Resignation Writing Tips from Famous Letters of Resignation

When writing a letter of resignation, keep it short, positive, and simply include the date, your mailing address, a brief statement, and your signature. I don't recommend that you use the letter as a way to air grievances or point fingers.

One famous example is the letter Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, wrote to the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), resigning as a member. Never one to put politics over conscience, Eleanor felt she had to resign, despite possible repercussions with her husband's Southern supporters, when the DAR refused to allow the great African American opera singer Marian Anderson to perform in their Constitution Hall in Washington D.C.

Many people had spoken out against the DAR's racist actions, but the issue took on national importance when Mrs. Roosevelt resigned. Yet this is what she humbly wrote:

"I am afraid that I have never been a very useful member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, so I know it will make very little difference to you whether I resign, or whether I continue to be a member of your organization.

However, I am in complete disagreement with the attitude taken in refusing Constitution Hall to a great artist. You have set an example which seems to me unfortunate, and I feel obliged to send in to you my resignation. You had an opportunity to lead in an enlightened way and it seems to me that your organization has failed.

I realize that many people will not agree with me, but feeling as I do this seems to me the only proper procedure to follow.

Very sincerely yours,"

FDR Library

It wasn't necessary for Mrs. Roosevelt to give a reason, however under the circumstances she wanted to explain briefly. Details were not necessary, not even mentioning Marian Anderson's name being an example.

Mrs. Roosevelt wrote very briefly, unassumingly, and humbly, yet with conviction. Well done!

Richard Nixon's letter of resignation as President of the United States is perhaps the shortest letter of resignation ever written, to the Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger:

Dated August 9th, 1974

"Dear Mr. Secretary,

I hereby resign the office of President of the United States.

Sincerely, Richard Nixon"

Wikisource.org

Addressed to and later initialed by Henry Kissinger.

That got the job done. A letter of formal resignation for the record, no explanation, no finger-pointing, no grievances, no apologies. Just a dated and signed letter, so there would never be any question as to when the resignation was tendered and absolutely no cause for the letter to ever be construed to have legal implications - libel, admission of guilt, etc.

One more example: excerpts from the resignation letter of Attorney General John Ashcroft to President Bush:

Dear Mr. President:

Nothing in my life compares to the high honor of serving America as Attorney General in your administration.

The cause of justice is indeed a serious calling. Americans have been spared the violence and savagery of terrorist attack on our soil since September 11, 2001.

...Thank you for your leadership which has made these and many other justice-related achievements possible.

The demands of justice are both rewarding and depleting. I take great personal satisfaction in the record which has been developed. The objective of securing the safety of Americans from crime and terror has been achieved. The rule of law has been strengthened and upheld in the courts. Yet, I believe that the Department of Justice would be well served by new leadership and fresh inspiration. I believe that my energies and talents should be directed toward other challenging horizons.

Therefore, I humbly state my desire to resign from the office of United States Attorney General.

...I am grateful to you for the profound honor of serving under your clear, principled leadership.

May God continue to bless, guide, and direct you and your family as you lead America forward in freedom.

Most Sincerely,

John Ashcroft

Foxnews.com

Again there is nothing negative in this letter, no blame, nothing that could implicate Mr. Ashcroft in any wrong doing, and nothing but recognition of his own and President Bush's [his boss's] positive attributes and accomplishments.

The text I've put in bold letters is what I think is the most effective part of the letter. This is where Mr. Ashcroft states his reasons for resigning in a most positive light for both himself, his "boss", and his country.

Through using these three examples, I've shown you how you can graciously, succinctly and honorably offer a letter of resignation, whether it be from a job or a membership position. From these examples you can find instruction and inspiration for any letter of resignation.

About the Author
Kathryn Beach is a freelance writer and also webmaster and content writer of numerous niche websites. More resignation writing tips and links to all of her "how-to-write" articles are available at KathrynBeachOnline.com

The 2008 Associated Press Stylebook Now Available

The 2008 print edition of The Associated Press Stylebook features one of the most comprehensive updates in its history, with more than 200 new entries, ranging from anti-virus to iPhone to WMD.

Updates and additions in the Stylebook, the standard reference tool in newsrooms and many professional offices across the country, reflect changes in word usage and in society.

Other new entries include anti-spyware, high-definition, outsourcing, podcast, text messaging, social networking, snail mail and Wikipedia and such sports terms as minicamp and wild card.

Among the outdated words gone from the new spiral-bound Stylebook are barmaid, blue blood, malarkey, milquetoast, Photostat, riffraff and WAC, which is no longer used by the U.S. military but may describe a woman who served in what had been the Women's Army Corps.

Other changes in the A to Z update include the entry for "African-American," which previously indicated that the "preferred term is black." Now, the African-American entry states: "Acceptable for an American black person of African descent. Black is also acceptable. The terms are not necessarily interchangeable."

In another significant revision, "mentally retarded" is no longer the preferred term, replaced by "mentally disabled."

