Thursday, June 21, 2007
Dilbert’s Creator on Effective Business Writing
byDilbert is an effective comic strip on many levels: the satire, the characterization, the commentary on corporate America, the way it captures the quirks of our engineering friends. But it’s easy to overlook that Scott Adams is a fabulous writer – and his recent blog post on effective writing reveals his approach.
Adams says the post will help you avoid wasting time in a business writing training course. He writes:
Business writing is about clarity and persuasion. The main technique is keeping things simple. Simple writing is persuasive. A good argument in five sentences will sway more people than a brilliant argument in a hundred sentences. Don’t fight it.
He outlines several tips including “pruning” sentences, grabbing the reader, writing short sentences and organizing ideas by how our brains work.
For a hilarious look at Adams’ typical day, and his creative process, be sure to read his How to Make a Comic Strip and Minutia posts.
