Writing Under Pressure

At times, having an extremely short deadline and a list of one million jobs to complete is the best formula known for producing a terrific piece of writing. The pressure which results creates a kind of adrenaline unlike any other and has the effect of focusing one's attention quite significantly.

Where time is unlimited and a lack of busy-ness is the prevailing condition, a job that might normally take only 30 minutes can draw out to a full day's occupation. Conversely, a person who only has a spare 20 minutes in their day can complete several important jobs within this very small window of time. "If you want something done, ask a busy person" is a saying which holds true in reality. Busy people are able to achieve much more in a 24 hour period than a person with only one or two commitments. The busy person employs skills such as prioritising, one minute managing and clearly delineating between work and relaxation time. They are able to achieve it all through careful planning.

Procrastination is the one true enemy. My house is never cleaner when I have a big marking job to do or, back when I was at university, when an assignment was due. Someone else I know is a master procrastinator - instead of marking student assignments, he has been known to go around oiling door hinges (to stop them squeaking - or so he says!).

Obviously, to produce a high quality piece of writing which shows depth of understanding and clear purpose, you cannot dash off something in a hurry. Where raw ability will only get you so far, preparation and planning will take you much further. Further still, an opportunity to reflect on the writing you have done will certainly be beneficial to the finished product. This is best achieved by setting yourself a time frame and working to it. You will find that planning to use time efficiently is the very best method to follow in order to craft a quality piece of writing.

Best of all, you will find you have more time to do the things that you find most enjoyable, once the writing is complete.

http://www.wordwriteforsuccess.com.au/

Too Busy Reading to Write!

A while ago, I listed the books and other reading materials that were sitting on my bedside table and among these was 'Twilight', the first of the Stephenie Meyer series. Since that post, I have devoured 'Twilight' and I am about three quarters of the way through 'New Moon'. Now I understand what everyone has been talking about!

I am at the stage where I read for as long as I can when I go to bed at night before I start nodding off to sleep, but keep trying to read on despite my drooping eyes! Last night, I actually gave in to the need for sleep, but within about 15 minutes, I had turned the lamp on again and picked up the book, my desperation to keep reading to find out what happens next outweighing my need for sleep and the knowledge of how miserable I was going to feel the next morning. Predictably, I did feel pretty average when I woke up this morning, but it was worth it!

I'm still somewhat surprised at how 'into' the series I have become - it's a story about vampires and werewolves, for goodness sake! It is testament to the skill of the storyteller, Meyer, that she has been so successful in the creation of such characters and integrating them into a believable context. The best part is that once I'm finished this book, there are still more to look forward to reading in the series.

Anyway, I hope you understand if I seem to be rushing off. I have some reading to do...

http://www.wordwriteforsuccess.com.au/

Paper Caper

Yesterday, my daughter and I had a day at the shops, specifically driven by her current obsession with Smiggle stationery and the sale the store was having.

Upon our arrival at the shopping centre, we made a beeline for the Smiggle store, where she spent quite a while browsing and making very important decisions about her purchases. I passed the time looking at their range of folders and cards. A colourfully striped pack of manilla folders caught my eye and I picked them up to check the price. I had to have a little giggle to myself as the pricing label stated - foolscrap folders. The tiny spelling error, an unnecessary "r" in foolscap, certainly altered my perception of the possible quality of the folders.

Do I need to say that I walked out of the store without having purchased that particular item?

http://www.wordwriteforsuccess.com.au/

Non sequitur - what is it?

The definition of a non sequitur is a conclusion that does not follow from the basic statement or assumptions (from the Latin - it does not follow).

Consider the following examples (the non sequitur in each is in bold):

1. The woman purchased caviar, truffles and fine wine at the shop, so she must drive an expensive car.

2. He needed advice about what gift to purchase for his wife. He had been divorced twice before.

3. They made it to the boundary gate of the property quickly, because they were travelling in an easterly direction.

4. My nephew never makes his bed. Teenagers today are far too lazy.

In each of these instances, the conclusion drawn after the first statement cannot be accepted as automatic or even logical. There are many conclusions which could be drawn from each of statements.

For instance, in Example 1, the woman may have just sold her car in order to be able to make the purchase; she may have spent her last cent on this purchase and may now be destitute; she may simply like the taste of these three items, rather than have purchased them because of their exotic nature; or, she may indeed be wealthy, but it is not possible to gauge the kind of car she drives based on the purchase of three grocery items. It does not follow. Further, none of these circumstances point directly to whether she drives a car at all.