The entry for "Sept. 11," previously the preferred term in describing the terrorist attacks in 2001, now notes, "Also acceptable is 9/11."

"Company names" has grown to 3 1/2 pages, listing the formal names of the top 100 U.S. companies and 50 major non-U.S. firms. The new "cable networks" and "movie studios" entries list the leading entities in those media – from A&E to the Weather Channel and from Columbia TriStar to The Weinstein Co. – as well as their owners.

The revised Business Guidelines section contains new primers on covering bankruptcy and mergers and acquisitions, and interpreting proxy statements.

AP also offers a subscription-based Stylebook Online, which provides searchable access and the means to create a personal stylebook. Subscribers to the AP Stylebook Online get changes throughout the year as AP editors make them, as well as periodic e-mail notifications about changes.

A new feature of the Stylebook Online is AP's food and recipe style guide. The food guide is an extensive menu of terms put together by AP Food Editor J.M. Hirsch, ranging from a la carte to Crock-Pot (a brand name) to Reuben sandwich to zip-close bag (not Ziploc, a brand name).

Online or in print, the AP Stylebook is the essential tool for all writers, editors, students and public relations specialists. It inspires such a following that the social networking site Facebook includes two separate groups called "The AP Stylebook is my Bible."

For newsrooms or other groups of writers who work together, site licenses to the AP Stylebook Online allow sharing of local style notes among users. If the organization differs from AP on a style point or has additional items that need definition, an administrator can add those local items to the site license.

AP Editor at Large Darrell Christian, Deputy Managing Editor Sally Jacobsen and Manager for News Administration David Minthorn coordinated the global team of AP staffers who collaborated on the update.

The Stylebook was first produced in 1953 as a stapled collection of rules totaling 62 pages, compared with more than 300 pages today. The book's creation was prompted in part by a technical change in the way the AP transmitted news as well as a need for consistency among a worldwide editorial staff that churned out stories for newspapers with a variety of style preferences. There have been major periodic revisions in the standardized guidelines over the past few decades, and the print edition is now updated annually.

The new print edition and online subscriptions can be ordered by credit card online at a secure site at http://www.apbookstore.com/. The order form also allows customers to create an invoice to pay by check or money order, and member news organizations can request direct assessment.
The new edition costs $11.75 for member news organizations, $11.75 for college bookstores and $18.95 retail.

Why Write Cause and Effect Research Papers

Cause and effect research papers explain why something happened. A writer who is writing a cause and effect research paper will narrate how an event, trend of phenomenon happened and will assimilate its effect on people, on the environment or the world at large. The tone this type of paper carries is serious because of its critical nature, though it can also be humorous if the topic is funny in nature. Since cause and effect research papers usually deals with local or current interests, it should be presented in a thorough manner. The background of the cause must be presented in significant details to allow the readers to understand the basis of the paper.

Cause and effect research papers are direct and generic in approach. Flowery words should be avoided. A writer may have the freedom to use examples or information to strengthen his argument, but he can never experiment with highly embellished words or expressions. The use of flowery words with lots of phrases and sentences will simply not work; it will only make a writer look pretentious or arrogant. It is better to remain generic and straight to the point by using words that are generally understandable.

But no matter how hard a writer tries to present his work in a factual and believable way, he should still expect readers to have different opinions on his topic, some readers may even become aggressive and may overlook a few presented data. A writer who knows his primary purpose for writing this type of research paper will not get disheartened easily when confronted with opposing views. His focus is firmly set on coming out with the truth. A blow-by-blow account of the event, focusing on the relevance or value of its consequences.

Most people will easily forget the news once they put the broadsheet down. They will give little or no attention at all to the details of the event. Not that many readers will sit back and deeply contemplate on what they've read. Writers of cause and effect research papers have the duty to open the eyes, mind and heart of people to what they failed to understand. For them, to merely read about a particular event and look at its present effect on society is not enough, one should also look at how it will affect life in the future.

The job of presenting the cause and effect of an event or phenomenon is tough. Some writers will shun this type of research paper because they feel they are not critical enough or they don't have the courage to face oppositions. The one who will take the assignment, however, is admirable because he is taking up the challenge to become a better writer, a narrator and critique. Furthermore, he is showing courage in defending his work against every kind of opposition using authentic data and information. The benefit of writing a cause and effect research paper can give a writer a wealth of wisdom and experience others could only hope to have.

About the Author
Safar Duff is free, energetic, and stubborn young individual. Adventurous as she is, she enjoys extreme sports. Unusual as it is, she writes poems, essays and loves reading novels.

Body Language and Correct Vocabulary Gets Your Message Across

Finding and using the body language and vocabulary that works for you and for your audience is sometimes an elusive task. Doing so can establish your strengths and enable you to make a memorable impression during your book tour, film junket, high profile news story, or crucial professional presentation—no matter what the medium.

