The Write Stuff - Improve Your Image with Better Writing
-
Upload
mike-merideth -
Category
Career
-
view
167 -
download
0
description
Transcript of The Write Stuff - Improve Your Image with Better Writing
![Page 1: The Write Stuff - Improve Your Image with Better Writing](https://reader037.fdocuments.us/reader037/viewer/2022102814/54933279b479598b6d8b458f/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
The Write Stuff – Improve your image with better writing.
Michael MeridethSr. Director of IT, VictorOps@vo_mike
![Page 2: The Write Stuff - Improve Your Image with Better Writing](https://reader037.fdocuments.us/reader037/viewer/2022102814/54933279b479598b6d8b458f/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
A Bit About Mike
Awesome career choices in the late
90’s:
– Newspaper Journalist
– Photographer
• 2012 US median pay: $28,490
– IT Guy
• It’s the .com boom!
-12.0
-10.0
-8.0
-6.0
-4.0
-2.0
0.0
Newspaper Growth 2003-2010
![Page 3: The Write Stuff - Improve Your Image with Better Writing](https://reader037.fdocuments.us/reader037/viewer/2022102814/54933279b479598b6d8b458f/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
![Page 4: The Write Stuff - Improve Your Image with Better Writing](https://reader037.fdocuments.us/reader037/viewer/2022102814/54933279b479598b6d8b458f/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
Good Writing Matters
“Any fool can make something complicated. It takes a genius to make it
simple.”
--Woody Guthrie
![Page 5: The Write Stuff - Improve Your Image with Better Writing](https://reader037.fdocuments.us/reader037/viewer/2022102814/54933279b479598b6d8b458f/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
“Clear writing is the result of clear thinking.”--John Gruber ( daringfireball.net )
![Page 6: The Write Stuff - Improve Your Image with Better Writing](https://reader037.fdocuments.us/reader037/viewer/2022102814/54933279b479598b6d8b458f/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
A Simple Approach To Writing
Four Tips:
–Tip #1: Write like a journalist
![Page 7: The Write Stuff - Improve Your Image with Better Writing](https://reader037.fdocuments.us/reader037/viewer/2022102814/54933279b479598b6d8b458f/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
The Inverted Pyramid
*Reasons
The most important details:Who, what, when, why, and where.
Additional details that add meaningand context.
Deep background informationfor the very interested.
Body
Back-ground
Lead (Lede*)
![Page 8: The Write Stuff - Improve Your Image with Better Writing](https://reader037.fdocuments.us/reader037/viewer/2022102814/54933279b479598b6d8b458f/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
Inverted Pyramid, Inc.
Body
BG
Lead Executives
Management
Engineering Marketing Operations
![Page 9: The Write Stuff - Improve Your Image with Better Writing](https://reader037.fdocuments.us/reader037/viewer/2022102814/54933279b479598b6d8b458f/html5/thumbnails/9.jpg)
tl;dr= lead!
![Page 10: The Write Stuff - Improve Your Image with Better Writing](https://reader037.fdocuments.us/reader037/viewer/2022102814/54933279b479598b6d8b458f/html5/thumbnails/10.jpg)
Jargon
![Page 11: The Write Stuff - Improve Your Image with Better Writing](https://reader037.fdocuments.us/reader037/viewer/2022102814/54933279b479598b6d8b458f/html5/thumbnails/11.jpg)
Tell the Story, Don’t Be the Story
The other day, I was talking to Jimmy and he mentioned reports that the new version of the application was slow. That didn’t sound right to me, so I asked Anne in support and he said that those customers just had a firewall problem.
What’s the Story Here?
Three customers have reported performance problems with version 2.0. According to Support, those customers had firewall configuration issues, and saw better performance after fixing their configuration.
Fewer Words, More Information
![Page 12: The Write Stuff - Improve Your Image with Better Writing](https://reader037.fdocuments.us/reader037/viewer/2022102814/54933279b479598b6d8b458f/html5/thumbnails/12.jpg)
Tip Number 1: Write Like a Journalist
• Inverted Pyramid: Lead, Body,
Background
• Avoid jargon
• Take yourself out of the story
![Page 13: The Write Stuff - Improve Your Image with Better Writing](https://reader037.fdocuments.us/reader037/viewer/2022102814/54933279b479598b6d8b458f/html5/thumbnails/13.jpg)
A Simple Approach To Writing
Four Tips:
–Tip #1: Write like a journalist–Tip #2: Learn your grammar
![Page 14: The Write Stuff - Improve Your Image with Better Writing](https://reader037.fdocuments.us/reader037/viewer/2022102814/54933279b479598b6d8b458f/html5/thumbnails/14.jpg)
Learn your grammar
Good Quick References:
• Grammar Girl (quickanddirtytips.com/grammar-girl)
• Grammarbook.com
• Thepunctuationguide.com
• Eats, Shoots and Leaves by Lynn Truss
• The Elements of Style by Strunk & White
![Page 15: The Write Stuff - Improve Your Image with Better Writing](https://reader037.fdocuments.us/reader037/viewer/2022102814/54933279b479598b6d8b458f/html5/thumbnails/15.jpg)
Avoid Obvious Mistakes
there / they’re / their
its / it’s
lose / loose
effect / affect
then / than
you’re / your
![Page 16: The Write Stuff - Improve Your Image with Better Writing](https://reader037.fdocuments.us/reader037/viewer/2022102814/54933279b479598b6d8b458f/html5/thumbnails/16.jpg)
Punctuation
• Punctuation only exists in written language
• It helps the written word “sound” right
• Focus on the basics (comma, apostrophe)
• Free your mind, man
![Page 17: The Write Stuff - Improve Your Image with Better Writing](https://reader037.fdocuments.us/reader037/viewer/2022102814/54933279b479598b6d8b458f/html5/thumbnails/17.jpg)
The Oxford Comma
Yes, of course! The Oxford Comma! Always!• I took a selfie with my parents, the President and Betty Ford.
