draft” as something fairly rough when I was a student. I gave a rough draft to a partner, who then thought I was a bad writer.