The appropriate use of body language is a very effective public relations media strategy. Someone who has a habit of stroking their chin in thought, or flipping their hair when looking for an answer can have a hard time of it. But if you reign in gestures that are not useful and include a few that add credibility and emphasis, you will find that your presentation will be easier to deliver, and your message will reach more of your audience.

Correct vocabulary is another presentation skill you can use to ensure you will be truly heard. Big words are fun when dealing with academia, but there is an abundance of media outlets out there, and each has its own audience which responds to a specific "correct vocabulary." If you used vocabulary that formulated for an appearance on E! during a serious interview on CNN, you probably wouldn't be asked back for a follow-up interview.

It is crucial to prepare yourself with specialized media coaching for each personal appearance as a separate event with different needs until you've mastered all of the skills you will need. The full gamut of media strategy includes many different techniques that dovetail with each other to create a seamless presentation that effectively reaches audiences in a positive way.

Source: http://www.media-savvy.com/

Part-Time MFA in Creative Writing At NU

Northwestern University's School of Continuing Studies announces the addition of a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing to its part-time graduate degree offerings http://www.scs.northwestern.edu/grad/cw/.

The School of Continuing Studies now offers two graduate degrees for students of creative writing: the Master of Arts in Creative Writing (MA) and the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing (MFA). As part-time degree programs with committed, established faculty, the MA and MFA curricula combine the best features of both residential and low-residency programs. Evening courses are held in Chicago and Evanston.

Students in both programs work closely with outstanding faculty, who help individuals recognize and address strengths and weaknesses in their writing. The programs provide students with artistic nurturing in a community of writers; instruction in the craft of writing; and participatory readings and events - all within a flexible curriculum.

Applications are considered four times throughout the year.

The 10-course MA and 18-course MFA permit students to develop their particular talents through small writing and literature classes. Both the MA and MFA offer specializations in Fiction, Poetry, and Creative Nonfiction. The MFA is partially funded and offers more opportunity to develop and refine one's ability as a writer and one's portfolio.

An advanced creative writing degree helps distinguish students as capable writers and helps them seeks opportunities to teach and to gain experience in the publishing industry through optional internships.

Both the MA and MFA programs qualify degree-holders for entry-level teaching in college-level writing programs. Although participation in a practicum does not guarantee placement, the practicum in teaching enables students to get hands-on teaching experience while receiving credit. The practicum -- along with a 10-week course Seminar on Teaching Creative Writing -- prepares students to begin a teaching career.

Northwestern University's School of Continuing Studies offers working professionals the opportunity to continue their education through flexible evening programs. Visit http://www.scs.northwestern.edu/ for more information regarding programs and schedules for graduate and undergraduate degree and professional development certificate programs.

Words Fail Us: Taking aim at "crappy everyday writing"

Everyday-writing guru Dave Goldenberg's new blog, Words Fail Us (wordsfailus.blogspot.com), aims to help people say more with fewer words—and thus make all our lives easier, says its author.

Words Fail Us addresses what Goldenberg calls "the reading crisis." The Web boom has turned us into a skim-and-scan society reading only about 18% of Web page text, researchers say. Every second, electronic mailboxes worldwide bulge with two million new messages. In the US, real mailboxes sag with 200 billion pieces a year.

"We're drowning in text these days," Goldenberg says, "and there is no way to keep up, both at home and at work. So if our ideas are to get through, our words must fight to get read."

He says this requires two critical skills. First is storytelling, creating a narrative thread. The second he calls "text sanding"—progressively removing words during multiple editing passes. Goldenberg says his readers will come to learn both.

Improved everyday writing skills have another benefit, he adds: "The better you write, the smarter people think you are."

Words Fail Us will be as entertaining as it is useful, chewing over humorous real-world examples of writing that misses the mark. Readers are invited to contribute their own discoveries for discussion.

Goldenberg has been teaching writers to write for two decades. He is a former big-ad-agency creative director, TV writer, journalist and long-ago English teacher. Currently he is the principal of The Dave and Eddy Show, a Ridgefield, CT, communications company.

How to Use Quotations Effectively by Rahul Chauhan

Quotations are the repetition of words used by somebody in the past. When you repeat the speech or spoken words of a character from a play or novel, you are said to be quoting that character. Use of quotes requires quotation marks, speech marks or inverted commas to denote repetition.

Take the example of a lawyer who is trying to convince the jury of his argument in an essay. No matter how convincing he is, without evidence the jury cannot be completely influenced. The same applies to quotations, which like evidence convince the audience of the truth in your theory.

Therefore quotations have the purpose of backing a person’s ideas but not as replacement of the ideas or the means of telling a story. Quotes help in exploring the usage of themes, characters and language in a play or novel. Normally there needs to be some sort of context to accompany the quote, explaining the intrigue involved.

Use of quotes can be compared to the preparation of a sandwich or burger. The introduction to the quote is like the bread that is required. Once the idea is conveyed, some context for the quote should explain its relevance.

