Attacking Massive Writing Projects Without Going Barking Mad

I just completed a complex research white paper, which is why I haven’t published a new post recently. When I get into this type of assignment, I tend to block out everything else, less the bits of information I’ve gleaned from numerous documents and Web sites leak out of my ears and are lost forever. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

As I was finishing up the draft this morning and basking in the glow of “I love to have written,” I reflected on the process of working on a large project and how overwhelming it can be.  The following are a few ideas to make your next large writing assignment go a little more smoothly and keep you from going barking mad in the process:

Get clear instructions from your client on the five basic questions of journalism: Who are you writing for? In other words, who is your audience, what problems will this writing assignment help your audience solve or what information needs will it fill?  What reading level is your audience? What are you writing (topic and key concepts)?  Where are the best places to find information? Chances are your client / supervisor has some good ideas and may have some background information to get you started. When is the project due?  If possible, negotiate a deadline that gives you enough time to do a quality job.  Why is this project being undertaken?  What are the goals for this assignment?  What call to action do you want readers to take?

Break the project down into manageable tasks. Make a list of everything you need to do to successfully complete the assignment.  Starting from the deadline, work backwards and estimate how long it will take you to do each task. This will give you some target dates to shoot for that will let you know you are on schedule for completing the assignment on time.  If you’re working with a team, share the schedule and make sure everyone is on the same page.

From here on out, use the task list and schedule as your guide.  Don’t think about the entire project as a whole or look at the full task list. Its length may spark a momentary panic attack. Once a week, review the schedule and make any necessary adjustments – then put it away. Look at the single tasks and as you complete each task, check it off the list.  There’s something very satisfying about checking things off a list.

Give yourself permission to get bogged down and spending some time in the “I hate to write” phase.  In fact, budget some time into your schedule for this.  Writing is hard work, and sometimes it takes awhile to get your creativity and writing going.

Once the draft is completed and submitted for review, take a few deep breaths and a day off, if you can, to relax, catch up and have some fun.

As a final task, review the process so next time you’ll have a better idea how long it took you to do certain tasks and what worked or didn’t work so well.  You can then employ what your learned during your next project.

Good luck and let me know if I can assist you or answer any questions.

Abusing Acronyms: When to Use, When to Spell Out

How many of you use acronyms in your writing?  If you’re like me, you use them almost every day.  As an essential time and type saver, many acronyms seem to have become words in their own right.  How many of you spell out acronyms on first mention or at the beginning of sentences?  I’m willing to bet most of you don’t.  But consider this: Your readers may not know what the acronyms mean and instead of helping them save time, you have lost them as they try to figure out what the acronyms mean.  I realize writers do not set out to abuse the use of acronyms, we just fall into it without realizing that our writing has suddenly become rife with weird combinations of letters that are meaningless to many readers.

The most extreme case I’ve experience was very early in my career when I worked for a US Department of Defense contractor. My job was to take minutes at various committee meetings.  As you may know, the US government is famous for its use of acronyms, so I learned to take minutes using them, which was very efficient. What really got my attention is eventually I realized that the attendees had developed their own shorthand language made up entirely of acronyms. The discussion could go on for 20 or 30 minutes without the use of any real words! That was fine for all those who knew what the acronyms meant, but for those in the meeting who didn’t, they were totally and hopelessly lost. I remember the chair of one meeting set a rule that the attendees had to use real words, not acronyms.  He also made it clear that I should spell out the acronyms in the minutes.

Acronyms also are a real problem in the scientific, medical and engineering communities, where abbreviations and acronyms abound. Scientific journals and other formal publications discourage the use of acronyms with very specific exceptions. I think they are on to something. Personally, I use acronyms in my technical writing, but I am careful not to overdo it or to use acronyms that are really obscure.  I also do not make them up. If I think an acronym will hinder understanding rather than help it, I don’t use it. I’d rather have a few more words in a sentence than create confusion for my readers. To that end, here are the rules I use for acronyms:

• Capitalize all letters in an acronym
• Spell out acronyms on first mention, followed by the acronym in parentheses
• Spell out acronyms at the beginning of sentences
• To make an acronym plural, add a lowercase “s” at the end
• If the acronym ends in “s”, consider using an apostrophe “s” for clarity

That’s it.  These five simple rules have helped me from inadvertently abusing acronyms and to using them as an aide to my readers. I would really enjoy seeing your examples of extreme acronym abuse. Also, share your thoughts on the use of acronyms. Perhaps you have some guidance that can help us all.

