High-Level Overview of Chapters 2–15 of on The Lively Art of Writing by Lucile Vaughan Payne

A 15-Part Public Study of Payne  Based on The Lively Art of Writing by Lucile Vaughan Payne*

---

Chapter 2 — Crafting a Strong Thesis Statement for Compelling Writing

Core Ideas:

1. A thesis is the central claim your writing revolves around.

2. A strong thesis guides paragraph unity and logical flow.

3. Specificity and clarity in the thesis prevent vagueness.

Brief Explanation:

• The thesis is the spine of your essay. Every sentence should support or elaborate it.

• A fuzzy thesis produces wandering paragraphs and unclear argumentation.

• Refining the thesis early prevents major revision headaches later.

---

Chapter 3 — Building Arguments: The Role of Logic and Evidence

Core Ideas:

1. Arguments must be logical and coherent.

2. Evidence strengthens claims and persuades readers.

3. Avoid logical fallacies and unsupported assertions.

Brief Explanation:

• Each paragraph should present a mini-argument that ties back to the thesis.

• Examples, statistics, anecdotes, and reasoning provide proof.

• Consistency in reasoning is as important as correctness.

---

Chapter 4 — Stylistic Choices: Enhancing Clarity and Engagement

Core Ideas:

1. Word choice shapes clarity and tone.

2. Sentence variety maintains reader engagement.

3. Style reflects the writer’s voice but must never obscure meaning.

Brief Explanation:

• Choose words that convey precise meaning.

• Alternate sentence length and structure to avoid monotony.

• Style is a tool for communication, not decoration.

---

Chapter 5 — Transitioning and Structuring: Ensuring Coherence in Writing

Core Ideas:

1. Transitions connect ideas smoothly.

2. Paragraph order should follow logical progression.

3. Coherence keeps readers oriented and the argument persuasive.

Brief Explanation:

• Signpost ideas with connecting words and phrases.

• Rearrange paragraphs to enhance flow.

• A coherent structure reinforces thesis and argument.

---

Chapter 6 — Revising and Refining: The Art of Perfection through Editing

Core Ideas:

1. Revision is central to thinking, not just grammar.

2. Editing improves clarity, concision, and precision.

3. Iterative improvement leads to polished, powerful writing.

Brief Explanation:

• Rewriting sharpens ideas and reorganizes logic.

• Cut redundant or weak sentences.

• Polishing is mental discipline in action.

---

Chapter 7 — Applying Writing Skills Beyond the Classroom: Lifelong Benefits

Core Ideas:

1. Writing skills extend to professional and personal life.

2. Structured thinking aids problem-solving and communication.

3. Mastery of writing fosters intellectual and emotional growth.

Brief Explanation:

• Strong writing translates to clear emails, reports, and proposals.

• The habit of disciplined thinking benefits decision-making.

• Writing becomes a tool for self-reflection and influence.

---

Chapters 8–15 (based on Table of Contents image)

Chapter 8 — The Passive Voice

• Identify and avoid passive constructions.

• Make subjects perform actions for clarity and energy.

• Learn self-protection: use passive when strategic.

Chapter 9 — The Sound of Sentences

• Pay attention to rhythm and flow.

• Expand subject and verb carefully.

• Vary sentence length and structure for impact.

Chapter 10 — Parallel Structure

• Align sentence and paragraph elements.

• Identify smaller parallels within larger structures.

• Parallelism reinforces clarity and readability.

Chapter 11 — A Way with Words

• Use synonyms and antonyms effectively.

• Select words of appropriate size and tone.

• Employ metaphor, simile, and allusion carefully.

Chapter 12 — Odds and Ends and Means

• Focus on common punctuation errors (“Terrible Three”).

• Correct troublesome elements systematically.

• Minor details significantly affect readability.

Chapter 13 — More Freedom and a Few Flourishes

• Experiment with first-person, irony, and style.

• Try deliberately “bad” writing to understand constraints.

• Controlled flourishes enhance expression.

Chapter 14 — Writing the Term Paper

• Apply Payne’s method to research projects.

• Thesis, outline, draft, and revision: all follow the discipline.

