Guffey’s 3-x-3
Writing Process
Chapter 5
Organizing and
Writing Business
Messages
Phase 1: Prewriting
Analyzing, anticipating, adapting
Phase 2: Writing
Researching, organizing, composing
Phase 3: Revising
Revising, proofreading, evaluating
Ch. 5, Slide 1
Topics in This Chapter
Ch. 5, Slide 2
Types of Formal Research Methods
Accessing information electronically on the
Internet and in databases
Searching manually in books, articles, and
other secondary sources
Investigating primary sources, such as
interviews and surveys
Experimenting scientifically with control
groups
Ch. 5, Slide 3
Types of Informal Research
Ch. 5, Slide 4
Methods for Idea Generation
Brainstorming for ideas
Developing a cluster diagram
Looking in the company files
Talking with your boss
Interviewing the target audience
Conducting an informal survey
Ch. 5, Slide 5
Ch. 5, Slide 6
Use Cluster Diagrams to Generate, Organize,
and Classify Ideas
Paid gym
membership
SmokingSmokingcessation
programs
Gifts and
premiums
New menu
in cafeteria
Financial
incentives
Peer
mentors
Improving
employee
health
Seminars
and
workshops
Flex time
for workouts
Tips for Organizing Ideas
in a Cluster Diagram
Analyze the ideas generated in the original
cluster diagram.
Cross out ideas that are obviously irrelevant;
simplify and clarify.
Add new ideas that seem appropriate.
Study the ideas for similarities.
Guest
speakers
Ch. 5, Slide 7
Tips for Organizing Ideas
in a Cluster Diagram
Ch. 5, Slide 8
Methods for Organizing Ideas
Group similar ideas into classifications.
Prepare an outline if the organization seems
clear.
Make subcluster circles around each
classification for further visualization.
Ch. 5, Slide 9
The Alphanumeric Outline
Ch. 5, Slide 10
The Decimal Outline
Ch. 5, Slide 11
Ch. 5, Slide 12
For Receptive Audiences, Use the Direct
Pattern to Group Ideas
Overall Organization
If pleased
If mildly interested
If neutral
DIRECT PATTERN
Good News or
Main Idea
Ch. 5, Slide 15
For Unreceptive Audiences, Use the
Indirect Pattern to Group Ideas
If displeased or
disappointed
If unwilling or
uninterested
Ch. 5, Slide 16
Composing
If hostile
INDIRECT PATTERN
Bad News or
Main Idea
Ch. 5, Slide 17
Creating Effective Sentences – Overview
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Use short sentences
Write in complete sentences (clauses not phrases)
Avoid fragments
Avoid run-ons
Avoid comma splices
Emphasize the main idea(s)
Avoid dangling & misplaced modifiers
Know how to use active & passive voice
Ch. 5, Slide 19
Ch. 5, Slide 18
Creating Effective Sentences
Recognize phrases and clauses.
Clauses have subjects and verbs; phrases do not.
Independent clauses are complete; dependent
clauses are not.
Phrases and dependent clauses cannot function as
sentences.
Ch. 5, Slide 21
Creating Effective Sentences
Creating Effective Sentences
Recognize phrases and clauses.
Avoid misplaced modifiers by keeping phrases
close to the words they describe.
Independent clause: They were eating pizza
Dependent clause: that they want
Phrase: to return for a refund
Not This
But This
An autopsy revealed the cause of An autopsy by the coroner
death to be strangulation by the revealed the cause of death to be
coroner.
strangulation.
Sam bought a used computer
from the salesperson with a
faulty mouse.
Sam bought a used computer
with a faulty mouse from the
salesperson.
Ch. 5, Slide 22
Use the Active Voice for
Most Sentences
Ch. 5, Slide 31
Use the Passive Voice To Deemphasize the
Performer and/or To Be Tactful
Active voice: We lost money.
Passive voice: Money was lost (by us).
Active voice: I sent the e-mail message yesterday.
Passive voice: The e-mail message was sent yesterday (by
me).
Commonly used in most writing
Used to disassociate the subject from the action; often
used to deliver bad news
The subject is the performer
Passive voice test: Ask “By whom?” If you can fill in the
performer, the verb is probably in the passive voice
Ch. 5, Slide 33
Use Passive Voice to Be Tactful or to
Emphasize the Action Rather Than the Doer
Ch. 5, Slide 34
Drafting Effective Paragraphs
Compose short paragraphs.
Less Tactful or Effective
in Active Voice
More Tactful or Effective
in Passive Voice
We cannot grant you credit.
The CEO made a huge error in
projecting profits.
I launched a successful fitness
program for our company last
year.
Credit cannot be granted.
A huge error was made in
projecting profits.
A successful fitness program was
launched for our company last
year.
Ch. 5, Slide 36
Paragraphs with eight or
fewer printed lines are most
readable – and will reduce
the chances your audience
will fall asleep!
By John S. Donnellan
Ch. 5, Slide 37
Drafting Effective Paragraphs
¶
To create effective paragraphs, discuss only
one topic in a paragraph.
¶
Drafting Effective Paragraphs
Arrange paragraphs in one of these plans.
Group similar
ideas together.
Ch. 5, Slide 38
Direct Paragraph Plan
_______________________________
_______________________________
_________________________________
________________________________
_______________________________
________________________________
_______________________________
__________________________________
_________________________________
______________________________
Ch. 5, Slide 39
Indirect Paragraph Plan
Main
Supporting
_______________________________
_______________________________
_________________________________
________________________________
_______________________________
________________________________
_______________________________
__________________________________
_________________________________
______________________________
Supporting
Main
Ch. 5, Slide 40
¶
Drafting Effective Paragraphs
Pivoting Paragraph Plan
_______________________________
_______________________________
_________________________________
________________________________
_______________________________
________________________________
_______________________________
__________________________________
_________________________________
______________________________
Ch. 5, Slide 41
Limiting
Main
To build coherence, link ideas with one of
these devices.
Supporting
Ch. 5, Slide 42
Ch. 5, Slide 43
Techniques for Building Coherence
Sustain the key idea by repeating or rephrasing
it.
For example, Our philosophy holds that every
customer is really a guest. All new employees to our
theme parks learn to treat guests as VIPs.
Employees never tell these VIPs what they can or
cannot do.
Techniques for Building Coherence
Dovetail sentences by connecting the beginning
of each new sentence with a word from the end
of the previous sentence.
For example, New hosts and hostesses learn about
the theme park and its facilities. These facilities
include telephones, food services, bathrooms, and
attractions.
Ch. 5, Slide 44
Ch. 5, Slide 45
Techniques for Building Coherence
Techniques for Building Coherence
Use a pronoun in one sentence to link to its
antecedent.
To further build coherence, use transitional
expressions.
For example, All new park employees receive a
two-week orientation. They learn that every staffer
has a vital role in preparing for the show.
To Add or
Strengthen
To Show Cause
and Effect
To Suggest
Contrast
additionally
again
consequently
as a result
by contrast
conversely
also
likewise
for this reason
therefore
on the contrary
on the other
hand
Ch. 5, Slide 46
Ch. 5, Slide 47
Techniques for Building Coherence
To further build coherence, use transitional
expressions.
<go to Chap 6…>
To Show Time
or Order
To Clarify
To Contradict
after
before
earlier
finally
for example
in other words
for instance
I mean
actually
however
instead
rather
Ch. 5, Slide 48
Ch. 5, Slide 49