How To Write Anything – is a complete guide by Laura Brown. It is broken down into 3 sections – The Writing Process, E-Writing and the Technology Revolution and The Entries.
The Writing Process tells you about how you can write anything. And Finding your process.
E-Writing explains how to Choose Your Weapon and the process of e-writing.
The Entries is all the ways you can write – Announcements, Invitations, Apology, Thank Yous and is also broken down even more to writing at School and Writing at Work.
The author has been teaching writing for nearly 30 years. She says that there is no one who “can’t write”, only those intimidated by the process. I have to say, sometimes I am intimidated myself. With a blog there’s a lot of times when I want to write something or have to write something and just have no idea how to tackle it. While I like to think I’m a “writer”, I am always looking for new ideas and tips which is why I decided to read this book.
The E-writing chapter gives a lot of tips on how to differentiate between Instant Messaging, Testing, Emails, etc. Each has its own purpose and should be used as such. There is also a checklist included (and each item explained) on what you should be looking for when you revise. I think this is where I fall short. I write things and then often don’t take the time to go over what I’ve written again to try and make things make more sense or correct spelling or grammatical errors. The author suggests making this a habit – and I think I need to print out the check list and stick it to my computer monitor just to make sure I am doing this!
The 3rd part of the book came across as more of a reference. While I read through everything in order to write this review, it might be best to pick up this book and review the section depending on what you are writing. There are tips and examples included which are great guidelines for what you should and shouldn’t be including in your writing.
Additional information can also be found at http://www.howtowriteanything.com/
I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.
About the Book
A practical guide to everything you’ll ever need to write — at work, at school, and in your personal life.
With more than two hundred how-to entries and easy-to-use models organized into three comprehensive sections on work, school, and personal life, How to Write Anything covers a wide range of topics that make it an essential guide for the whole family. You want your boss to fund a special project. How can you write a persuasive email that will win his approval? It’s time to apply to college. How can you write an essay that will stand out? The mother of one of your co-workers has died. What’s the best way to express your condolences?
Grounded in a common-sense approach, friendly and supportive, How to Write Anything is Internet-savvy, with advice throughout about choosing the most appropriate medium for your message: e-mail or pen and paper. At once a how-to, a reference book, and a pioneering guide for writing in a changing world, this is the only writing resource you’ll ever need.
Author Bio
Laura Brown, PhD, author of How to Write Anything: A Complete Guide, has taught writing to just about everyone — from corporate executives to high school students. Her expertise encompasses instructor-led training, individual coaching, classroom teaching, and e-learning development. She has more than twenty-five years’ experience providing training and coaching in business writing, and she has also taught composition and literature at Columbia University. She lives in New York.