I Hate to Write, But I Love to Have Written

In thinking about a topic for this blog entry, I realized I was once again procrastinating by surfing the web, playing with our dogs, looking out the window – anything to avoid writing.  This routine is all too familiar to me.  With every writing project, small or large, I go through an “I hate to write” phase where I struggle to find my inspiration and my drive for writing.  Eventually, I do, and after a while, the writing takes on a life of its own.  When that happens, I realize I have transitioned over to the “I love to have written” phase, which is a lovely place to be.

So, what do I do to move past “I hate to write” to “I love to have written”?  Writers are like fly fisherman.  We cast our line about to find right hook, the right angle or the right inspiration.  Some writers are very efficient about this.  They read the newspaper and find a dozen ideas, and they’re off and running.  For me, sometimes it takes longer.  Finding my inspiration is not something I can time nor do I find it in the same place.  I’ve learned to be patient, to give myself permission to have false starts, to pace around my office, to walk the dogs – all the while thinking about the project.

The key is to start writing. Don’t worry if you feel like you’re writing junk or you’re having a lot of false starts.  Those false starts can be the foundation of some truly inspirational ideas. I use a “words” document, which is just a holding document for sentences or paragraphs I’ve written, but I’m sure I want to use. Very often, I will rework those phrases and sentences and insert them back into the document.

First thing each morning, I read over what I’ve written the day before and do any needed polishing and editing.  By the time I have reached the end of the document, I am back in the groove and ready to write.  By going with the ebb and tide of my own writing cycle and knowing that it is just part of the process, I gradually and methodically forge ahead – sometimes slowly, sometimes with joyful speed.  Before I know it, I have moved on to “I love to have written” phase, and once again realize why I enjoy writing so much.  It’s the feeling I get of a job well done.

Please feel free to contact me if you are stuck in “I hate to write” and need some encouragement.  Sometimes, just a word from someone who knows what you’re going through is all that is needed to break through and get the words and ideas flowing once again.

Dashing Across the Page: Adding Drama, Emphasis, Fun to Your Writing

As you know, I am not a fan of hyphens.  But — I love dashes.  It is so much fun to dash off a quick e-mail or a fun writing project and let dashes dash across my page.   But when it comes to more formal writing, such as a white paper, I rein in my inner dasher in favor of commas and more conventional punctuation.

That being said, when using dashes, knowing what kind of dash you are using and using it correctly is important.  Even though they look alike, hypens are not the same as dashes.  Included in the dash family are en dashes, em dashes, and 2-em and 3-em dashes. The en dash is half the length of an em dash and longer than a hyphen.  The 2-em and 3-em dashes are just that 2-em dashes in length and 3-em dashes in length.  Each type of dash has its own particular use, and as with most grammatical rules, there are exceptions and nuances to consider.  The following offers some general rules.  If you would like a fuller explanation, see The Chicago Style of Manual, sections 5.105 – 5.119.

En dash: Indicates a range of values and replaces “to” and “from”:  The temperature ranged from 70º F – 80º F. They also used in bibliographies to indicate a page range. In addition, en dashes connect compound adjectives when one or more is an open compound; otherwise hyphens are used: New York – London flight (en dash) as compared with non-English speakers (hyphen). Hint: In more formal writing, I tend not to use the en dash but “to” or “from” for clarity when indicating a range.  I always use an en dash, however, in tables and in bibliographies.

