8 Ways to Improve Your Writing Immediately

Is it possible to improve your writing instantly? The answer, happily, is "yes."

While researching a book on famous speeches and essays, I found eight easily correctable mistakes writers often make. Here they are?and how to correct them instantly.

1. UNFOCUSED SUBJECT - Focus on a single theme only. Every sentence and paragraph should reinforce that topic.

2. TOO LONG - Abraham Lincoln crafted his Gettysburg Address in less than 300 words. Unless I'm specifically asked to do otherwise, I try to condense my work to one double-spaced single page (about 250 words).

3. WEAK PREMISE - Can you state the major focus of your message in 20 words or less?

4. NO ATTENTION-GRABBER - The first sentence or two must quickly attract the reader. Two ways to do this: (a) ask a question or (b) reveal a discovery.

5. UNLINKED PARAGRAPHS - Each paragraph should logically lead to the next. One way some writers do this: (a) quickly write several paragraphs on a subject; ((b) prioritize them; (c) present them in descending order from most important to least important; (d) conclude by restating the two or three most important points.

6. PASSIVE VERBS - Passive verbs like is, am, was, and were simply exist. Action verbs run, jump, excite, and motivate.

7. BORE FACTOR - Some research says the average adult attention span is only eight seconds. So it's important to make your points convincingly, and end your paper powerfully.

8. WEAK ENDING - Exit your report like an experienced stage performer?leave your audience wanting more. Two ways to do this: (a) use a famous quote to reinforce your conclusion, or (b) give details showing the reader where to get more information on the subject. (Examples: your phone, fax, e-mail, etc.)

Rix Quinn writes the nationally syndicated weekly newspaper humor feature "Poor Rix's Almanac" for DBR Media.

His new book "Words That Stick" is available from your local bookstore, or from Amazon.com. He can be reached by phone at 817-920-7999.

MORE RESOURCES:

Josh Schwartz writing #39;X-Men#39; sequel: OMFG or WTF? - Entertainment Weekly

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/0i-0fd=Rurl=http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b69550_new_x-men_getting_oc_treatment.htmlcid=1272117988ei=FZolSZnjB4Gi9gTWvOnAAQusg=AFQjCNETPE7ioHh76Rsc9DtVDGO1GOCrWQimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=N6W0d-LbTU8Jimgurl=images.eonline.com/eol_images/Entire_Site/20080723/425.jackman.xmen.072308.jpg width=80 height=59 alt= border=1brfont size=-2E! Online/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/0-0fd=Rurl=http://popwatch.ew.com/popwatch/2008/11/josh-schwartz-x.htmlcid=1272117988ei=FZolSZnjB4Gi9gTWvOnAAQusg=AFQjCNHL2FMwVksZhPVJDJYySX6d5q55yAJosh Schwartz bwriting/b #39;X-Men#39; sequel: OMFG or WTF?/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fEntertainment Weeklynbsp;-/font nobr23 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1And that#39;s why I#39;m more than a little perturbed by the news that Josh Schwartz (exec producer of GG, as well as The OC and Chuck) will be bwriting/b (and b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/0-1fd=Rurl=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/20/arts/20arts-001.html%3Fref%3Dartscid=1272117988ei=FZolSZnjB4Gi9gTWvOnAAQusg=AFQjCNHAQDcmsTlrNfigA2nMvWhYQKGECQ‘X-Men’ Heads Back To Boyhood/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrNew York Times/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/0-2fd=Rurl=http://www.empiremovies.com/index.php%3Fid%3D25039cid=1272117988ei=FZolSZnjB4Gi9gTWvOnAAQusg=AFQjCNGNLg8PR82B0Tkj1sm1rd9snZDpvwJosh Schwartz bWriting/b X-Men: First Class/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrEmpire Movies/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/0-3fd=Rurl=http://geeksofdoom.com/2008/11/19/gossip-girl-writer-still-scripting-x-men-first-class-not-directing/cid=1272117988ei=FZolSZnjB4Gi9gTWvOnAAQusg=AFQjCNEIgohZzkxFV5OgAoys8yxgAZZiUw‘Gossip Girl’ Writer Still Scripting ‘X-Men: First Class’; Not b.../b/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrGeeks of Doom/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1 class=pa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/0-4fd=Rurl=http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b69550_new_x-men_getting_oc_treatment.htmlcid=1272117988ei=FZolSZnjB4Gi9gTWvOnAAQusg=AFQjCNETPE7ioHh76Rsc9DtVDGO1GOCrWQnobrE! Online/nobr/anbsp;- a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/0-5fd=Rurl=http://www.firstshowing.net/2008/11/18/fox-moving-forward-with-gossip-girl-young-x-men-spin-off/cid=1272117988ei=FZolSZnjB4Gi9gTWvOnAAQusg=AFQjCNF1IpOHeOYx07hKFuU28GEB3_VDxwnobrFirst Showing/nobr/a/fontbr/font class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1272117988hl=ennobrall 71 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Novi resident offers insight to world of writing - Novi News