The quote itself is like the meat content in a sandwich. Though tasty, it is enhanced when two pieces of bread accompany it.

The second piece of bread is equivalent to a comment on the quote explaining its interest factor and significance in elaborating a certain aspect or character.

As a rule, avoid excessive use of quotations as it may suggest that original ideas on the subject are lacking. Otherwise quotations can be handy in adding emphasis to the ideas, instead of replacing them. This is especially the case if the quotation is attributed to a noted name, sounds unique or outstanding or if it is being used in elaborating a rather unusual or controversial subject.

It is not advisable to use a quotation solely by itself in the assumption that it would be self-explanatory. The essence of the quotation needs to be specified, as does the explanation about its relevance to the subject involved. It may also be necessary to convey one’s interpretation or perspective on it. Quotations can be considered very similar to examples in their use for clarifying an idea. It is essential to realize that the role of quotations is limited to adding support and helping to elaborate the ideas being dealt with. What they are not meant to do is to act as substitutes for the ideas as they are useless by themselves. Quotations usually require some sort of interpretive phrasing following the quotation to indicate that the meaning of the quotation is being explained and how it helps in establishing a certain viewpoint. These phrases include: Thus it is clear, therefore it is apparent, and consequently it can be seen, etc.

Quotations work best when the original words are accurately reproduced. Proper punctuation is a must for quotations. At times quotations require acknowledgement of any omissions from the original words and editorial comments to clarify vague ideas and correct grammar. Like in the case of paraphrasing and summarizing, there needs to be an introduction to the quotation, apart from explanation of its relevance by merging the quotation within the text and naming the source involved.

How To Write Cover Letters by Obinna Heche

Despite the fact the ideal cover letter is short and brief, it is far more than beign simple. This for a couple of reasons. First, the cover letter contains more than just a greeting and introduction, not to mention the fact that the structure complex while coming across natural in expression.

This suggests that an ideal ney, winning cover letter can not be whipped out and requires practice to get it right. Many applicants, though having an impressive resume, lost out on employment due to a sloppy, ineffective or slipshod cover letter, which is the very first thing the potential human resources interviewer reads of an applicant. If the cover letter does not catch the attention of the employer, the resume certainly will not.

As for its format and content, there are several variations the cover letter typically consists of either three or four short to medium sized paragraphs, the last being the smallest. The first paragraph contains the hello along with some reason why the applicant was attracted to the company in question, which is why aplicants should research the company beforehand to know something about it, such as an achievement or its level of integrity.

This not only introduces the applicant, but it does so in the context of a knowledgeable and interested profession who is making an immediate attempt to fuse her or himself in with the company in some way that will show the employer how the applicant would benefit the company to which she or he is applying. Employers are looking for this, and so addressing this major point in some unique or colorful way right off the bat will catch the reviewrs eye. First impressions are the strongest as the saying goes.

The second paragraph of the cover letter delineates, or summarizes the applicants qualifications without reiterating that which is provided in the resume, that document speaks for itself. This paragraph either quickly outlines specific information from the resume that pertains to the particular job in question or it casually mentions something regarding personal qualifications that is not showcased in the resume. Sometime both can be done. Extensive details are to be left out, of course leave that for the interview, lest the applicant puts the reviewer to sleep, and that would not be good at all. Applicants should get right to the point but be lighthearted yet professional, human and not robotic.

Finally the last paragraph, if only three are written is the sign off, which is why it is usually the smallest paragraph of the entire document. Here, the occupant thanks the reader for her or his time and acknowledges a follow up to the initial submission or application, which is acceptable because it reflects an ongoing interest in the company and job in question.

Also, the applicant can acceptably confirm calling for setting up a possible interview for some point in the near future. This is not at all pushy, on the contrary, it is assertive and reflects confidence and a positive attitude both of which are very appealing to a prospective employer or interviewer. The applicant should always end the paragraph with a polite Thank You and then cordially sign off.

The cover letter is a crucial document and must be crafted with insight and care. This will show through, and it will weigh heavily toward a state of acceptance and employment.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Obinna Heche. Los Angeles - California Delivering the best home based business ideas and opportunities so you can work at home successfully.. http://www.homeincomeportal.com/obhmy365

Serial Commas, Ellipses, and Em-Dashes by Christine Harrell

Serial Commas: There is much confusion over the proper use of serial commas. It is generally accepted in today's writing to include the final serial comma before the conjunction and the final word or phase in the series.

For instance:

"My favorite colors are purple, yellow, and pink."
"I like to get up early, walk on the beach, and collect shells."

This rule is cited in Chicago Manual of Style and The Gregg Reference Manual. The purpose of including this final comma is for clarity and to give each word or phrase equal weight in the sentence. There is a story which illustrates this tenet.