- vs -
• I took a selfie with my parents, the President, and Betty Ford.
Okay, but:• Dedicated to my beloved Mother, Betty Ford, and God
- vs -
• Dedicated to my beloved Mother, Betty Ford and God
![Page 18: The Write Stuff - Improve Your Image with Better Writing](https://reader037.fdocuments.us/reader037/viewer/2022102814/54933279b479598b6d8b458f/html5/thumbnails/18.jpg)
Grammar and Punctuation
• Use reference materials
• Use punctuation to clarify
• Don’t get fancy
• Make exceptions when it makes sense
![Page 19: The Write Stuff - Improve Your Image with Better Writing](https://reader037.fdocuments.us/reader037/viewer/2022102814/54933279b479598b6d8b458f/html5/thumbnails/19.jpg)
A Simple Approach To Writing
Four Tips:
–Tip #1: Write like a journalist–Tip #2: Learn your grammar–Tip #3: Edit, edit, edit!
![Page 20: The Write Stuff - Improve Your Image with Better Writing](https://reader037.fdocuments.us/reader037/viewer/2022102814/54933279b479598b6d8b458f/html5/thumbnails/20.jpg)
Edit
• Be the first to read what you have
written
• Take a breath!
• Spell check can deceive you
• It won’t catch your vs. you’re
![Page 21: The Write Stuff - Improve Your Image with Better Writing](https://reader037.fdocuments.us/reader037/viewer/2022102814/54933279b479598b6d8b458f/html5/thumbnails/21.jpg)
( don’t run this at home! )
#!/bin/bash# Clean out /tmp/foo
dir=“/tmp/foo”
if [ -d ${dir} ]; then cd ${dur} && rm –rf *fi
![Page 22: The Write Stuff - Improve Your Image with Better Writing](https://reader037.fdocuments.us/reader037/viewer/2022102814/54933279b479598b6d8b458f/html5/thumbnails/22.jpg)
Read Aloud
• Read challenging passages aloud
• Try not to scare people
• Revise until it sounds clear when spoken
![Page 23: The Write Stuff - Improve Your Image with Better Writing](https://reader037.fdocuments.us/reader037/viewer/2022102814/54933279b479598b6d8b458f/html5/thumbnails/23.jpg)
Less is More
“So the writer who breeds more words than he needs,
is making a chore for the reader who reads.”
--Dr. Seuss (quoted on goodreads.com)
![Page 24: The Write Stuff - Improve Your Image with Better Writing](https://reader037.fdocuments.us/reader037/viewer/2022102814/54933279b479598b6d8b458f/html5/thumbnails/24.jpg)
A Simple Approach To Writing
Four Tips:
–Tip #1: Write like a journalist–Tip #2: Learn your grammar–Tip #3: Edit, edit, edit!–Tip #4: Apply to everything
you write
![Page 25: The Write Stuff - Improve Your Image with Better Writing](https://reader037.fdocuments.us/reader037/viewer/2022102814/54933279b479598b6d8b458f/html5/thumbnails/25.jpg)
Don’t Save Your A-Game
The Writing That Most People See:• Email• Documentation• Short Messages• IM• Tweets• SMS
![Page 26: The Write Stuff - Improve Your Image with Better Writing](https://reader037.fdocuments.us/reader037/viewer/2022102814/54933279b479598b6d8b458f/html5/thumbnails/26.jpg)
Email: Easy On That Trigger
• Email is not synchronous
• Email is permanent
• An email thread is not a “first post” contest
• Favor “thoughtful” over “fast”
![Page 27: The Write Stuff - Improve Your Image with Better Writing](https://reader037.fdocuments.us/reader037/viewer/2022102814/54933279b479598b6d8b458f/html5/thumbnails/27.jpg)
A Simple Approach To Writing
Four Tips:
–Tip #1: Write like a journalist–Tip #2: Learn your grammar–Tip #3: Edit, edit, edit!–Tip #4: Apply to everything
you write
![Page 28: The Write Stuff - Improve Your Image with Better Writing](https://reader037.fdocuments.us/reader037/viewer/2022102814/54933279b479598b6d8b458f/html5/thumbnails/28.jpg)
“One day I will find the right words, and they will be simple.”
--Jack Kerouac
![Page 30: The Write Stuff - Improve Your Image with Better Writing](https://reader037.fdocuments.us/reader037/viewer/2022102814/54933279b479598b6d8b458f/html5/thumbnails/30.jpg)