To help you along the way of revision, following are a couple standard writing tips to keep in mind:

• Put key points up front – Readers don’t have time to sort through your poetic musing or storytelling to get to the main idea

• Scan your writing like a reporter or reader – Make sure that your writing style is appropriate for the audience and that your message is easily understood

• Brevity – Get to the point!  Your writing gets stronger with each unnecessary word you remove.  “If in doubt, take it out”

• Clarity- Your readers may know nothing about your topic.  It’s not enough that what you have written makes sense to you – it must make sense to them.

• Use the breathing test: Sentences that drag on force readers to breathe midway through.  If they must breathe before hitting the end of the sentence, it’s too long

• Be direct and accurate: Talk directly and succinctly to your target audience. 

• Some of the best advice is your own advice – Offer your own advice.  Better yet, describe precisely how you can fix someone’s problem and refrain from fluff to avoid distraction

• Create a strong summary statement – This clearly defines the theme of your document so that the reporter can instantly know what you’re talking about and decide if she or he wants to keep reading.  

*Remember, your tactic is to get people’s attention and immediate responses: You have to establish a goal for the written piece and make sure that everything you write supports that goal