A man wrote a will leaving his estate to his three children, "Richard, John and William" (note the absence of the final serial comma.) The judge interpreted this will to divide the man's estate leaving half to Richard and the other half (or one-quarter each) to John and William. Their father intended to divide his estate into thirds; however, the absence of the final serial comma gave John and William together the same weight as Richard. Had there been a comma included before the "and," each of the sons would have received a third of their father's estate.

Ellipses are another punctuation riddle with different sources touting the correct use of ellipses. Generally speaking, there are two ways to insert ellipses into sentences. The first is preferred, using the automatic symbol insert key from a computer word-processing program. This is found under "Insert" or "Symbol" selections from the top tool bar. A search under the Help key will also locate this symbol. Ellipses are used to indicate that a sentence is left incomplete and unended; it suggests a thought abruptly stopped.

Many experts advocate including a space before and after the inserted ellipses; others do not. The other way to insert ellipses is by using the space bar and periods from the keyboard in this way: space, dot, space, dot, space, dot, space. If you are not comfortable using the automatic word-processing function, feel free to use the alternative hand-inserted method.

The important consideration is to be consistent throughout your document. If the ellipse ends a sentence, do not add a final period; however, you can include an exclamation point or question mark after the ellipse.

Em-Dash: The use of double-hyphen marks was common when typewriters were the sole source of mechanized communication. These marks were used to indicate emphasis or weighted pause in a sentence. An em-dash is the width of a capital "M," and is also automatically inserted from the Symbol choice from the word processing tool bar. There are no spaces inserted either before or after an em-dash. With the advent of computer word processing systems, it is always preferred to use an em-dash instead of a double hyphen.

About the Author:
Author is a writer for Writer's Relief, a company that helps creative writers find the best markets for their work. Writer's Relief also offers a FREE E-mail Newsflash for Writers. For more information visit http://www.writersrelief.com/.

Free Giveaways Help Business Owners Communicate More Effectively

Communication expert and entrepreneur Felicia Slattery of CommunicationTransformation.com is celebrating Effective Communications Month, listed in Chase's Calendar of Events throughout the month of June with a free giveaway event at http://www.effectivecommunicationsgiveaway.com/.

According to Slattery, "Researchers have found in study after study that the better a business owner's communication skills the more successful the business will be financially."

Slattery invited small business experts from around the globe to provide 20 free tools, e-books, recordings, and more that small business owners and entrepreneurs can use to help them communicate more effectively in their businesses with customers, clients and prospects. The free gifts can be picked up at http://www.effectivecommunicationsgiveaway.com/ throughout the month until June 30.

Free gifts include tips and techniques for:

* organizing a small business and office

* podcasting

* writing and publishing a book to market a business

* search engine optimization

* public speaking

* and so much more.

Slattery runs a communication consulting, coaching and professional speaking business in Chicago's far west suburb, Oswego, Illinois. Slattery has taught communication skills for more than a decade at colleges around the Chicago area and is the author of two e-books, Cash in on Speaking and Universal Laws of Confidence. She teaches teleseminars and works with private clients on improving communication.

How-to Tips for Writing the Right Kind of Congratulations Note

No matter how big or small, life's accomplishments and milestones deserve recognition. And in a busy world -- where the all-too-easy e-mail almost trivializes the value of communication -- a sincere, meaningful congratulations note does exactly the opposite. Like putting a little sunshine in an envelope, a note of congratulations can brighten someone's day.

Choosing the right words for a congratulations note can increase the impact of the message. According to Judith Cronin, founder of Cronin & Company (http://www.croninandcompany.com/), an online resource specializing in cards for businesses and business-personal relationships, there are some simple guidelines to follow in writing a sincere congratulations note:

Do

-- Write soon after hearing the news

-- Use the word "congratulations" early

-- Mention the occasion for congratulations in the first sentence or two

-- Tell the person how happy, proud or impressed you are

-- If possible, mention something about the person's abilities and achievements

-- Express your best wishes for the person and for continued success

Don't

-- Tell the recipient he/she is lucky since it implies chance rather than achievement

-- Use excessive flattery

-- Compare the news to something you once did or heard about; let your recipient enjoy the moment

-- Put a negative note into your message by using terms such as "you finally did it," "I'm so surprised," or "you must have knocked yourself out"

"When you stop and think about it, there are wonderful achievements and events happening every day," Cronin says. "Each one of these could be a chance to take a moment, get an appropriate card, and personalize it with the right words and the best message possible. This is an excellent way to send good wishes to anyone who deserves them, and adds warmth to both business and personal relationships."

Rules For A Narrative Essay by Sarah Brodie

A simple and easy way to understand the writing style of a narrative essay is that it's a story written in your own words. You have to be able to tell your story in the first person and as simply as possible. So you are allowed a modicum of leeway in your writing style to be as innovative and original in your writing style as possible.

Essential features of this type of short essay are:

• The story will have an interesting introduction to start the narrative as an occasion or frequent action, an individual incident, or a study with a sufficient conclusion to interest the reader.

• It should include personal anecdotes and be as interesting as possible to the reader.