• Integration of skills from previous chapters.

Chapter 15 — Summing Up

• Recap principles from the book.

• Emphasize the habit of disciplined writing.

• Reinforce lifelong application.

---

✅ At this stage, we have:

1. Chapter titles

2. Core principles per chapter

3. Brief explanations

Guide to Chapter 1: Understanding the Basics – Writing as a Form of Thought from The Lively Art of Writing by Lucile Vaughan Payne

A 15-Part Public Study of Payne  Based on The Lively Art of Writing by Lucile Vaughan Payne*

---

PART 1 — Main Points of the Chapter

1. Writing is not separate from thinking; it is thinking made visible.

2. Clear writing depends on clear thought.

3. Vague writing usually reflects vague thinking.

4. Writing improves understanding of a subject.

5. Revision is part of the thinking process, not cosmetic editing.

6. Discipline in writing trains discipline in thought.

7. Writing requires conscious control, not mere inspiration.

---

PART 2 — Brief Explanation of Each

1️⃣ Writing is thinking made visible

Writing is not decoration added after ideas are formed. The act of writing clarifies and shapes ideas. You often discover what you think only while writing.

---

2️⃣ Clear writing depends on clear thought

If a sentence is confusing, the problem usually lies in the idea behind it. Grammar may polish a sentence, but clarity begins in the mind.

---

3️⃣ Vague writing reflects vague thinking

Abstract, fuzzy, or repetitive sentences signal that the writer has not yet defined the idea precisely.

---

4️⃣ Writing improves understanding

When forced to explain something in writing, gaps in knowledge become obvious. Writing exposes intellectual weakness — and strengthens it.

---

5️⃣ Revision is thinking

Rewriting is not cleaning up mistakes. It is reorganizing thought. Each revision sharpens logic and focus.

---

6️⃣ Discipline in writing trains discipline in thought

Structured writing builds habits of order, precision, and control in thinking itself.

---

7️⃣ Writing requires control, not inspiration alone

Inspiration may begin the process, but deliberate shaping completes it. Writing is craft, not impulse.

---

PART 3 — Flash Cards (One Principle per Card)

Keep these extremely minimal.

Card 1
Writing is thinking made visible.

Card 2
Unclear writing usually signals unclear thinking.

Card 3
Precision in language requires precision in thought.

Card 4
Writing reveals gaps in understanding.

Card 5
Revision is part of thinking, not decoration.

Card 6
Structural discipline strengthens mental discipline.

Card 7
Inspiration starts writing; control completes it.

We will do Micro-Sections every 2–3 days.

Not full chapters at once.
Not rushed weekly summaries.
Not passive reading.

This will be structured training.

---

The Payne Apprenticeship Plan

We divide each chapter into 3–5 micro-sections.

Each micro-section will include:

1. One Core Principle

2. Short Clarification

3. One Precision Drill (5–10 minutes)

4. Flash Card Line

You will not try to master the chapter.
You will build structural reflex gradually.

---

Chapter 1 Roadmap

Understanding the Basics – Writing as a Form of Thought
From The Lively Art of Writing by Lucile Vaughan Payne*

We will break it into 4 micro-sections:

1️⃣ Writing = Thinking
2️⃣ Clarity Comes from Precision
3️⃣ Revision Is Thinking
4️⃣ Discipline Shapes the Mind

Today we begin with Micro-Section 1 only.

---

Micro-Section 1

Principle: Writing Is Thinking Made Visible

What Payne Means

Writing is not decoration added after thinking.

The act of writing:

• Clarifies

• Organizes

• Exposes gaps

• Forces definition

If you cannot write it clearly, you probably have not thought it clearly.

This is foundational. Everything else in the book rests on this.

---

Precision Drill (5–7 minutes)

Take one idea you believe you understand well.

For example:

• “Structure improves writing.”

• Or any belief of yours.

Now write one paragraph explaining it.

Then ask:
Can I state the central idea in one clean sentence?

If not, your thinking is still forming.

That’s not failure.
That’s discovery.

---

Flash Card

Writing clarifies thought; it does not merely record it.

