| Introduction |
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xv | |
| How to Use This Book |
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xvii | |
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Chapter 1 Deploy a Professional Writer's Strategy to Produce Engaging, Powerful, and Persuasive Writing---and Do It on a Schedule |
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1 | (18) |
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1 Decide What's in It for the Reader |
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1 | (2) |
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2 Decide What's in It for You |
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3 | (1) |
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3 Identify One Central Thought |
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4 | (2) |
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4 Break Your Thought into a Few Main Chunks |
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6 | (2) |
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5 Arrange the Chunks into a Beginning, Middle, and End |
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8 | (1) |
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6 If Possible, Start in the Middle and End at the Beginning |
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9 | (1) |
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7 Determine the Appropriate Tone |
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10 | (1) |
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8 Collect and Transcribe Your Materials Together on Standard-Size Paper (No Napkins, Matchbooks, Post-it Notes, or YouTube Videos) |
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11 | (1) |
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9 Key Your Sources to Your Outline---A Five-Minute Process That Will Save You Hours or Days of Trial and Error |
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12 | (5) |
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10 Write the Damn Thing Now---Here's How |
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17 | (2) |
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Chapter 2 Use Proper Paragraphing to Grab Your Readers by the Nose and Lead Them through Your Piece (And Make Them Like Being Led) |
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19 | (8) |
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1 Translate Your Outline into Paragraphs |
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19 | (1) |
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2 Use Topic Sentences for Each Idea; Each Idea = One Paragraph |
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20 | (1) |
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3 Make All the Material in Each Paragraph Support the Topic Sentence |
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20 | (1) |
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4 Use Transitions to Connect One Paragraph to Another and Lead the Reader through Your Main Points |
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21 | (1) |
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5 Eliminate Any Rogue Paragraphs That Interrupt the Flow |
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22 | (1) |
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6 Employ Paragraph Length That Is Appropriate to the Piece |
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22 | (1) |
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7 Punch Up Your Writing with One-Sentence Paragraphs (Sparingly) for Emphasis |
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23 | (1) |
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8 Begin Some Paragraphs with a Question to Revive Your Reader's Attention |
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23 | (1) |
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9 Use Proper Paragraph Form to Introduce Quotations, Adding Life and Humanity to Your Work |
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24 | (2) |
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10 Eliminate the Amateur's Typical Repetitive Habits: "I Told You So"--Type Tagging at the End of a Paragraph and Repeating Material Already Stated in Other Paragraphs |
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26 | (1) |
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Chapter 3 Employ Muscular, Accurate Words to Do Your Heavy Lifting |
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27 | (18) |
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27 | (1) |
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2 Remember That the Best Adverb Is Often No Adverb |
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28 | (1) |
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29 | (1) |
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4 Choose the Right Power Word |
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30 | (1) |
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5 Be Certain Not to Mix Up Similar-Sounding Words That Have Different Meanings |
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31 | (4) |
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6 Make Sure You Know What Words Really Mean |
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35 | (1) |
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7 Expand Your Vocabulary by Understanding the Stories Behind Words |
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36 | (1) |
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8 Edit Out Vague Word Meanings and Unclear References, Particularly in Your Opening Sentences |
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37 | (4) |
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9 Remove Loaded Words or Those That Can Be Easily Misconstrued |
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41 | (1) |
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10 Eliminate Unnecessary or Redundant Words |
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42 | (3) |
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Chapter 4 Make Your Writing Come Alive with Vivid Style |
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45 | (14) |
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1 Create Powerful Images with Figurative Words and Phrases |
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45 | (2) |
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2 Drive Your Point Home with Creative Similes, Metaphors, and Personification |
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47 | (2) |
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3 Engage the Reader with Specifics---Colors, Smells, Details |
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49 | (1) |
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4 Take Advantage of Accessible Alliteration |
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50 | (1) |
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5 Use Present Tense When Appropriate |
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51 | (1) |