• You can start to write essay with directly explaining the incident and its consequences and then explaining in the conclusion what were you personal thoughts while you were going through the experience. This can make the experience very interesting.

• A few interesting topics for writing about can be childhood experiences like achieving important goals, a scary experience, accidents, a good or bad deed, life changing experiences, as well as sudden incidents.

• You can try using interpolated tales where you have to narrate a story with a storyline in OLIVER TWIST. It is slightly difficult but very very interesting to do.

• Although most first time writers of narratives prefer to stick to a single timeline an interesting twist is to change the sequence and put in flashbacks to tighten the narrative.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sarah Brodie supports Free Essay Writing Help to give students open source of how to write good, non-plagiarized and well-formatted narrative essay.

Plain English Awards highlight the good and bad

It could be a case of 'the money or the worms' for organisations nominated in this year's WriteMark New Zealand Plain English Awards.

Do you use a diminutive word when a small one would do? Then you probably won't win the top prize of $10,000 in this year's WriteMark New Zealand Plain English Awards. You might instead get the annual 'Brainstrain' Award for gobbledygook - a bucket of sour worms.

Entries are now open for the Plain English Awards, which are hosted each year by Write Group Limited to recognise those committed to communicating in plain English.

Organisations can submit examples of their own communications for a range of awards. The public can nominate business documents and websites, either good or bad, for the People's Choice Awards.

Write Group Director Lynda Harris says one of her favourite examples of gobbledygook is a 'Passenger shoe repatriation area only' sign seen at Gatwick Airport. Another is: 'a wheeled vehicle designed for the transport in a seated or semi-recumbent position of one or two babies or infants who are placed inside a body of boat- or box-like shape – a definition of a pram.

However, she says communicating clearly with customers and clients is an important social and ethical issue, and most examples of gobbledygook are far from amusing.

"It is essential to democracy that people making decisions are not disadvantaged by jargon and obscure text. New Zealanders are entitled to clarity and transparency when dealing with business and government, and should accept nothing less."

She says New Zealand needs legislation similar to the Plain Language in Government Communications Act passed last month (April 2008) by the US House of Representatives. The Act requires all federal documents and tax forms to be written in simple language.

"Awareness is growing in New Zealand but we have a long way to go in achieving a plain English communications culture. We need a systematic overhaul, and legislation would be the best way to begin that process."

A new category - Best Sentence Transformation - has been introduced this year to make it easy for anyone to enter the Plain English Awards.

"This might be just the thing for organisations wanting to start the plain English journey," says Lynda Harris. "All you need to do is to rewrite one awful sentence that doesn't work, making it into something clear and reader-friendly."

Organisations wishing to submit their writing for an award, or members of the public wanting to make a People's Choice nomination, can do so at the WriteMark Plain English Awards website (http://www.plainenglishawards.org.nz/).

Organisations must have an office registered in New Zealand to enter.

The 2008 WriteMark New Zealand Plain English Awards will be judged by a panel of professional plain English practitioners and advocates. Winners will be announced at a ceremony on 11 September hosted by Fair Go presenter Kevin Milne, a staunch advocate for transparency in business and government.

The Value Of Good Writing by Chris Angus

Almost every week I see brochures, websites, advertisements and newsletters that have been poorly written. Either the spelling is weak, or the sentences are badly constructed, or the key message is buried somewhere in the middle. Sometimes the message isn't even clear. What these pieces lack is good copywriting.

Most of what I see has been written by highly competent professionals who are expert in their field. But not in writing. They imagine that because they are smart chief executives, or clever IT specialists or skilful consultants that they can also turn their hand to copywriting. Often they cannot. The net result is that what they write diminishes their message and damages their reputation.

Whereas poor writing will sabotage a good reputation, excellent copywriting will enhance it. Indeed really good copywriting can sometimes create a reputation where none existed before. So for example, a well turned-out brochure, crisply written and beautifully designed can help an organisation craft a completely new image. Similarly, a radically new website which has an eye-catching design, a clear structure and copy that is easy to read and convincing, can make a dramatic difference to an organisation. Good copywriting gets noticed and that's good news for the business that the copywriting is supporting.

Good copywriting not only gains the attention of the reader, it convinces as well. That is so important. The writing needs to be attractive, friendly and jargon-free, but it will fail if its underlying message is not made strongly enough. An interesting example is the writing of a case study for a company magazine or sales brochure. Unless the case study contains clear and objective arguments to show why a product or service was a success, it won't convince the reader.

Copywriting a case study sounds easy, given what I've just said. But it is not. You have to strike a balance between giving too much information to the reader and too little, and between inflating the reasons for success and under-selling them. Most important of all you have to remember all the time who your audience will be.

Understanding your audience is absolutely key to good copywriting. That's where the value of good copywriting lies. A skilled copywriter will start by thinking about who they are writing for, what they want to say and the best way of putting that message across. It should be lucid, inviting and interesting. To me that's good copywriting.