---

---

🏛 The Elements of Style — A Practical Writing Tutorial

Strunk & White’s “The Elements of Style” is the grammar-and-grace bible of clear, forceful English.

Here’s a complete tutorial workbook — structured like a self-study course, based on Strunk & White’s rules, principles, and philosophy of good writing.

---

🏛 The Elements of Style — A Practical Writing Tutorial

Based on: The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. & E. B. White
Purpose: To master clarity, brevity, and correctness in English prose.
Structure: 6 Modules + Final Evaluation
Format: Concepts → Exercises → Evaluation Questions → Answers

---

Module 1: The Foundation — Elementary Rules of Usage

Key Idea:
Good writing rests on correct grammar and usage. Strunk’s first principle: “Make the paragraph the unit of composition.”

🔍 Concepts

• Use the active voice.

• Place the emphatic words at the end of a sentence.

• Keep a consistent tense.

• Use apostrophes and commas correctly (it’s vs its, commas in a series).

✍️ Exercise

Correct these sentences according to Strunk’s rules:

1. Its a fine day, the sky is blue, and the birds sings.

2. Each person should do their best.

3. The man’s hat was red it stood out.

✅ Answers

1. It’s a fine day; the sky is blue, and the birds sing.

2. Each person should do his or her best.

3. The man’s hat was red; it stood out.

🧠 Evaluation Qs

1. Why prefer the active voice?

2. Where should emphatic words go?

3. Why is consistency in tense important?

✅ Answers

1. It’s direct and forceful.

2. At the end of a sentence, for impact.

3. To avoid confusing the reader about time.

---

Module 2: Principles of Composition

Key Idea:
Every paragraph and sentence should have one clear purpose. Strunk said: “Omit needless words.”

🔍 Concepts

• Write in definite, specific, concrete terms.

• Omit needless words and phrases.

• Use the active voice over the passive.

• Place the topic sentence early in a paragraph.

✍️ Exercise

Simplify:

“It is a matter of considerable importance that writers should, in their composition, avoid verbosity.”

➡️ Rewrite simply.

✅ Answer Example

“Writers should avoid wordiness.”

🧠 Evaluation Qs

1. What does “omit needless words” mean?

2. How does a topic sentence guide the reader?

3. Give one example of a concrete term vs abstract term.

✅ Answers

1. Every word should serve a purpose.

2. It announces what the paragraph is about.

3. “Apple” (concrete) vs “fruitfulness” (abstract).

---

Module 3: The Form — Elementary Principles of Style

Key Idea:
Style means expressing meaning simply, not ornamentally. E. B. White: “Write in a way that comes naturally.”

🔍 Concepts

• Use the active voice and positive form.

• Avoid fancy words; prefer the familiar.

• Place statements in positive form (say what is, not what isn’t).

• Break long sentences.

✍️ Exercise

Change to positive form:

“He was not often on time.”

✅ Answer Example: “He was usually late.”

🧠 Evaluation Qs

1. Why should we “write naturally”?

2. What’s the advantage of positive form?

3. When should we break long sentences?

✅ Answers

1. It sounds genuine and clear.

2. It’s stronger and more direct.

3. When they obscure meaning or lose rhythm.

---

Module 4: Clarity and Brevity

Key Idea:
Be clear and concise — Strunk’s golden rule: “Vigorous writing is concise.”

🔍 Concepts

• Cut every unnecessary word.

• Avoid redundant pairs: “each and every,” “end result.”

• Avoid qualifiers like “very,” “really,” “quite.”

✍️ Exercise

Condense:

“The reason why is because the fact that we really need to complete this project is very important.”

✅ Answer Example:

“We must complete this project.”

🧠 Evaluation Qs

1. What weakens a sentence’s force?

2. Give two redundant phrases to avoid.

3. Why are qualifiers dangerous?

✅ Answers

1. Excess words and vague phrasing.

2. “Free gift,” “true fact.”

3. They dilute your point.

---

Module 5: Tone and Reader Relationship

Key Idea:
Style grows from respect — for words, and for readers.
White reminds: “Be clear, brief, and sincere.”