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6 Spotlight Ironies and Incongruities |
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51 | (1) |
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7 Exploit the Power of Threes |
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52 | (1) |
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8 Use Humor When Appropriate |
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53 | (3) |
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9 Include Lingo and Inside Information That Intrigue the Reader and Offer a Glimpse into Other People's Thoughts and Actions |
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56 | (1) |
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10 Streamline Your Style with Strong Sentence Structure |
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57 | (2) |
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Chapter 5 Don't Turn Off the Reader by Making Dumb Mistake's with You're Grammar and Usage |
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59 | (16) |
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1 Use Apostrophes to Indicate Possession---But Know the Handful of Exceptions |
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60 | (2) |
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2 Use Apostrophes to Indicate Missing Letters |
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62 | (1) |
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3 Make Your Subjects and Verbs Agree in Number |
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62 | (2) |
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4 Avoid "Our Salespeople Do Not Have Quotas Because They Are Unproductive" and Other Hazards of Vaguely Referenced Pronouns |
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64 | (2) |
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5 Use Commas, Properly When Setting Off Clauses, Introductory Elements, and Lists---Not for Random Decoration as After the Second Word of This Sentence |
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66 | (2) |
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6 Do Not Compose Run-On Sentences, They Are Very Amateurish |
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68 | (1) |
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7 Know the Proper Usage of Quotation Marks, Semicolons, and Exclamation Points (Avoid Them!) |
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69 | (1) |
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8 Learn the Rules for Choosing "Which vs. That," "Who vs. Whom," and "Lay vs. Lie" |
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70 | (2) |
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9 Avoid the "I Saw a Moose on Vacation in Maine" Conundrum and Other Hazards of a Dangling Modifier (And If You Can't Avoid a Dangling Modifier, Follow Johnny Carson's Advice and Wear a Long Coat) |
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72 | (1) |
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10 Keep Sentence Elements Parallel, Make the Wording Similar, and Look Do You See How Stupid It Sounds When You Don't? |
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73 | (2) |
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Chapter 6 Use Concrete Examples, Explanations, and Evidence to Reinforce Your Point (Speaking of Concrete, the Hoover Dam Used Enough Concrete to Build a Road from New York to California) |
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75 | (14) |
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1 Use Examples That Relate to Everyday Life |
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75 | (1) |
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2 When Offering Explanations, Don't Define Unfamiliar Concepts with Unfamiliar Words |
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76 | (1) |
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3 Put in Enough Background So That Most Readers Understand Context---But Don't Overload |
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77 | (1) |
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4 Utilize Examples of Behavior That Show the Subject's Personality and Character Development |
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78 | (2) |
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5 When Using Numbers, Round Them Off When Appropriate |
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80 | (1) |
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6 When Using Numbers, Make Them Instantly Meaningful |
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80 | (1) |
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7 Don't Cite Misleading Statistics, and Don't Be Fooled by Other People's Misrepresentations |
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81 | (2) |
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8 Never Make or Fall for a Spurious Cause-and-Effect Explanation and Know How to Deflate Such an Argument If It Is Used Against You |
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83 | (2) |
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9 Check Comparisons to Make Sure They Are, in Fact, Comparable |
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85 | (1) |
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10 Be Judicious When Using Poll or Survey Data to Reinforce Your Contentions |
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86 | (3) |
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Chapter 7 Use Simple and Proven Techniques of Persuasion If Your Aim Is to Motivate or Convince |
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89 | (14) |
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1 Assess Your Audience and Gauge Your Persuasion Accordingly: Reinforce Those Who Are Likely to Agree with You, Persuasively Inform Those Who Are Neutral, and Deflect and Redirect Those Who Disagree |
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90 | (1) |
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2 Don't Contradict the Reader's Opinion at the Beginning |
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91 | (1) |
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3 Have a Clear Goal: Establish in Your Own Mind What You Want the Persuasive Piece to Accomplish |
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92 | (1) |
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4 Move Your Reader from Point A to Point B Along the Path of Consistency |
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93 | (1) |
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5 Establish Your Credibility Quickly |
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94 | (2) |
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6 Assemble Evocative Evidence and Arguments |
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96 | (1) |
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7 Acknowledge and Counter Conflicting Arguments |
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97 | (1) |
