Words that Work

Writing process made simple: Invention

scwink — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 05:07:44 +0000

I love the idea of invention as a writing stage – coming up with new things. Being creative. Throwing it out there and seeing what sticks. Invention involves three main considerations: your topic, your purpose, and your audience.

TOPIC:Getting started can be both the most challenging and the most rewarding aspect of writing. Sometimes you have to invent and organize as you draft. Other times you can take a few minutes to try one of these tools to get your mind working.

PURPOSE: The purpose of a document may be inherent in it’s format — letters communicate externally, for example, while memos report on internal developments. Knowing why you are writing what you are writing is critical in meeting the needs of your audience.

AUDIENCE: Effective writing is audience centred. In order to meet your audience’s needs you have to have a basic understanding of who you are writing to. Ask yourself the following kind of questions:

What is my audience’s age, gender, or social standing?
What does my audience already know about this topic?
What information will help my audience in their job/life?

This is the fun part – enjoy!

Writing process made simple: intro

scwink — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 04:41:43 +0000

Back in the day I considered myself the queen of the writing process. It’s a small kingdom really, and easily ruled:

Invention: Thinking about your topic, your audience and the purpose of your document.
Organization: Deciding what layout of information makes the most sense in terms of logic, design, and purpose.
Drafting: Turning those ideas and notes into readable text Revision Major changes to your writing, including adding, deleting, removing, or replacing sections.
Editing: Detailed changes to your document such as sentence level corrections and design consistency.
Publication: Deciding when, by whom, and how your document will reach your audience.

These steps do not always happen in a neat, orderly fashion. Sometimes you may rush through invention and organization only to have to go back to them after you revise. Or you may find that as you are organizing you are also beginning to draft. It’s all good! These pages offer you tools for those times when the steps don’t progress neatly from one to another, for when you are blocked getting started, or checklists for editing and publishing.

My, what a big vocabulary you have …

scwink — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 18:43:10 +0000

I’ve always prided myself on having a strong vocabulary and still thrill to discover the meanings of new words. In fact, when I’m reading (an essential task for anyone who aspires to write), I make a list of any words I don’t know, or that I see used in a way I wouldn’t use them, and look them up in the dictionary when I’m done. I’ve recently had a new way of adding to my vocabulary as well – spending time with someone who also had a big vocabulary! It’s more fun, and less common, than you’d think.

So here then is the beginning of the word geek list, which more usually will just contain the word and the definition, and skip the preamble.

Scopophile/ia/iac – literaly one who enjoys observing/watching others, but frequently with the specific meaning of one who openly watches others perform sex acts (as opposed to a voyeur, who more usually watches in hiding – creepy).

The beginning …

scwink — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 06:27:11 +0000

Welcome to the SCW Ink Communications blog. Behind the blog, behind the website, behind the contracts and the clients is a commitment. My commitment. And this is what it is:

“In my time, people will use language with power and grace to create a world that works for everyone.”

Whatever work I undertake and whatever words I use, I intend that my choices will fit within that commitment. I invite you to let me know if you find that they don’t, or if they do.