🔍 Concepts

• Do not overwrite or overstate.

• Avoid pompous or pretentious diction.

• Prefer plain English.

• The tone should fit the purpose — instructive, not arrogant.

✍️ Exercise

Replace pompous with plain:

“It is incumbent upon the undersigned to tender his apologies for any inconvenience occasioned.”

✅ Answer Example:

“I’m sorry for the inconvenience.”

🧠 Evaluation Qs

1. Why avoid pompous language?

2. How does tone affect trust?

3. What’s the hallmark of sincerity in writing?

✅ Answers

1. It alienates readers.

2. Readers trust natural, honest tone.

3. Straightforward expression of thought.

---

Module 6: Revision and Rhythm

Key Idea:
Good writing is rewriting. Rhythm gives prose energy and flow.

🔍 Concepts

• Read your sentences aloud.

• Revise for sound as well as sense.

• Vary sentence length and structure.

• Avoid monotonous rhythm (too many short or long sentences).

✍️ Exercise

Improve rhythm:

“She ran. She was tired. She stopped. She sat down. She breathed heavily.”

✅ Answer Example:

“She ran until exhaustion forced her to stop and sink onto the ground, gasping for breath.”

🧠 Evaluation Qs

1. Why read aloud while editing?

2. How does rhythm affect style?

3. What’s one way to make sentences more musical?

✅ Answers

1. You catch awkward phrasing and monotony.

2. Rhythm creates flow and engagement.

3. Vary sentence lengths and patterns.

---

🧾 Final Evaluation Quiz (10 Questions)

1. Why prefer the active voice?

2. What is the essence of “omit needless words”?

3. How can you achieve clarity?

4. Give one example of a concrete word vs an abstract one.

5. Why write in positive form?

6. What’s wrong with “very” and “really”?

7. What’s Strunk’s rule about paragraph unity?

8. Why read your writing aloud?

9. What does “write naturally” mean?

10. What is the ultimate goal of style?

✅ Answers

1. It’s direct and powerful.

2. Keep only meaningful words.

3. Use specific, simple language.

4. “Dog” vs “loyalty.”

5. It’s assertive and clear.

6. They weaken meaning.

7. Each paragraph should focus on one idea.

8. To test rhythm and clarity.

9. Sound like yourself, not a textbook.

10. To express truth gracefully and clearly.

---

🏛 Writing with Style — A Practical Tutorial

Based on John R. Trimble's Writing With Style

Purpose: To help writers develop clarity, grace, and individuality in prose.
Level: Intermediate to Advanced writers
Duration: ~6 lessons

---

Module 1: The Writer’s Attitude

Key Idea:
Good writing begins with good manners — respect for your reader. Trimble says: “Writing is not about impressing; it’s about expressing.”

🔍 Concepts

• Write for your reader, not at them.

• Assume your reader is intelligent but busy.

• Don’t be pompous or stiff — be clear, conversational, and considerate.

✍️ Exercise

Rewrite the following pompous sentence:

“The ultimate objective of this essay is to elucidate the manifold consequences attendant upon procrastination.”

➡️ Write it like you’re explaining to a friend.

✅ Answer Example

“This essay shows how procrastination causes more trouble than we expect.”

🧠 Evaluation Qs

1. What does Trimble mean by “writing is social”?

2. How should a writer view the reader?

3. What is the danger of writing to impress?

✅ Answers

1. Writing is a conversation — you’re engaging another mind.

2. As an equal partner: intelligent, alert, but short on time.

3. You risk losing clarity and sincerity — the reader tunes out.

---

Module 2: The Writing Process

Key Idea:
Good writing is rewriting. First drafts are raw clay. Trimble emphasizes: “Get it down, then get it right.”

🔍 Concepts

• Write quickly at first — capture flow.

• Revise in stages: structure → clarity → style.

• Avoid perfectionism early; polish later.