About the Author:
Christopher Angus is a SEO and Website Marketer. He can be contacted at: Sales (at) Brilliantseo.com Copywriter http://www.crcwritingservices.com/

How to Write Better Internet Marketing Articles

Writing and submitting articles is an effective marketing ploy to deliver targeted visitors to your website, raise your search engine rankings, and increase sales of your products or sales. The basics of writing an article are much the same, no matter where you use it. You should write it to make the best use of keywords without being obvious. Readers want useful information so don't write a commercial. Gradually you can steer your readers towards your services or products.

This checklist will help you expel common problems in writing articles and improve your writing:
1. Have a specific purpose in mind.

One of the biggest hurdles most new writers face is finding ideas to write about. The easiest way to begin is to write on a topic that interests and excites you. Always have a specific purpose in mind before you begin writing: you should know what you want to accomplish by writing your article. Are you writing an article to clarify an issue for your customers, to attract prospects, to improve the link popularity for your website?

2. Narrow your topic.

Once you have decided on a general area, a good way to narrow down the topic is to focus on the problems that your readers have. Typically, people read articles because they want to be entertained or they want information. Writing entertaining articles is more difficult. However, writing informative articles can be as simple as sharing tips. A guiding principle is to expect readers to be looking for, "What's in it for me?"

2. Know your target audience.

Before writing an article, research your target audience. What are their experiences, their interests, and their wants in the chosen topic? What pain or problem do they try to avoid?

3. Develop a detailed outline first, stressing the benefits.

Now that you have a purpose and a target, organize your article so scanning it quickly will show immediately to your reader how he will benefit from it and what are the most important points.

4. Create a title to stop your reader in his tracks.

Your title should grab the reader's attention and force him to read your first paragraph. Using your most important benefit usually does it.

5. Start your article with the most important information.

Again, do not keep your most important information for the conclusion. Give it immediately and use the following paragraphs to develop it.

6. Keep jargon to a minimum.

If possible, avoid jargon as well as prejudices and insinuations. Write your article so even a child can understand it.

7. Make your article warm and personal.

Speak direct to the reader. Use a lot of "you." Reading your article, the reader should feel warmth and empathy, knowing that you have the same problems and goals.

8. Keep sentences short and simple.

Using short and simple sentences will allow a fluid and easy reading, preventing your reader from becoming bored. Most people don't like to read large documents from the Web; unlike long essays, articles should be around 400 words long. If you break the article into an introduction, a few sub-headings and a conclusion you may only have to write about 50 words in each section. Use a free readability formula tester at http://www.readabilityformulas.com/ to determine the reading level of your text.

9. Have someone from the target audience critique your article.

Who can give you better feedback than someone from your target audience? It will help you

10. Spend more time rewriting than writing.

Besides formatting your article for easy reading and presentation, be sure to use tools or an external editor to proofread your writing for grammatical and spelling errors. Use an English grammar checker called WhiteSmoke Software (http://www.whitesmokesoftware.com/) to correct embarrassing writing and grammar errors.

Once you have written your article you may want to add it to your own website as a piece of original content. If you add an "About the Author" section with a link to your website, you can also submit it to article directories. As other websites publish your article, search engines create invaluable one-way back links to your website, increasing its popularity. Article submission can be a tedious process, but software and websites that submit to multiple directories will make the job much easier.

(C) Lousy Writer

Some Basic Tips on Using Verbs - Adverbs and Adjectives

One of the most common pitfalls for writers is the use of passive and active verbs. When speaking, most people tend to use active verbs without thinking, but when writing, many revert to a passive approach. This is a more formal style, which although suitable for some types of writing, can be boring and lifeless to the reader. To keep your writing lively and interesting, you should look to use active verbs in the majority of your writing. Technical writing also favours the use of active verbs, sometimes called 'the active voice' as it removes ambiguity from the writing and assists with a reader's understanding of the content.

You can generally spot a passive verb in a sentence by the other words used. The sentence will contain words like 'were', 'was', 'been' or 'being'.

For example:

- Your letter has been filed. (passive)

- I have filed your letter. (active)

- The customer will be informed. (passive)

- We will inform the customer. (active)

Use your thesaurus mercilessly. Many verbs are overused or don't convey they subtlety of what you, as the writer, are trying to get across. The English language is rich in vocabulary and you should exploit it. Most verbs will have alternatives that convey a subtly different shade of the action you are describing.

For example:

- He said...

This is fine, but is relatively lifeless and uninteresting for the reader. Try:

- He mumbled…

- He shouted…

- He whispered…

- He boomed…

- He stuttered…

- He sobbed...

In all of these variations, it is still clear that something was said, but the manner in which it was expressed is also now evident.

Make the most of more free writing advice by visiting www.freewritingadvice.com

Adjectives and Adverbs

Many experienced writers believe that adjectives and adverbs are overused, especially by inexperienced writers. In general, you should monitor your use of adjectives and ensure that they are kept to a minimum. Use adjectives only where you believe they are necessary and where they add definite detail to your work. Some rules to try and remember as you write:

- A descriptive verb will usually be more effective than an adverb.