Examples 2, 3 and 4 are similar, in that there could be many explanations for each of the statements, rather than the assumption which has been used. See how many you can think of for each one and you'll see what I mean.

What does follow then (keeping in mind that it should NOT be a non sequitur), is that one should aim not to have an instance of a non sequitur in one's work should one be hoping to communicate clearly and logically.

http://www.wordwriteforsuccess.com.au/

Word of the Week - AFFICIONADO

Today's word - AFFICIONADO.

Pronunciation - a-fish-ee-on-ado (emphasis on the first syllable)

Alternative spelling - aficionado

Word type - noun

Definition -

1. an ardent fan, enthusiastic devotee of sport, music

2. an avid and devotee of bull-fighting

Word origin - derived from the Spanish, "aficionar", which means "to induce a liking for"

Sample sentence - He is a great afficionado of 1950s Jazz music.

http://www.wordwriteforsuccess.com.au/

When to use a question mark

The question mark (?) has two main purposes - to signal a query for information or to express doubt around facts.

Question types -

* direct question - eg. Will you be visiting the museum on your trip?
* tag question - eg. We were leaving at 7am, weren't we?
* rhetorical question - eg. Aren't you all being nice and quiet?
* unspoken question - eg. When will it stop? she wondered to herself.

Doubt - a question mark may be employed where details are not certain.

eg. The victim stated he was walking through the park at 3pm (?) when the attack occurred.

When NOT to use a question mark:

* indirect questions - eg. Before leaving for a camping trip, ask yourself what equipment is essential.
* after single interrogative words in a sentence - eg. She wanted to know when she could start work on the project.
* standard requests - eg. Can you complete this task and return it to me by Friday.

http://www.wordwriteforsuccess.com.au/

Towel Talk (Again!)

Strangely enough, I have another towel story to share. I wonder if it is possible to have a special kind of obsessive/compulsive condition specific to towels only? If so, I may be a sufferer!

Anyway, on the weekend we visited White Water World at Dreamworld. At one point, I was lounging on a deckchair (I know, what was I thinking being so unproductive?). Nearby, a father and his two daughters had come back from the slides to dry off and pack up for the day. I happened to overhear one of the teenage girls comment, "This towel is so observant", as she wrapped the towel around herself. Her father paused for a moment, not quite sure what she had said. The penny dropped a few seconds later, and he replied, "I think you might mean 'absorbent'." Unfazed, his daughter, shrugged her shoulders and laughed, happy enough to be corrected, but not overly concerned by her malaproprism.

It was a cute moment and, as they wandered off, I had a quiet chuckle to myself.

http://www.wordwriteforsuccess.com.au/

How to Write a Complaint Letter

If the circumstance should arise where you find it necessary to write a complaint letter, the following guidelines may be useful:

1. Use correct formal letter format (see my earlier blogs on this topic), including the date and the name and title of the person to whom the letter is directed, if this is known. Ensure you address the envelope to the same person/position title.

2. State the key reason for writing, that is, your specific complaint, in the first sentence after the greeting.

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to make a complaint about the time I have had to wait for my .... service to be fixed.

3. Once the reason has been stated, provide background detail, with times, dates and figures as necessary, in order to clearly explain the problem. Background detail is best provided in chronological order.

4. Stay unemotional. This is the most difficult part in the process. Most people do not write letters of complaint every day of the week - usually, you are taking this step because you are unsatisfied after a series of events have taken place. Try not to allow your frustration to be expressed in an unproductive manner.
Becoming abusive, eg. I am sick of waiting for you idiots..., will only ensure that your letter is placed at the bottom of the pile. I am frustrated by the long wait for a technician... is much more likely to work.

5. Stick to the facts as they have occurred. Do not embellish or exaggerate. You should assume that your complaint as it exists will be taken seriously, without the need for overstatement of circumstance.

6. Conclude the letter with a clear statement about what action you are seeking, but be reasonable.

I am hopeful that a technician will be made available to attend to our ongoing problem within the next week.

As we returned the faulty goods within the 14-day returns period, we expect a refund to be made to our account.

7. As part of the conclusion, provide the intended recipient with your contact details - telephone number, mobile number and email address (postal address will be at the top of the letter if you have used correct letter format) - and times you can be contacted.

8. Sign your letter, as well as word-process your name clearly at the end of the letter. An unsigned letter may not be acted upon at all.