✍️ Exercise

Write a short paragraph (4 lines) on why you enjoy or dislike mornings.
Then, revise it for:

1. Clarity

2. Rhythm

3. Word choice

✅ Evaluation Qs

1. Why does Trimble advise “Don’t labor your first draft”?

2. What are the stages of revision?

3. What is the goal of revising style?

✅ Answers

1. Because early self-censoring blocks creativity.

2. Structure, clarity, and polish.

3. To make writing sound natural and appealing.

---

Module 3: Clarity — Making Yourself Understood

Key Idea:
Clarity is kindness. Simplicity is not dumbing down — it’s precision.

🔍 Concepts

• Prefer concrete nouns and active verbs.

• Keep sentences short to medium length.

• Avoid clutter: “the fact that,” “in order to,” “due to the fact that.”

✍️ Exercise

Simplify this:

“Due to the fact that he was fatigued, he made the decision to terminate the project prematurely.”

✅ Answer Example

“Because he was tired, he ended the project early.”

🧠 Evaluation Qs

1. What are the main causes of unclear writing?

2. How can you spot clutter?

3. Why are active verbs stronger?

✅ Answers

1. Vagueness, wordiness, and abstract nouns.

2. Remove words that add no meaning.

3. They create vivid, direct energy.

---

Module 4: Grace — Writing with Style

Key Idea:
Style = clarity + personality. It’s how you sound when you write.

🔍 Concepts

• Read your sentences aloud — do they flow?

• Vary rhythm and sentence length.

• Use figurative language sparingly for sparkle.

• Aim for ease, not showiness.

✍️ Exercise

Add rhythm and grace:

“She walked into the room. Everyone looked at her. She was confident.”

✅ Answer Example

“When she entered, conversation paused — confidence seemed to follow her like a scent.”

🧠 Evaluation Qs

1. How can rhythm improve style?

2. Why does Trimble warn against “fancy writing”?

3. What’s the difference between style and ornament?

✅ Answers

1. It keeps readers engaged through musical flow.

2. Because it draws attention to the writer, not the message.

3. Style serves meaning; ornament distracts from it.

---

Module 5: The Reader’s Experience

Key Idea:
Writing should feel effortless to read. The writer must do the hard work so the reader doesn’t.

🔍 Concepts

• Guide readers smoothly with transitions.

• Anticipate reader questions.

• Trim redundancies and filler.

✍️ Exercise

Improve flow:

“I like reading books. Books help me relax. I often read before bed.”

✅ Answer Example

“I like to unwind with a book before bed — reading always helps me relax.”

🧠 Evaluation Qs

1. What does it mean to “ease the reader’s path”?

2. How do transitions help?

3. What is “reader fatigue,” and how do you avoid it?

✅ Answers

1. Write clearly and logically so the reader doesn’t have to struggle.

2. They connect ideas smoothly.

3. It’s when writing feels dense — avoid it by using clear structure and white space.

---

Module 6: Developing a Voice

Key Idea:
Voice = your personality on the page. Authentic, not artificial.

🔍 Concepts

• Write as you speak — but better.

• Don’t imitate — learn from others.

• Confidence grows from clarity, not cleverness.

✍️ Exercise

Describe your morning routine — once formally and once casually.
Compare the tone. Which feels more natural?

🧠 Evaluation Qs

1. How can a writer find their voice?

2. Why should writing sound “spoken”?

3. How do practice and revision shape voice?

✅ Answers

1. By writing often and reading widely.

2. Because naturalness builds trust.

3. They refine expression until it feels authentically smooth.

---

🧾 Final Evaluation Quiz (10 Questions)

1. What does Trimble say about the writer’s attitude toward readers?

2. Why is rewriting essential?

3. Name two clutter phrases to delete.

4. How can rhythm improve writing?

5. What’s the difference between “clear” and “fancy”?

6. Why is “active voice” preferred?

7. What does it mean to “guide” a reader?

8. What’s one way to build confidence in writing?

9. How can reading aloud help?

10. What is the ultimate goal of writing with style?

✅ Answers Key

1. Respectful and conversational.

2. It transforms rough ideas into clear prose.

3. “Due to the fact that,” “in order to.”