Em dash: Provides emphasis or to set off an explanatory or parenthetical phrase, especially if the phrase includes a comma:  George, Sam and John — the pilot, co-pilot and engineer — were in the cockpit.  Hint: Commas provide for the least interruption in the sentence, but if you want to add a little drama or make something very clear, use an em dash.

2-em dash: Indicates a missing letter.

3-em dash: Denotes a whole word is omitted or to be supplied. It also is used in bibliographies to represent the same author named in the preceding item.”

I particularly like to use em dashes in e-mails, as it makes the text a little easier to read, but I am cautious about using them in more formal writing, where I strive for smoothness and a seamless flow from idea to idea, paragraph to paragraph, and page to page.  Abrupt breaks, whether in tone or appearance, are jarring to readers and break up the smoothness and seamless flow.  Sometimes, it’s warranted and needed, but as with all dramatic effects —  be careful not to over do it.

On Deadline – New Post to Come – Stand By

Hello Loyal Readers -

I’ve been tied up on a project the past week or so.  Look for a new post the beginning of next week.   Thanks for your patience and understanding!

BJ

News Words and the Oxford English Dictionary

As a follow up to my last post, I researched how long it takes for new words to be accepted by the Oxford English Dictionary.   According to Graeme Diamond (http://www.askoxford.com/worldofwords/newwords/newwordsdict/), a member of the team responsible for recording and drafting new words for the Oxford English Dictionary:

“The decision on whether to draft a word for inclusion does not rest with me (as the editor responsible for the word), but depends upon the weight of the evidence gathered. A rule of thumb is that any word can be included which appears five times, in five different printed sources, over a period of five years.

“The ‘five-year’ aspect of the rule can result in a time lag between the first use of a word and its first appearance in the Dictionary; but it also ensures that a great deal of care is taken in recording the true nature of the word. However it is often clear long before the five-year period is up that a word is generally current; in such cases we include the word as quickly as possible.”

So, there you have it.  Next time, you feel tempted to use a trendy word in your business communications, check it out and make sure it’s actually a word.  If it isn’t one, then carefully consider whether or not to use it.

Now, for those of you (like me) who may object at some words being included in the Oxford English Dictionary and/or other reputable dictionaries, below is an insight from Frederick C. Mish, editor-in-chief of Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary, as cited in the December 1989 issue of The Editorial Eye:

“Most modern lexicographers see the dictionary as a record of the vocabulary of our language, and especially the vocabulary current when the dictionary is published.” The Editorial Eye article notes: “He cautions the disgruntled to remember that an entry in a dictionary does not constitute the editors’ endorsement of the usage, ‘but is merely an acknowledgment that [the entry] is now part of the record.’”

While that wisdom was offered nearly 20 years ago, it still has relevance today.  And yes, I’ll try to remember it when the verbal noun “scapegoated” is accepted.

Verbing Nouns: Nouning Verbs

Turning nouns into verbs (verbal nouns) is nothing new. Remember when adding “-ize” and “-ify” to nouns was all the rage?  As I recall that was an 80’s thing.  I remember when “prioritize” was first coming into common usage.  I used to change “prioritize” to “setting priorities”, but over time I gave in and today use “prioritize” without giving it a second thought.

The most recent trend in verbal nouns is the indiscriminate addition of “-ing” to just about any noun, trademark or acronym rather than using an appropriate verb with it. I must admit I am having real trouble wrapping my brain around this one, even though it is becoming ubiquitous in everyday language. Thankfully, it seems to be more prevalent in spoken language.

I keep asking myself do I have a legitimate grammatical base on which to object or is it that I simply don’t like the sound of “verbing nouns”?  To settle the issue on the addition of “-ing” to nouns, trademarks and acronyms, I tried to find some hard and fast rules, but so far no luck.  What I did find were definitions of verbal nouns, gerunds, “verbification” and “verbify.” I am rather amazed that I didn’t find a definition or description of “verbize” – yes, I made that word up. I also found some terrific blog posts on this topic that you might want to peruse:

Nancy’s Wordsmithy: Every Word Can Be

Daily Writing Tips: Verbing Nouns

The Grammar Curmudgeon: The Verbing of Nouns

Writing Clear and Simple: Square Pegs into Round Holes – Turning Verbs into Nouns

All of this was helpful in describing the problem, but in the end I was left wondering what guidance could I offer other writers and editors?