9. Word-process rather than hand-write the letter. It will immediately be treated with more importance.

10. Send it via postal mail, rather than electronic mail. This tells the intended recipient you have taken time and trouble to communicate with them and expect that they will demonstrate due regard in return.

TIP: Have a trusted partner, friend or colleague cast their eye over the letter just before you send it. Alternatively, wait 24 hours, then read the letter again yourself. This will help you to pick up little errors that you might have missed because of your concentration on the issue itself.

LASTLY - Keep a copy of the letter for your records.

http://www.wordwriteforsuccess.com.au/

Formal and Informal Writing

Writing can be divided into two types - formal and informal.

Formal types of writing include:

* academic writing - essays, articles
* business/formal letters
* reports
* legal documents
* news articles
* job applications - letter/resume/cv
* instructional manuals

Characteristically, these styles of writing are identified by their objective and unbiased approach and a reliance upon factual information for support. This could include quotations from authorities on the subject, statistics or historical data. There is also a deliberate avoidance of reference to self (eg. I think..., I believe...), with the obvious exception of a job application. Abbreviations (eg, etc) and contractions (couldn't, won't) are also not appropriate in formal writing.

Conversely, more informal types of writing are much more emotive and will offer opinion and conjecture rather than fact.

Informal types of writing include:

* personal letters
* letters to the editor
* opinion columns
* email
* blogs
* diaries/journals
* social networking sites - eg. Facebook, MySpace, Twitter

In this type of writing, the writer is free to express him or herself as they choose, employing first person reference and personal anecdotes to add interest as well as to illustrate points. Basic conventions of writing tend to be followed, such as using sentences and paragraphs, however, correctness in spelling and punctuation may be sacrificed for the sake of speed and convenience.

Increasingly, there has been a blurring of the boundaries between formal and informal writing, but I think it is fairly easy to deliniate. I apply these questions to whatever the document I am creating. If the answer is yes, I need to be formal; if I answer no, my approach will be informal -

* is this document related to the paid/course/school work I do?
* do I use prescribed guidelines/respond to set criteria in the construction of my document?
* could this document appear in a public arena (eg. blogspot, newspaper)?
* would the recipient be likely to shake my hand if we met in person?
* can I expect a formal response (in a predictable format) to this document?
* do I expect this document to be acted upon in a specific and timely way?
* lastly (and perhaps this is the best guide, although a little quirky!) - would I find it strange to be sharing a meal, in my own home, by my invitation, with the intended recipient?

If your answer to each of the above questions is mostly YES, then you know you are dealing with a formal document and need to adhere to conventions of formal writing. If you answer mostly NO, then you can relax and write whatever you like - you know the reader (or feel like you do) and are comfortable with how they will respond to whatever it is you have to say.

http://www.wordwriteforsuccess.com.au/

Spelling Stress

I've just been speaking to my son about the words he finds most difficult to spell. He turned 10 in January, reads willingly and has undergone a fairly intensive spelling programme at his school over the past three years.

In his opinion, two of the words he finds most difficult to spell are exaggerate and apparatus. For the former, he said he adds an extra "z" into the early part to make it "exzaggerate" and, because the vowels all sound different in the latter, he has tried variations of "apperatis", substituting vowels at random. Unless my son had explained all this to me, I would have assumed his misspellings were the results of doubling other consonants in each word, as in "exaggerrate"and "apparratus".

I find it interesting that spelling certain words will be difficult for one person, but relatively straightforward for another. Further, it is quite fascinating to hear the logic behind a person's choice for spelling a word in a certain way, and, I might add, often quite instructive, if not correct. I am sure everyone possesses their own particular spelling challenge, and the old adage, practise makes perfect, is likely to be the best remedy. My strongest advice is that a dictionary is indispensable (or is that indispensible?). Keep one within arm's reach and use it with abandon.

Lastly, don't rely on computer spell checks, as, without the definition, how do you know whether you've got the word you really want? A case in point - the spelling conundrums outlined earlier come from the same boy who can spell "viscosity", but thinks it means "to have visitors coming to one's house".

I'd be interested to hear about your personal spelling challenge...

http://www.wordwriteforsuccess.com.au/

Word of the Week - HICCUP

For a light-hearted touch, I'd like to introduce the inaugural "Word of the Week" blog post. Each Friday starting today, one word will be selected for particular attention.

Today's word - HICCUP.

Pronunciation - hik-up (emphasis on the first syllable)

Alternative spelling - hiccough

Word type - noun

Definition - the short characteristic sound produced when the larynx closes involuntarily after a contraction of the diaphragm.