4. It adds musicality and movement.

5. Clear = focused; fancy = forced.

6. It’s direct and energetic.

7. Through logical flow and transitions.

8. Write often, revise smartly.

9. Helps catch awkward rhythm and tone.

10. To express truth clearly and gracefully.

---

The Three Steps of Writing - 1.Pre-Writing

 Writing is a three step process:

• Pre-writing
• Writing
• Rewriting.
  

We've actually been looking at one of the methods in the second stage.

Let's look at the Pre-writing stage today:
This is where we collect information.

There are normally three ways to do this (if you are writing about a product):

• Interviewing experts
• Researching
• Using the product yourself.

Interviewing Subject Matter Experts (SMEs)

Tips for interviewing Subject Matter Experts (SMEs)
youtu.be

1.Interviewig

How to Research Any Topic | Essay & Writing Advice
Do you worry about researching for an essay or piece of writing? For emerging scholars, writers and entrepreneurs, perfecting the craft of efficient and effe...
youtu.be
 

2.Researching

 

Free-writing and Editing a Sentence - Sample

 

The first three steps were free writing. The last one was editing.

Guidelines for Technical Writing

:

Technical Writing Guidelines

    Here are some guidelines for technical writing.

        Table of Contents

   

Primary steps    3

The steps in creating a user manual    4

1. Collecting Information    4

2. Generating Content    4

3. Editing and Rewriting    5

See and think from the user's point of view    5

Lay the outline of the manual with a TOC (Table of Contents)    5

Introduce complexity in a graded way    5

The heading tells what the section is about    6

One main idea per paragraph    6

One thought per sentence    6

Language considerations    7

Use numbered lists for giving instructions    7

Use short sentences    7

Avoid verbosity    7

Expand abbreviations    8

Use active voice    8

Make it conversational    8

Write, Edit, and Rewrite    8

Using Images    8

Miscellaneous tips and tricks    8

Checklist for editing and rewriting    10

Primary steps

We call these primary because they affect the structure of the whole document. It affects how the 

customer is going to see the manual, and how the information will be presented to him. It is similar to 

the foundation of a building.

This clearly demarcates which type of content must go into which section, and what cannot go in there.

This also lays out how the complexity of the information is built up. For example, in the introduction, you

just lay out the bare outline of the function of the software. The descriptions of its different modules and

how to use their functionalities come later.

This does not cover language hygiene aspects like Grammar, Spelling, and Punctuation (GSP). It might 

offend some to say that they are cosmetic. They are important; however, the structure is the basis of 

user-friendly documentation. Those are secondary considerations, and the second part of this booklet 

deals with them.

This booklet definitely does not cover every aspect of technical writing, however, it attempts to suggest 

some guidelines for making the process simpler. Hopefully, the end result will be more useful to the client.

The steps in creating a user manual

You can use these steps in creating any technical document–reports, manuals, installation guides...You

may need to tweak them a little as per the type of document.

1. Collecting Information

You can collect information on software in these three ways:

• Researching- Research the web or technical books

• Interviewing- Conduct research with SMEs (Subject Matter Experts) and developers.

• Using the software yourself.

2. Generating Content

Use Free-writing to generate content, to dig out the ideas in your subconscious mind. 

Free writing or Stream of consciousness writing is the process of recording your thoughts without

judging them in any way. That is, you transfer them to the keyboard or paper without thinking about 

their value or correctness.

How to free write:

Set a timer for 1-5 minutes and write non-stop till the time is up.

• Do not stop to check grammar, logic, facts, flow, or spelling.
     

• Don't bother to check if what you’re writing is correct.
     

• Switch off the editor critic in your mind for now and just write.
     

• Just write non-stop.

• If you don’t get anything to write, just write the heading over and over. The point of the exercise

  is to release your inhibitions.

• What you generate from freewriting are crude ideas, unpolished work. At a later stage, you can

  edit and rewrite it to make it readable.
  
  

3. Editing and Rewriting

Here is where you shape the text that you have generated through free writing into meaningful content

that users can use. Generally speaking, the more you edit and rewrite, the better it gets.

See and think from the user's point of view

The user will be reading the manual only to complete particular tasks.

For example, adding a user, generating an xyz report,...

