WE each have an individual writing fingerprint, a pattern as revealing as our dress sense and body language. It sounds freaky, but it's true.
How to Write Well
A website - analyzewords.com - will diagnose personality from a handful of tweets. Murderers and terrorists have been caught by quirks of writing style. American researchers have even claimed recently to be able to predict which of us will become online trolls, based on only five posts.
We may believe we're clever at hiding behind our words, but we're revealing exactly who we are. So who are you? And how can you show yourself in a better light?
1 Find out what your writing says about you. You don't need sophisticated software, just willing friends and colleagues. Give them something you've written - 150-200 words is enough - and ask for three honest words that describe what you've written. Clear, direct, confident? Confused, evasive, or insecure? The feedback will be useful in discovering what kind of reputation you have and how you might want to change it.
2 Think of language as more than grammar, punctuation and spelling. Language skills are important, but so is having a step-by-step process - purpose, readers, research, structure, writing, feedback and rewriting -that shows how you think.
3 Soak up information. If you include everything you know in your writing, you don't know enough. When you leave out around 80 per cent of what you know, it shows between the lines, adding authority and gravitas that gives readers confidence. You'll be forced into tight writing too.
4 Make a plan. Even for a three-paragraph email, you need to show you're organised. Jot down one word to sum up each paragraph: costs; timetable; problems. These act as a touchstone to keep you on track. For longer documents, you'll need a more detailed plan.
5 Active writing tells readers you are…active. Susan wrote her weekly blo g is active. A weekly blog was written by Susan is passive. Which of these would you write? Most of the time, the answer will be a no-brainer because active writing is clearer, quicker to read than the passive kind, and sounds more friendly. But beware: the answer won't be the same for every sentence you write. The key is to make a conscious choice.
6 Avoid being indirect, just to be kind. He cheats , or he does not play fair ? You may wince at the idea of directly calling someone a cheat, preferring a soft, indirect approach. But if you can't say something in blunt terms, should you really say it in a way you hope will be less noticeable? What does this say about you?
7 Paint pictures with detail. We want all readers to see the same picture. A large pay rise is too vague. A 50 per cent rise in basic salary is clear.
8 Make every word count. If a word doesn't add anything, cut it. Develop a reputation for cutting flab, and saving reading time.
9 Get to the point. Start with your most important point. Then make the next one… No one has to finish reading - and few will - so forget about building to a wow finish. We graze when we read and stop when we've had enough.
Susan Feehan is a journalist, university lecturer, business writing mentor, screenwriter, and the author of How to Write Well - when you don't know where to start. Available on Amazon.