I advise caution.  Use words in your business communications that are actually words and use them correctly. The Oxford English Dictionary is the authority.  If the word is not in that dictionary or any other well-regarded dictionary, then don’t use it.  Remember that trademarks and acronyms are not really words, so resist temptation to use them as verbs.  For less formal communications or if your audience doesn’t understand anything else but trendy slang, then maybe. On the other hand, writers and editors are guardians of the English language and we do have some responsibility to be good roll models.  In the end, it’s a judgment call.  But remember, your communications reflect on how your readers will view you and your company.

As a closing thought, the following poem sums it up pretty well:

The Verbing of America

The verbing of America

Is getting out of hand,

Yet many nouns are also verbs,

Like toast and rake and land.

When I first heard hospitalize,

I thought it was a crime;

Why don’t we apartmentalize?

We will — just give us time!

If when we change a noun to verb

To come up with our `verbing,’

Why can’t I, when I’m using herbs,

Refer to it as herbing?

For if I call myself a cook,

The verbal form is cooking;

And if I give someone a look,

It’s also known as looking.

I give a gift

But I’m not gifting.

You get my drift,

Or am I drifting?

I get a bill

Because of billing,

But taking pills

Is never pilling.

I place a pin,

And I am pinning.

Play a violin –

Is it violining?

But play a fiddle,

And you’re fiddling;

Or is this getting

Much too piddling?

Planting some seeds

Is always seeding,

And pulling weeds

Is surely weeding;

If drawing blood

Is always bleeding,

Why does a flood

Not lead to fleeding?

I’m wined and dined

But never beered.

I’ve eyed someone,

But never eared!

Turn on a light,

And I am lighting.

Turn on a lamp,

And it’s not lamping.

If I can verbalize

A needle,

And egging on

Can mean to wheedle,

And I am doodling

With a doodle,

When I cook pasta,

Can’t I noodle?

With all these punctuation marks,

I’m doing quite a lot of dotting;

But if I were to use a dash –

Don’t you agree that I am dashing?

But comma-ing and period-ing?

And yet I can italicize

And sometimes must capitalize.

I Anglicize — but Germanicize?

Or Swedicize, or Gaelicize?

With this I could go on and on,

Really ad infinitum;

Whether I lick these word problems,

I sure cannot beat ‘em.

Our language is an enigma

In how its words are used;

And that is why, in verbing nouns,

We ought to be excused.

Thanks to Jessica Kestner, who found this in St. Paul Pioneer Press.

Hyper Hyphening Hurts More Than Helps: When to Hyphenate Compound Words

As I’ve stated in earlier posts, I am a fan of less is more when it comes to punctuation.  Hyphens are an excellent example. Interestingly, The Chicago Manual of Style notes: “For some years now, the trend in spelling compound words has been away from the use of hyphens.  There seems to be a tendency to spell compounds solid as soon acceptance warrants their being considered permanent compounds, and otherwise to spell them open.”

I’m sure this is true, but my experience in the business world is the opposite. Seems to me that writers, especially less experienced writers use hyphens as often as they can, regardless of whether they hurt or help comprehension.  My hunch is they really don’t know when to use hyphens, so they just throw them in there to cover all bets.  In their defense, the rules are not clear, and as with serial commas, there are many conflicting opinions and preferences.  Hyphens can set even the nicest, most mild mannered (note no hyphen) writer’s teeth on edge.  Mine included.

So, what is the function of a hyphen? One my of my favorite guides to writing is Bill Bryson’s Bryson’s Dictionary of Troublesome Words. In the appendix, Bryson answers the question simply and concisely: “The principal function of the hyphen is to reduce the chances of ambiguity.”  He is also of the opinion, and I agree: “In general, hyphens should be dispensed with when they are not necessary.”

