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At this point I am tempted to tell you what I have left out of this guidebook and why. But I won’t. Write Better and Get Ahead at Work is written lean and decisive, including the information you need to achieve your goals as quickly as possible. (Note to editor: I know the words “lean” and “decisive” are adverbs and therefore are supposed to have an “ly” on them. I don’t like “ly.” It’s not lean. I’ve decided this form does not violate a rule because I am advancing the language here. In 200 years, nobody will be using “ly.”) You do not need case studies or histories of letter writing styles. Some information will be most valuable for certain people. For instance, the list of “Questions to Ask Yourself Before Writing the First Word” has helped many people to know when they are ready to start writing so they keep a copy of it handy. You may want to find a page that helps you with the particular aspect of writing you plan to improve.

I hope that this book helps you become a better, more productive writer so you can get work done the way you want and rise in your profession. Write Better and Get Ahead at Work, tested over the years in classrooms and work sites, addresses many of the problems people are facing in today’s workplace. This modest volume is dedicated to stripping away the outmoded thoughts that too often prevent us from communicating with each other happily and productively. The methods of this book more often remove impediments rather than to add to your knowledge. Each of us has the ability to write trapped within us. Freeing our inner potential from anxieties and rules is what expression is all about.

Once you acquire the ability to write by concentrating on meaning and action rather than words and rules, a natural human expression will be clear to your reader who will want to hear what you have to say. Only one way has proven effective to shed the problems and achieve the relaxed effortlessness of a natural writer. Practice.

Your Writing Index

On a separate sheet of paper, respond to each question. Take as much or as little space as you think you need to provide a clear answer.

1. Have you taken writing classes before? If so, which ones? What did you gain from those classes? After taking the classes, what did you decide you wanted to work on?

2. What writing do you do at work–memos, letters or reports? Explain how often you write, why and to whom. What other communications do you have at work (such as meetings, presentations and phone calls)?

3. What is your preferred method of writing–with pen and paper, at a computer keyboard, with a tape recorder or other?

4. What reference books and materials do you use?

5. What books have influenced your idea about writing?

6. How do you describe your communication ability? How do you describe your writing ability?

7. Why is writing at work important to you now and in the future?

8. What do you like best about writing?

9. What do you dislike most about writing?

10. How does writing fit your career goals, and how do you plan to acquire the skills needed to write and communicate at work?