Word origin - in English use by 1530, preceded by the French word, "hoquet". "Hiccough" originated when used to describe "a drunken man's cough". It is an example of onomatopoeia, the term used to describe the imitation of natural sounds by words.

Sample sentence - During my job interview, I was wracked by an attack of hiccups.

Quirky facts about hiccups:

* the longest known attack of hiccups happened to a man, Charles Osbourne, and lasted for 68 years, beginning in 1922 and inexplicably stopping in 1990
* it's not possible to die from an attack of hiccups
* babies often experience hiccups in the womb, which is quite unnerving for the mother when it first happens

Possible causes:

* eating or drinking too quickly or too much at once
* drinking alcohol
* eating something too hot, too cold or too spicy
* a sudden sneeze, cough or laughter
* becoming over-excited
* lastly, nothing at all

Possible (not guaranteed!) cures:

* holding your breath and raising your arms in the air
* getting a huge fright
* breathing outwards quickly (this is my personal favourite!)
* drinking a glass of water - in particular, the technique of drinking from the opposite side of the glass
* breathing into a paper bag
* saying the alphabet backwards
* eating a mouthful of sugar

Interestingly, many of the cures for hiccups could actually be in the causes list.

Nevertheless, the next time you get hiccups, at least you will be well-equipped for the experience. Hic!

http://www.wordwriteforsuccess.com.au/

I Must Apologise!

To my dear blog readers,

Please accept my sincere apologies for my 'silence' for the past 48 hours. I went out on a mid-week evening to the theatre! I know, I know - what was I thinking? Of course there were quite a number of other things I could have been doing - marking student drafts, washing my children's school uniforms, preparing a decent meal for my family, or, of course, writing in my blog (once again, please forgive!) - but I decided to put these out of my mind and enjoy my excursion.

We saw a play, "The White Earth", from the novel by Andrew McGahan of the same name. Our bookclub read the novel about eighteen months ago and decided, in lieu of our monthly meeting for March, we would go together to see the play. It was wonderful and powerful, everything live theatre should be. I experienced goose-bumps, fright (the kind that makes you literally jump in your seat), sadness and laughter at various different stages in the play.

The main character, an eight year old boy, was played by a 30-something woman and she was incredibly believable in the role. The entire cast was excellent and brought a very complex story to the stage most authentically.

At the end of this week, "The White Earth" will finish its season, but, last night, it played to a full and appreciative house, as it has done apparently since the season began. Its success is thoroughly deserved. While I missed writing my blog, I hope you can accept my excuse.

http://www.wordwriteforsuccess.com.au/

Have or Of?

A very common mistake made by speakers and writers is to substitute "of" where "have" is the correct word. Mostly this occurs in speaking, due to a tendency to employ the use of an entirely appropriate contraction in conversation, as in "should've" for "should have", but the speaker may be mistakenly heard as saying "should of". Concerningly, there are an increasing number of instances where this error has been translated into writing.

Consider the following instances of incorrect usage:

Without realising it, Dad must of eaten the rest of the chocolate.

Grace could of slept in if the truck hadn't roared past our house.

In today's football match, Jack should of taken that easy mark.

I would of started for the trip earlier if I'd known how long it would take.

Simply by substituting the "of" for "have" in each of the bolded sections solves the problem.

Just before we start throwing "of" out of our language usage completely, I must offer a word or two in its defence. "Of" is very important when employed correctly. It is a preposition and can be used for the following purposes:

* to indicate material or contents - "a bag of rice"
* to indicate distance or separation - "the Post Office is south of the supermarket"
* to indicate possession - "a niece of mine", "he is a person of questionable character"
* to indicate source - "the poetry of Oodgeroo Noonuccal"
* to indicate identity - "the city of the Gold Coast"
* to indicate cause - "I cried tears of joy"
* instead of "about" - "tell me of your travels"

In short, "have" is a verb while "of" is a preposition. They are words which serve very different purposes and, for that reason, are not to be confused.

http://www.wordwriteforsuccess.com.au/

Letter Writing - Part 2 - How to use addresses in a letter

For a formal letter, layout is critical to success. The most acceptable practice is to use full block open style layout, which simply means that all parts of the letter begin at the left margin and punctuation marks are minimised. This includes the section prior to the salutation of the letter - the sender's address, the date and the recipient's address.