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8 When Possible, Include Graphics That Support Your Case |
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98 | (1) |
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9 Harness Feelings, Emotions, and Narratives to Reinforce Your Arguments |
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99 | (1) |
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10 Provide a Conclusion That Funnels the Readers' Views into the Conclusion You Want Them to Draw |
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100 | (3) |
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Chapter 8 Show, Don't Tell---Master the Technique at the Heart of Compelling Writing |
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103 | (10) |
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1 Let the Story Tell Itself without Telling the Reader the Story |
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103 | (1) |
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2 Use the Story That Tells the Story: The Power of Anecdotes |
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104 | (2) |
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3 Use Quotes from Others to Conscript Them into Doing Your Showing for You |
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106 | (1) |
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4 Use Dialogue to Invoke Reality in the Theater of the Mind |
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106 | (1) |
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5 Show Examples Unfolding and Then Introduce Your Premise |
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107 | (1) |
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6 Stage Scenes, a Technique Surprisingly Appropriate in Many Types of Writing |
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108 | (1) |
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7 Propel Your Narrative with a Varied Tapestry of People Doing Things and Events Unfolding |
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109 | (1) |
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8 Place All of Your Narrative on a Clear Time Line |
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110 | (1) |
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9 Subtly Demonstrate Why Your Quotes, Anecdotes, and Descriptions Are Important--- and Use Them as a Telling Detail |
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110 | (1) |
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10 Use Your Most Vivid Details and Evocative Descriptions When You Make Your "Show Point" |
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111 | (2) |
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Chapter 9 Borrow from the Best: Use Quotes to Add Power to Your Writing |
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113 | (10) |
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1 Understand Why Churchill Said, "Quotations, Engraved Upon the Memory, Give You Good Thoughts" |
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113 | (1) |
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2 Use a Quote When You Can't Say It Perfectly but Someone Else Already Has |
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114 | (1) |
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3 Use Quotes to Lend Authority |
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114 | (2) |
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4 Use Quotes to Add Color |
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116 | (1) |
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5 Use Partial Quotes and Paraphrases to Make the Quote More Readable |
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116 | (1) |
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6 Be Transparent in Citing the Source of Your Quotes |
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117 | (1) |
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7 Attribute Quotes Ethically |
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118 | (1) |
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8 Attribute Quotes Gracefully and Grammatically |
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118 | (2) |
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9 Change Quotes with Extreme Caution |
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120 | (1) |
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10 Employ Evocative Interview Techniques to Coax a Quote from a Source |
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121 | (2) |
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Chapter 10 Grow as a Writer Using This Ten-Step Plan |
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123 | (12) |
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1 Model Your Style on Your Favorites: Good Writing Is the Sincerest Form of Imitation |
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124 | (1) |
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2 Start an Organized File of Anecdotes, Quotes, and Facts That Are of Particular Use to You |
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125 | (1) |
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126 | (1) |
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4 Learn What "Assiduous" Means and See How Knowing One Latin Root Can Add Three Excellent English Words to Your Repertoire, and Then Formulate a Lifetime Vocabulary-Building Plan |
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127 | (1) |
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5 Read with a Purpose: Graze in Different Genres---in a Systematic Way---to Nourish Overall Verbal Growth |
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128 | (1) |
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6 Test Your Limits by Trying Different Styles and Genres |
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129 | (1) |
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7 Create an Environment, Schedule, and System That Support Your Writing Goals |
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130 | (1) |
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8 Get Paid for Your Writing |
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131 | (1) |
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9 Become Widely Published (or at Least Well Known) in Your Field, Specialty, or Genre |
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132 | (1) |
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10 Build an Online Presence |
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132 | (3) |
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Chapter 11 The Ten Techniques in Action: Step-by-Step Demonstrations of the "Write Like a Pro" Techniques in Various Styles of Writing |
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135 | (52) |
| Notes |
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187 | (4) |
| Suggested Readings |
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191 | (2) |
| Index |
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193 | |
