5/20/2021 1 THEY CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW: WRITING STRATEGIES FOR YOU AIA Webinar Series Stephen Kuntz May 20, 2021 I can see clearly now, the rain is gone I can see all obstacles in my way Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind It's gonna be a bright (Bright), bright (Bright) Sun-shiny day It's gonna be a bright (Bright), bright (Bright) Sun-shiny day I think I can make it now, the pain is gone All of the bad feelings have disappeared Here is the rainbow I've been prayin' for It's gonna be a bright (Bright), bright (Bright) Sun-shiny day Look all around, there's nothin' but blue skies Look straight ahead, nothin' but blue skies Johnny Nash, I Can See Clearly Now GOALS TO BEGIN TO BUILD ◦ AWARENESS: increase awareness of your writing tendencies & habits ◦ INTENTION: prompt intention/action in regards to your writing ◦ CONFIDENCE: build your writing confidence Disclaimer: 1) heard this (you) before 2) can’t improve without writing
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Communicating Professionally: Words, Resumes, and Results
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5/20/2021
1
THEY CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW: WRITING STRATEGIES FOR YOU
AIA Webinar Series Stephen Kuntz
May 20, 2021
I can see clearly now, the rain is gone
I can see all obstacles in my way
Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind
It's gonna be a bright (Bright), bright (Bright)
Sun-shiny day
It's gonna be a bright (Bright), bright (Bright)
Sun-shiny day
I think I can make it now, the pain is gone
All of the bad feelings have disappeared
Here is the rainbow I've been prayin' for
It's gonna be a bright (Bright), bright (Bright)
Sun-shiny day
Look all around, there's nothin' but blue skies
Look straight ahead, nothin' but blue skies
Johnny Nash, I Can See Clearly Now
GOALS
TO BEGIN TO BUILD
◦ AWARENESS: increase awareness of your writing
tendencies & habits
◦ INTENTION: prompt intention/action in regards
to your writing
◦ CONFIDENCE: build your writing confidence
Disclaimer: 1) heard this (you) before 2) can’t improve without writing
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STRUCTURE FOR THE SESSION
Principles not rules
Simple
Small
Mystification is simple;
clarity is the hardest thing of all.~ Julian Barnes, Flaubert’s Parrot
CLARITY
BEGINS AND ENDS
with you . . .
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Most of us don’t write clearly: why?
Trying to impress / sound smart
Don’t know exactly what we want to say
Don’t understand our audience and what they want,
need, expect
Don’t really want to be
YOU NEED TO BE CLEAR TO YOURSELF
What am I trying to communicate and why?
Personal Clarity
Fortune cookie test
Elevator pitch
One line test
. . . BUT CLARITY IS FOR THEM—
YOUR AUDIENCE
• Who are your readers (ideal?)?
• How do you want the readers to read ?
• What do they know? not know? need to know?
• Why are they reading this?
• What do you want your readers to think, feel, or do
because of what you’ve written?
• Are you making it easier or harder for your readers?
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YOUR AUDIENCE
• Writing for no one
(in particular)
• Writing for everyone
(in general)
• Writing for yourself
• Know your audience
• Write everything with
that audience in mind
• Assume your audience is
intelligent and worthy of
your time and respect
• “Create” an image of a
real audience
The problem The clarification
YOUR INTENDED AUDIENCE SHOULD AFFECT
YOUR WRITING CHOICES
Word Level
Sentence Level
Relational Level
WORD LEVEL
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NOMINALIZATION
WHAT IS IT?
Turn verbs into nouns:
Verb Noun
analyzed analysis
examined examination
studied investigation
EFFECT
Generally,
• increases length of sentence
• decreases clarity: don’t know
who, when, what
• reduces vividness
Following termination of activation of soil sampling