Your letter should be structured with the following address format:

YOUR ADDRESS (your name does not appear here - your signature and typed title/name appear at the end of the letter)

TODAY'S DATE

THE RECIPIENT'S TITLE AND ADDRESS

Then, begin the letter as appropriate (ie. Dear Mr Turner, Dear Sir/Madam,) - see Letter Writing - Part 1

A worked example would like like this:

21 Lucky Drive
POTTSWALD Q 4212

16 March 2009

Mr Turner
Manager
Take a Chance Agency
PO Box 2121
BRISBANE Q 4000

Dear Mr Turner,

(and write your letter...)

http://www.wordwriteforsuccess.com.au/

Modern Manners?

Yesterday, a friend told me about her recent experience of modern manners or, to be precise, a lack of any kind of manners. My friend and her family moved into a new home about a month ago, and thought that an invitation to neighbours to come for casual drinks would be nice. They felt it would provide an opportunity to say hello, exchange names and set up a "looking out for each other" idea. She said her daughter designed a simple invitation and this was delivered to nearby homes in their street. Of a total of seven invitations delivered, only three were responded to, with two accepted and one declined.

My friend wasn't upset that not everyone could make it, more the fact that she had received no response at all from more than half of those invited. She wondered why these four invitations were not even acknowledged. Her mobile phone number was on the invitation, so it would have been a simple task to send a quick text, "Thanks for the invite, but we're unable to make it. From, No 27", or similar. Were the non-responders unable to go and unsure of how to say this? Was the invitation mistaken for junk mail and put into the bin without a second glance? Were they scared that my friend and her family might never leave them alone again if they did accept the invitation? Or, were they totally unfamiliar with such an invitation and lacked the knowledge that basic manners would dictate a response?

Sadly, it is likely that this last explanation was the case. Today, not many people set out to be deliberately rude. The problem is that they haven't ever been taught certain skills of politeness. My friend accepts that this is the case and hasn't taken the collective snub personally, however, she and her family are left with a dilemma. What to do when, inevitably, they are in their front garden at the same time as No 27 neighbour is in theirs - smile non-commitally, frown or, take their neighbour's earlier lead, and ignore them completely?

http://www.wordwriteforsuccess.com.au/

Punctuating Dialogue

When writing an imaginative story, well-crafted dialogue can greatly enhance your story. However, if the story is not punctuated correctly, the reader may be confused and distracted.

There are several simple rules to follow:

1. Begin a new line for each new speaker.
eg.
"Stop!" the police officer commanded.
"What do you think I am? Stupid?" called the escapee over his shoulder.
"Not stupid, but much fitter than me," admitted the tired officer.

2. All punctuation related to the dialogue sits inside the inverted commas.
eg.
CORRECT - "These roads are very rough," complained the barefoot runner.
INCORRECT - "These roads are very rough", complained the barefoot runner.

3. If the same sentence is continued after the speaker is identified, a comma precedes the second part of dialogue.
eg. "These roads are very rough," complained the barefoot runner, "although I should have thought about that before now."

4. If a second separate statement is made by the speaker, a full stop precedes the second sentence.
eg. "These roads are very rough," complained the barefoot runner. "I must remember to buy shoes when I arrive at the shops."

For more assistance with writing dialogue, go to:
http://www.wordwriteforsuccess.com.au/

Write a REAL letter!

When was the last time you wrote a real letter? I mean a hand-written personal letter; a letter to a friend or a family member. You can't count an email, an sms text message, a birthday card or even a note to your child's teacher as a real letter (although, if this was hand-written, it's a good start). Can you even remember the last letter you wrote of this kind? Consider this - do your friends and family members remember what your hand-writing looks like?

If your experience is similar to many today, the personal letter is almost an antique. Yet, over history, personal letters have conveyed significant meaning and recorded major, and not so major, events in our lives. These include the love letters which Napoleon wrote to Josephine, the many war-time letters written by soldiers of World War One and World War Two to loved ones at home, and the letters written by explorers such as Captain Cook as voyages of discovery were made in the 18th century. In fact, the personal letter was once (and no so long ago!) the primary means of communication between people separated by distance.

How, then, has the personal letter been so massively usurped? Now that we have the means to send a message instantly to the other side of the world, via email, for instance, are we too impatient to be heard (or read) that we can't wait the time it takes for the same message to be written in a personal letter and sent by postal mail? Would the message or information you wanted to communicate be so horribly out-of-date if it had to be delayed by the time it took for the post to be delivered, one or two days within the country, and around two weeks for international post? Yes, email is free, but that's not the only reason we rely on it so much more. We can also send the same electronic letter to many friends, cutting down on time.

