Writing: you never master the craft

Communication World, Oct-Nov, 1998 by Ken O'Quinn

Do sufficient research

Too many releases and articles contain gaping holes or pieces of information that are not adequately explained because the writer did not do sufficient research. Specific details, the raw material of good writing, enable the reader to visualize what you are writing about, and they make you sound authoritative. But good details only come from strong reporting, which is the "collecting" phase of the writing process.

Never stop learning

Writers never reach the point where they no longer need improvement, which is what makes writing an exciting challenge. Public relations people and corporate communicators owe it to themselves and to the writing craft to stay fresh by sharpening old skills and acquiring new ones. As Don Murray is fond of saying, you never master the craft of writing. You get a little better than you were yesterday, but there is always more to learn tomorrow.

Ken O'Quinn, a former AP writer, is a corporate writing coach who conducts on-site seminars and lives in Cape Elizabeth, Maine.