The following are some general guidelines from The Chicago Manual of Style and Margaret Schertzer’s, The Elements of Grammar, both tried and true resources that have served this writer well over the years:

• Use a hyphen between words forming a compound adjective before the noun they are modifying, such as “fast-sailing ship” [examples from The Chicago Manual of Style].

• Omit the hyphen when the first adjective modifies the whole noun phrase, such as “ fast sailing ship.”  In this case “fast” is modifying “sailing ship.”  I guess one could argue that in the case when “fast” is modifying the noun phrase “sailing ship” that “sailing ship” should be hyphenated to avoid confusion.  Me, I would rewrite the sentence.

• Omit the hyphen in phrases that are not at risk of misreading, such as “much loved friend” [examples from The Elements of Grammar].

• Omit the hyphen when the compound adjective follows the noun.

• Omit the hyphen when one of the words is an adverb ending in “-ly”, such as “highly developed intelligence” or “fully balanced ration”.

• Omit the hyphen in proper nouns that are used as adjectives, such as “New England winters”.

• Use a hyphen in compound numerals, such as “forty-two”, and when using numerals with other words, such as “twenty-foot pole” or “150-yard dash.”  I’m not sure about this one.  Me, I’d leave out the hyphen, particularly if the meaning is clear without it.  To be clear, I agree with hyphenating compound numerals.

• Use a hyphen in certain compounds made up of nouns and prepositional phrases, such as “sons-in-law” or “hand-to-hand”, but be careful, because they are many exceptions, such as “commander in chief” or “editor in chief”.

• Use a hyphen in titles that include “ex” or “elect”.

When in doubt, ask yourself if the use of the hyphen helps or hurts comprehension and write accordingly.  If you’re still in doubt, rewrite the sentence.

I hope this helps.  Let me know what you think and your preferences.

Getting Back Into the Swing

Thank you for your patience this past week as I’ve been trying to get back into the swing of things, following two marvelous weeks in Alaska.

The first week we were in Denali National Park, staying at the very small North Face Lodge (30 guests).  We saw Mt. McKinley (Denali) the first night; the rest of the week it was in the clouds. No sunset in Denali as it is so far north.  We hiked in sun, rain, hail, wind and swarms of mosquitoes! Everything they say about Alaska mosquitoes is true!

The second week we were aboard the Lindblad / National Geographic Sea Lion (62 guests).  We traveled up and down the Inside Passage, including stops at Dawes Glacier, which was calving at the time.  We saw a huge piece of ice fall and create an gigantic ice berg.  We also saw many humpback whales, including one that breached (leaped out of the water) right in front of my eyes and many bald eagles.  Amazing creatures.

As the ship was rather small, we could get up close and personal with the coastline and glaciers.  The ship also relies on Zodiac vessels to transport guests to the shore for hiking and kayaking and rides along the shore.  We took a Zodiac ride up close to where many Stellar sea lions were hanging out – amazing.  On the way, we saw some 20 bald eagles hunting for fish right above our heads!  We also took a float plane ride over a glacier near Petersburg, Alaska.

During the two weeks, we saw brown bears, Caribou, Dall sheep, golden eagles, ground squirrels, a red fox, harbor seals, moose and calves, mountain goats and kids, Dall porpoise, ravens, sea otters, snowshoe hares, Stellar seal lions, Puffins, hawks, Peregrine falcons, owls, several types of loons, ducks and gulls, and Cormorants.   I’m sure there are more species of birds, but I can’t remember.  One traveler, a serious birder, saw 90 species of birds during her visit to Alaska, which also included the Kenai Peninsula in addition to Denali National Park and the Inside Passage.  We also learned a great deal about the wild flowers in Denali National Park. The naturalists there get very excited about itsy bitsy wild flowers.

Now, that I’ve found my desk again, I will be posting more regularly.  Please check back often and comment.  Questions and suggestions for topics always welcome, too.

Posting Break – Will Resume July 5

Taking a break for a couple of weeks – family holiday.  I will resume postings in early July.