Each Christmas, a mass-produced personal letter is the choice many make to update family and friends of the year's events. The hand-written letter tucked into a Christmas card is an increasingly rare event, but each year, my parents receive exactly this from one of their friends. This friend writes a letter several pages in length, always filled with personalised information about her own family, tailored to my parents and what they would want to know about their friend's past year.

You know how this is going to end, don't you? Think of a friend or family member you know would love to receive a hand-written letter. Think of the pleasure they would feel when they checked their letterbox and discovered a hand-addressed envelope containing a hand-written letter from you. Write that person a letter. If you're still not convinced, think about how wonderful you would feel if, when you check your letterbox tomorrow afternoon, there was a lovely letter from a dear family member or friend waiting for you to enjoy.

I'm off now - I have a letter to write.

http://www.wordwriteforsuccess.com.au/

Less or Fewer?

When writing formally with reference to numbers, the use of 'less' or 'fewer' needs to be correct. It depends on the noun to which you are referring.

If the noun is in the plural, 'fewer' is correct.

For instance:

There were fewer advertisements in the newspaper for positions than in the previous month.

Fewer patrons attended the opera than were expected.

If the noun is referring to a singular mass, 'less' is used.

For instance:

There was less unemployment in 2008 than in 2009.

To economise, we started buying less expensive meat.

The corresponding word, 'more', can be used with both the plural noun and the singular mass noun, as in:

More patrons attended the opera than were expected.

There was more unemployment in 2008 than in 2009.

In less formal types of writing, such as in an email to a friend, the use of 'less' in both instances is becoming more acceptable.

http://www.wordwriteforsuccess.com.au/

Letter Writing - Part 1 - How to begin and end a letter

The forms of address used to begin and end a letter take three parts - the salutation, the recipient's name and the complimentary close.

Depending on the information you have about your recipient, use the following as a guide:

* if the name of the recipient is known - Dear Mr Blake ... Yours sincerely

* if the name of the recipient is known, but the gender is not clear or the marital status is not known - Dear Tony Blake or Dear T Blake ... Yours sincerely. While this form sounds a little awkward, it could be much more awkward if you guess at gender or marital status incorrectly.

* if the name and gender of the recipient is unknown (eg. you are writing to a bank manager) - Dear Sir/Madam ... Yours faithfully

It should be noted that 'Yours faithfully' is the more formal of the two types of complimentary close, whereas 'Yours sincerely' denotes a degree of familiarity.

Whatever the purpose of your letter, you can be sure that if you begin and end in the correct manner, you stand a far greater chance of achieving your writing purpose.

For more assistance with letter writing, contact me at http://www.wordwriteforsuccess.com.au/

When fewer words work better than many...

Yesterday, we received a wedding invitation from my youngest brother and his fiance, who are being married in London in May, then coming to Australia via Russia to celebrate the occasion. In just a few words, the invitation conveys the excitement and moment of the occasion to the recipient.

The invitation is at once joyful, beautiful, simple, short and sweet. It is a perfect example of being efficient with words to communicate clearly and precisely.

The message? When you've achieved your writing purpose, stop writing.

http://www.wordwriteforsuccess.com.au/

Does the Queen use a fresh towel each day?

After a day of focusing on housework and working on home renovations, I found myself considering this question as I was pegging out clothes at 6.30pm tonight - does the Queen use a fresh towel each day? Now that Summer is over and we are into Autumn, I am almost at breaking point when it comes to washing towels. I know, I know...I should find a more serious problem. Right now, this is it!

Because we live on the Gold Coast and go to the beach, because we have a pool and swim in it and because we maintain basic levels of hygiene and bathe at least once a day (often twice or three times), our little family of four manages to use a number of towels each week that I am constantly surprised by and a little embarrassed to report. It is possible to find not a single towel in our linen cupboard at certain times of the week. This is a linen cupboard that on last spring clean had six towels culled from the collection, but still contains over twenty towels.

What to do? Do I take heart that we may be royalty-by-association through towel overuse or do I sit my family down for a deep and meaningful discussion of towel protocols? I recall recently telling someone that my pet hate was finding a towel which had not been hung back up properly, but perhaps I needed to be more specific. My pet hate is this attitude displayed by one unnamed family member in particular - why would a towel need to be rehung when it's highly unlikely to be used again before it is washed? If anyone can help me deal with this kind of logic, I'd be grateful for your advice.

