Business Writing Skills: Separate Drafting and Editing
(Issue 34: November, 2010)
In baseball you only get three swings and you're out. In rewriting, you get almost as many swings as you want and you know, sooner or later, you'll hit the ball. ~Playwright Neil Simon
It is true that focused editing is the key to good writing for both a playwright and a business writer. But, a playwright can continue to edit and tighten, while we business writers need to edit well and fast. In a business writing course last week, a very frustrated participant shared that he often became stuck whenever he had to write an email requiring more than a quick response.
His initial steps were smart:
he first identified his audience and purpose, and also mapped out his content. His block began when he began to "actually write the email." He clarified that he would "write the email, and fix it as I moved through it." I realized instantly why he was frustrated and inefficient.
Drafting any document is a more creative, right-brain process. Editing is an analytical, left-brain process. Our brains are not efficient when we try to process both activities at the same time. Instead, we just short-circuit.
To reduce frustration and write better,
split the drafting/editing process into separate steps:
1) Draft your email by relaxing and simply writing out your text, with no editing. This isn't the time to worry about spelling, typos, the perfectly crafted sentence or even the exact word. Just write out the content based on your earlier planning. Let it flow.
2) Only after you've completely drafted your content should you then shift to an analytical mindset and edit.
- Edit first for content: Does your reader have all the necessary information to respond to your document, with no unnecessary information included? (In business writing, this is the most important element. If the grammar and style is perfect, but information is missing, the email fails. Always verify content.)
- Next scan for organization: Is your email easy to absorb?
- Finally, review grammar and tighten the language.
The strongest business writers allocate their writing time proportionately:
- 50% - Planning
- 20% - Drafting
- 30% - Editing
The writing process never fails to relieve writer's block and frustration. Separating drafting and editing, with three focused editing swings will save time and frustration, and ensure your email is correct and gets results.
Learn More in This: Business Writing Course