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/1-0fd=Rurl=http://hometownlife.com/article/20081120/LIFE/811200351/1106/NEWS13cid=1272586162ei=FZolSZnjB4Gi9gTWvOnAAQusg=AFQjCNFvYHlV5kiWwzTKzuNCxI5xUytyHQNovi resident offers insight to world of bwriting/b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fNovi News,nbsp;MInbsp;-/font nobr1 hour ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1By Kelly Murad • STAFF WRITER • November 20, 2008 quot;There#39;s A Book In You is bwriting/b in its simplest form,quot; said Durant, 72. quot;It#39;s about understanding the b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Rapper gets 20 years after writing shooting song - The Associated Press

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/2-0fd=Rurl=http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jQUZaPLYcXsZAbUiOd_xe7VbRprgD94I7Q7G0cid=1272355186ei=FZolSZnjB4Gi9gTWvOnAAQusg=AFQjCNHFE0-HpuBnYg7nEGdfOPeRfPvMdwRapper gets 20 years after bwriting/b shooting song/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fThe Associated Pressnbsp;-/font nobr20 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1DUBLIN, Ga. (AP) — He shot a man twice and felt so good about it, police said, a rapper wrote a song describing the shooting and calling out the victim by b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

OneRepublic Writing For New Album - Billboard

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/3-0fd=Rurl=http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp%3Fvnu_content_id%3D1003893924cid=1272368528ei=FZolSZnjB4Gi9gTWvOnAAQusg=AFQjCNGDLOQ8YqqcS6UY4s8_YXZ_V4fgwQOneRepublic bWriting/b For New Album/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fBillboard,nbsp;NYnbsp;-/font nobr22 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1To celebrate the platinum success of its 2007 debut quot;Dreaming Out Loud,quot; OneRepublic was originally planning to reissue the album with bonus content in time b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

GEORGETOWN: Ex-trooper admits writing phony tickets - Delmarva Daily Times

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/4-0fd=Rurl=http://www.delmarvanow.com/article/20081120/NEWS01/81120010/1002cid=1272551038ei=FZolSZnjB4Gi9gTWvOnAAQusg=AFQjCNEix9HNd2GZHOSzVihbL6Z2L7RkWwGEORGETOWN: Ex-trooper admits bwriting/b phony tickets/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fDelmarva Daily Times,nbsp;MDnbsp;-/font nobr4 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1GEORGETOWN -- A former Delaware State Police trooper from Georgetown has pleaded guilty to charges he wrote phony traffic tickets to fictitious people. b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Teenager murdered for writing love letter - Times Online

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/5-0fd=Rurl=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article5197439.ececid=1272548634ei=FZolSZnjB4Gi9gTWvOnAAQusg=AFQjCNH6RwC5hw7uU4axBoROChUR69jQLwTeenager murdered for bwriting/b love letter/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fTimes Online,nbsp;UKnbsp;-/font nobr4 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1quot;The accused killed the boy for bwriting/b a love letter to a girl of the same village. There was a scuffle, and he was pushed in front of a train,quot; b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Simpsonville woman charged with writing bad checks for jewelry - Greenville News

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/6-0fd=Rurl=http://www.greenvilleonline.com/article/20081120/NEWS01/811200331/1071/YOURUPSTATE01cid=1272341092ei=FZolSZnjB4Gi9gTWvOnAAQusg=AFQjCNGO6iuY-6PH-Xw4_KHfCcZbrLOhygSimpsonville woman charged with bwriting/b bad checks for jewelry/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fGreenville News,nbsp;SCnbsp;-/font nobr10 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1By Paul Alongi • STAFF WRITER • November 20, 2008 Greenville police are warning businesses to watch out for a Simpsonville woman who was charged Wednesday b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Bloomfield schools benefit from writing project - Farmington Daily Times

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/7-0fd=Rurl=http://www.daily-times.com/ci_11027781cid=1272548632ei=FZolSZnjB4Gi9gTWvOnAAQusg=AFQjCNGYzpn3Rl44gyG96qA3d1e7vSF6tABloomfield schools benefit from bwriting/b project/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fFarmington Daily Times,nbsp;NMnbsp;-/font nobr10 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1By G. Jeff Golden The Daily Times As part of the Bisti bWriting/b Project, local artist Margaret Katirgis visited students at Blanco Elementary School this b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Flournoy students use writing tool - Red Bluff Daily News

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/8-0fd=Rurl=http://www.redbluffdailynews.com/news/ci_11022829cid=1272306922ei=FZolSZnjB4Gi9gTWvOnAAQusg=AFQjCNF3vpyPVQOY5lDzRZPGlgUrJuVfswFlournoy students use bwriting/b tool/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fRed Bluff Daily News,nbsp;CAnbsp;-/font nobr22 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1FLOURNOY- Along with an investment in a one-to-one laptop ratio, Flournoy Elementary School piloted an Internet-based bwriting/b application from November 2007 b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Flournoy School students are right online in writing: Students ... - TMC Net

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/9-0fd=Rurl=http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/-flournoy-school-students-right-online-writing-students-participate-/2008/11/19/3801329.htmcid=1272601743ei=FZolSZnjB4Gi9gTWvOnAAQusg=AFQjCNHn4gkDBLkKw9tYxcbsvfZnoFxH-QFlournoy School students are right online in bwriting/b: Students b.../b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fTMC Net,nbsp;CTnbsp;-/font nobr12 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Flournoy Elementary School discovered technological bwriting/b success for its students by participating in an online educationally based pilot program this b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Writing - Google News

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