Meanwhile, I take heart that tomorrow is another (washing!) day. I guess I should be glad that towels are being used, because that means I'm living with washed and clean (or at least wet!) people. One final question I have - if the Queen does use a fresh towel each day, who is doing her washing? Not her, I bet!

http://www.wordwriteforsuccess.com.au/

Business Web Copy

There are so many people operating businesses via the internet these days, hence the need to establish a website. Aside from the technological aspects of this process, web copy needs to be a reflection of the business itself.

As a business owner, you want potential customers to be impressed by the quality of your website and what it says about the service or goods you offer. This was the key thought in my mind when I wrote copy for my website last year. If there are errors in the written communication in your website, potential customers may assume, rightly or wrongly, that the service or goods you are offering are less than wonderful. Careful proofreading is essential.

Irrespective of your business type, your website must make a positive impact. The fact that your website is being viewed at all is exciting, given the incredible numbers of websites which exist these days. So, once you've been fortunate enough to have a potential customer (or even an accidental web crawler) looking at your site, you want to hook them properly with your web copy. If you can't do this, you have little chance of maintaining interest. Your web designer has a large part to play here to ensure there is visual impact and that the website is easily navigable, but errors in spelling, punctuation and grammar, as well as basic typographical mistakes, need to be identified by a different kind of expert - the proofreader and editor.

One of my customers has an accountancy business, primarily targetting Japanese business people who have business interests in Australia. For this reason, the bulk of her website is written in Japanese, however, she also required web copy written in English. This is where she sought my proofreading and editing advice. Check out her website to see what I mean - www.nakano-acc.com.au

Remember how easily a web crawler can click away from your site. It takes a split second. Give them a reason to stay there and take that crucial next step - the contact page. Excellent web copy delivers excellent results.

http://www.wordwriteforsuccess.com.au/

Reality Bites for University Students

Now that "O" week is over in universities around the country, it's hard to avoid the real reason you've gone to uni - to achieve a degree! You've studied for a long time already just to get where you are now and it's time to buckle in for a whole lot more work.

One way to allow yourself an edge on your fellow undergraduates is to START ASSIGNMENTS STRAIGHTAWAY. As soon as you have the texts, the readings and the assignment information, set yourself up by actually beginning working towards the assignment. Let's face it - lots of heads are still spinning from the O-week experience and enjoying the freedom that a university offers. They haven't woken up yet to the fact that there's work to be done. Don't allow yourself to fall into this category of student.

Instead:

* Start writing a draft for your first assignment immediately. Not after the weekend, not after you've checked Facebook, not after the 'dust has settled', not after the music festival, but NOW!

* Reread and redraft a day or two later - you'll be surprised what mistakes you pick up in your own work. Then, have someone else proofread your work for you. Ideally, it's someone you can trust, who you know will give it their full attention and who will provide high quality advice. "Word Write for Success" can do this for you.

* A tip - don't send a first draft off to a professional proofreader to check. You will waste valuable cash! The draft you send to a professional proofreader should be your second or third draft at least.

* It is your job to nut out the content. The proofreader will check for errors in spelling, punctuation and grammar. Sometimes, a proofreader will provide structural advice if they feel it will make a difference to your success.

* Provide your proofreader with a copy of the assignment question and specify the referencing system you are required to use.

* Don't leave it too late - make sure you send your draft to be proofread at least one week before it is due to be handed in. Depending on its size, you may need to submit it even earlier for checking, that is, if you want quality feedback!

Follow these simple steps to ensure a finished product which will cause others to come to you for tips on how you blitzed your degree!

http://www.wordwriteforsuccess.com.au/

Furry Fruity Food!

I've just been to the local shops to pick up a few groceries. As I walked past the local fruiterers, my attention was caught by a sign advertising "Lemingtons" for sale. Not having ever heard of a fruit or vegetable of this name, I moved closer and saw they were actually selling lamingtons, a well-known Australian favourite (don't bother asking me why a fruit shop was selling a bakery item, as I have no idea!).

Even though it was plain to see they were everyday lamingtons, I still couldn't quite bring myself to buy a pack - my initial reaction to the misspelling made me think they might taste like a lemon-flavoured, small, furry creature, likely to jump off my plate! I wonder how many other passers-by enjoyed a little chuckle at this today...

http://www.wordwriteforsuccess.com.au/

Font Matters

Often, when I am proofreading a document, especially web copy, I find myself distracted by the font choices the writer has made.