- Lengthy use of adjectives and adverbs makes reading difficult for the reader.

Analyse your sentences and descriptions. If you are using more than one adjective or adverb in each, try removing all but the most vital one, and see whether the sentence reads better. in some cases, you may wish to use a simile or a metaphor to convey an image of what you are trying to describe. This will help reduce the number of adjectives and adverbs but is not appropriate in all cases.

About the Author:
Paul Docherty has over 13 years experience of technical and business related writing, as well project managing complex technical writing projects. More of Paul's writing can be seen at http://www.freewritingadvice.com/

Tips For Writing A Phd Dissertation by Daniel Millions

It seems that many of our college bound students these days are not satisfied with only getting their Bachelor's degree. Many are continuing on to get their Masters and then their PhD. I thought I would like to give a few tips when you come up against writing your PhD dissertation.

INTRODUCTION

Research is not only about discovery, but it is about the testing of hypotheses and ideas. Through inquiry and exploration, you lay down the establishment of facts. The outcome of the research is new knowledge. This leads to the improved understanding of mechanisms as well as the making of new and improved procedures. To make sure that the use of the research results is maximized, the results must be made known or disseminated in a proper manner.

There are a great many ways to circulate research results. You have guessed it! The production of a research dissertation is one of them. Even though a research dissertation is one of the usual criteria for an academic degree program that includes a research element, it is also used for student assessment. Don't make the mistake of making your dissertation into just a beefed-up laboratory report.

Its writing should be in such a way that the results presented can be validated and should be able to form the basis for additional investigations. You must justify any procedures that you adopt, claims and conclusions will have to be supported by experiments or by deductions or reasoned arguments. A research dissertation is unlike any other reports in that it is the culmination of either several months or even years of work. Writing a dissertation requires some planning, thought and organization.

Ideas, Guidelines and Tips

Layout refers to the kind of presentation format that you want your dissertation to follow. This is often dictated by regulations or institutional guidelines. There are many reasons why one should opt to have a standard layout.

1. You will be able to see copies of dissertations from institutional libraries. There is a standard look and feel to a layout wherein it maintains corporate identity.

2. You can be assured that when the publication is bound, the contents will not be destroyed or obscured because pages have to be trimmed.

Here are some important features that you will want to include in your layout.

Size of page margins and spacing between the lines

Formats of

- Title page
- Contents list
- Appendices
- Reference list
- Figures, illustrations and tables

Numbering system for

- Chapters as well as sections
- Pages
- Table captions and figures
- Equations

Font-styles for

- Chapters and section headings
- Other text
- Table captions and figures
- Equations
- Quotations
- Citations

How are your references going to be cited?

How are you going to cite tables, figures and equations?

The decision as to whether the dissertation should be written in a certain tense or person

Reference List

As was previously mentioned, the way you compile your Reference list depends upon the kind of citation style that you use. One of the most common things that confuse first-time writers of dissertations is how to cite references. These are basically the two most common methods as to how you cite published work.

The number system references are listed in the order in which they have been cited. The name-year system references are usually listed alphabetically. Consistency is the key so you should stick to one of these styles.

Hopefully, these tips will help you formulate your dissertation. Remember to allow yourself much time, thought and energy to this process and you will come out a winner.

About the Author:
Dissertation Writing and an information packed Dissertation Topics data base.

University of Pittsburgh Library System Acquires Five Millionth Volume

Pitt's University Library System (ULS) has acquired its five millionth book, "Making the Impossible Possible: One Man's Crusade to Inspire Others to Dream Bigger and Achieve the Extraordinary" (Doubleday Business, 2007) by Pitt alumnus, Pitt trustee, and ULS Board of Visitors chair William Strickland.

The ULS reached its first million volumes in the early 1960s and has been growing steadily since then. Within 13 years, the ULS reached two million volumes in 1975, and 16 years later, in 1991, it reached three million. During the '90s, growth within the ULS took place rapidly. By 1999, the ULS celebrated reaching its four millionth volume by acquiring a copy of "The New Ellesmere Chaucer Facsimile Edition" of Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales," (Huntington Library Press, 1995), one of only 250 facsimile copies of what is regarded as the most-famous literary treasure of the world-renowned Huntington Library, in San Marino, Calif.

Recipient of a MacArthur Foundation "genius" grant in 1996, Strickland is the president and CEO of Manchester Bidwell Corporation and its subsidiaries, the Manchester Craftsmen's Guild (MCG) and Bidwell Training Center. He was selected 2007 Pittsburgher of the Year by "Pittsburgh Magazine" and, earlier this year, Pitt Chancellor Mark A. Nordenberg celebrated the publication of "Making the Impossible Possible" at a reception at Pitt's Alumni Hall.