General Writing Guidelines
General writing guidelines are basic principles and rules that help writers communicate effectively and clearly while conveying their message.
Here are the writing guidelines:
- Know your audience: Before you begin to write, keep in mind who your intended audience is and what they will be interested in reading and learning.
- Use simple language: Avoid over-complicated vocabulary and wording to make your message clear and concise for the reader.
- Only use technical jargon when absolutely necessary.
- Organize your writing: Create a logical structure for your writing so that the reader can easily follow your argument or story. Don’t forget to use paragraphs – one concept per paragraph.
- In technical writing, use headings, subheadings, lists, and paragraphs to break up your text and make it more readable.
- Edit and revise: Take the time to reread, edit and revise your work a few times. Look for errors, typos, and areas where you can improve your writing.
- Seek feedback: Share your writing with others and ask for their feedback. This can help you identify areas where you need to improve your writing.
- Be consistent: Use the same style and formatting throughout your writing. Make sure your punctuation, capitalization, font size, and spacing are consistent.
- Make your writing more engaging and easier to understand. For example, avoid using language that makes your writing impersonal. If an active voice sentence sounds better, avoid using the passive. We use the passive to make the text impersonal, and so it is more common in academic medical and other technical texts.
- Avoid overused phrases: Instead, use fresh and original language to make your writing more interesting and individual. Be imaginative!
Remember, these guidelines are meant to be flexible. Develop your own unique voice as a writer and practice regularly to hone your skills.