Common font foul-ups:

* wrong font choice for document type - the bottom line is that some fonts were never meant to be used for writing more than a heading and a large heading at that. Try writing a paragraph using Chiller in font size 10 and then reading it back - unless you enlarge it by 200%, you will have a LOT of trouble! I find Times New Roman, Arial, Bookman Old Style, or Georgia (what you are reading now) the best fonts for standard documents. Have fun with the fancy fonts if you are needing to do a one or two word heading, but make sure you adjust the size accordingly.

* too many different fonts used within one document - even if it's a website, consistency is key to your reader absorbing what you have written, rather than the being distracted by the look of it. If it is well-presented, font-wise, the reader won't even notice the font itself. However, the reverse is also true. A document with poorly planned font use is glaringly problematic. A website should use the same font type in every page of the website.

* bold/italic/underline feature overuse - don't overuse features. Just because they are available doesn't mean you need to use them constantly. The reader becomes confused and your message is not effectively communicated. By being selective in the use of these features, you are able to draw the reader's attention to particular points of interest.

* font size variability - using a larger sized font is fine, for example, for a heading, as long as it is distinctly larger. Writing a heading in size 14 font, then writing the following paragraph in size 12 may be too similar. It would be better to use a 16/12 contrast, or, alternatively, maintain font size for the heading and paragraph, but bold or underline the heading.

* CAPITALISING everything - once again, capitalising everything in your document reduces the impact of the message you are conveying. Instead, capitalise KEY words for effect. Some writers entirely avoid capitalisation of whole words, as the reader may perceive unintended aggression in the message.

Next time you are creating a document, keep these simple tips in mind. You'll be happy with the results.

http://www.wordwriteforsuccess.com.au/

Its and It's Rule

Knowing when to use "its" and when to use "it's" is an easy decision to make once you understand the difference between the two.

Its - even though used to indicate ownership, it is the rare case in which there is no apostrophe required - eg. the dog scratched its fleas, the car blew one of its tyres

It's - the contraction of "it" + "is" - eg. It's going to be hot today, it's a shame we missed the start of the game

It is easy to become confused when both forms appear in one sentence, such as:

"If the dog keeps scratching its fleas, it's going to end up with a bald patch."

When all else fails, solve your its/it's dilemma this way - if you can break it into two parts, "it" and "is", and your sentence still makes perfect sense, then you know that "it's" is the correct form. You will know - "the dog scratched it is fleas" just doesn't work.

Practise using the its/it's rule a few times and you'll become an expert in no time!

http://www.wordwriteforsuccess.com.au/

Books I'm Reading Right Now

I could say that I read to improve my ability to work with the written word, but that would not be true. The real reason I read is because I love to read. It doesn't matter what I've done during the day, or how exhausted I am when I go to bed at night, I will always pick up a book, magazine or newspaper (sometimes even the latest batch of junk mail) to read. Some nights I only last a minute or two, but most nights I'll spend at least 30 minutes reading.

Right now, I have the following on my beside table:

* 'House and Garden' (March 2009) - for renovation ideas

* 'Lilian's Story' by Kate Grenville - which I am very close to finishing. I recently read 'Dark Places', the companion novel to 'Lilian's Story'. Both have been excellent. In fact, I've nominated 'Lilian's Story' for my bookclub later this year when I am scheduled as discussion leader.

* 'The Regeneration Trilogy' by Pat Barker. Reading this one has been an ongoing project. At present, I'm close to the end of the second book, 'The Eye in the Door'.
I've found myself needing to have breaks from it since I began reading it in October last year, but I am compelled to finish it - sometime...

* 'The Other Hand' by Chris Cleave - I've finished this, but haven't yet put it onto the bookshelf. It's an amazingly well-written story. In fact, it was my first choice for my bookclub nomination this year, but someone else in my group nominated it first!

* 'Count me the stars' by Kylie Johnson - a beautiful collection of poetry which I received from a very close friend for my most recent birthday.

* 'Twilight' by Stephanie Meyer - my daughter has just finished reading this and tells me it is the best read she has ever had! With such a recommendation, how can I NOT read it?

* 'The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Society' by Mary Ann Shaffer - a Christmas gift from my son which I have not yet opened, with every intention of doing so very soon. Sitting closed, the book has one of the prettiest dust jackets I've seen for a long time!

http://www.wordwriteforsuccess.com.au/