So our TOC and index has to cover all possible angles from which users may search

This is somewhat like Google search.

As the user is not familiar with our software, they're not likely to know of its various modules, so they'll

search only by the task/function they have to perform.

Lay the outline of the manual with a TOC (Table of Contents)

Now when a user looks at the TOC he/she will see a lot of unfamiliar names–ABX, NDR, XDR,... A

person who has experience in the field will know how to make sense of these. However, it is very

unlikely that every user will be at that level of expertise.

So when you say ABX panel in a heading, try to include some term that shows the function of the item 

such as “ABX  control panel“, “Viewing the logs of XYZ”, or “ Adding users in the ABC dashboard” etc.

If it's absolutely impossible to show the heading as a task/function, you can just write it as it is. However,

 the first section needs to be with the subheading “What is ABX panel” or something like that introduces 

the user to the item.

Introduce complexity in a graded way

In the introduction, do not try to make the perfect explanation of the functions of the software. Just try to 

give a simple outline of what the software can do. You can give more detailed explanations when

describing each specific task/part later.

The heading tells what the section is about

Make everything in that section about that heading. Fiction writers have some leniency to wander; 

however in technical writing, the user is hard-pressed for time, confused, and likely stressed. Just

keep it straight to the point. After your first round of free writing, in the editing round, ruthlessly

move/remove all that is unrelated.

One main idea per paragraph

If the para is on “Adding users”, stick to that topic.

• Don’t describe other functions in the same para.
     

• Don’t describe other parts.
     

• Do not explain how that function works.    
  
  

Stick to instructions on adding users in this para. 

For the other topics, have separate paras.

One thought per sentence

Readers can’t keep too many ideas in their minds at the same time.

Language considerations

Use numbered lists for giving instructions

This helps you check the sequence of steps that the user has to perform to complete a task.

Example:

Use short sentences

Use short sentences–most of the time, that is. Mix them up with a few longer sentences, so as not to 

feel jerky.

Avoid verbosity

Use simple words that people can understand easily.

Examples:

• use   for   utilize
     

• soon for   in the not-too-distant future
     

• now   for  in the present moment
  
  

Expand abbreviations

Expand abbreviations the first time you use them in a document. Don’t assume the reader knows them. 

There may be more than one expansion.

Use active voice

Use active voice as much as possible. This gives more power to your writing. That is, the content drives

itself into the reader’s mind.

Make it conversational

Having a relaxed tone, avoiding jargon, and trying to always see from the reader’s level will help give the 

feeling of a conversation. However, avoid a chatty style. 

The right tone comes naturally out of wanting to help the user.

Write, Edit, and Rewrite

It gets better with rewriting.

Using Images

• Images need captions.

• They should be clear.

• If you are showing a closeup of a part, first show the part in the context of the larger picture.

  Otherwise, the user will not know which area you are referring to.

• Images need to have borders

Miscellaneous tips and tricks

• Upload the .docx file to Google docs or start from scratch on Google docs. Thus many people 

  can work on the same document at the same time. Version naming and storage is also easier. 

  When you start formatting the document you can download and work on desktop MS Word.

• If you are using Word, insert cross-references at the final stage because these make the 

  document slow.

• Try to make an image as a single unit that has no danger of losing its parts. That is, if you insert 

  text boxes and arrows on images, they may move about while you work on the document. It is 

  safer to place them, take a screenshot and then insert it, or better still,  use an image editor to 

  insert arrows and text and then save.

• Bolden the names of screens, and screen elements (buttons, fields, etc)

• While working with large documents with lots of images, Word becomes slow. It might be better 

  to split the document into chapters, each a separate file. After the work is complete, you can 

  merge them all.

Checklist for editing and rewriting

*Structure- (headings, ordering of content etc)

*Content editing and rewriting--

       -numbered lists for instructions, bullets for everything else

       -passive voice to active voice       

       -Shorter sentences

       -Eliminating/reducing verbosity, jargon

       -Abbreviations in the proper way

       -GSP check (Grammar, Spelling, Punctuation)

       -Capitalization

.          .....

       -Caption images