Before Writers put ‘Pen to Paper’

Reference: Google

Structure

Before writing, we need to make sure our readers will be able to understand what we are writing. Structuring information is important not only for the readers but also for the writes so that they are able to understand their own argument.

To learn - Information must be logical, coherent hierarchy of levels so that readers can understand and recall.
To do - Information must be in scenario principle that is to be in chronological or narrative order.

According to Wurman (1989),
Manipulating information in different ways can help with critical thinking. Different ways of evaluating information can help you find out which method suits better for your own needs. This is the only way to find the meanings and relationship between each information (p.3).

Selzer (1989, p.44-47)
Arrangement strategies based on psychological grounds.

• Use first or final positions for emphasis because readers tend to remember what comes first or last.
• Climatic order for emphasis towards more important information or negative to positive information.
• Simple to most confusing, easiest to difficult, familiar to non-familiar or vice-versa.
• Least controversial or surprising to most controversial and most surprising.
• State generalisation then arguments or evidence and vice versa.

Document Design

MacKenzie (1994) states the importance to integrate words and the graphics forms to create information that will be accessible and useful for readers. "We write for action, we ust design for action" (MacKenzie, 1994).

We need to know

• Our readers.
• The needs of our readers.
• How our readers access information.
• How they act upon information.

Optimum legibility - Relationship between style of the letter form, the size of the letters, the length of the line and the amount of white space between the line.

Williams (1993) points out that 'visual media frequently offers a superior alternative prose for the communication of some kind of information'.

Revising and Editing

Satisficing

Make do with what comes out during the first draft.

Satisfice is to eternalise your thoughts without knowing what you're trying to say until you have said it. The need for elaboration, connection and perfection is almost irrelevant when it comes to writing. If we choose to accept that, we clearly agree that writing is basically re-writing.

Revision

To understand and communicate what is on the page when the writer finishes writing the draft (Murray 1978, p.87)

Changes that are initiated by cues that occurs continually throughout the written work (Sommers 1980, p.95)

Reference: Putnis, Peter & Petelin, Roslyn 1996, Professional Communication : Principles and Application, Writing to Communicate, Prentice Hall, Sydney.