So You Want to Become a Better Writer?

Part 6 | Writing as Mapping

In my first post in the series, I recommended auditing the Coursera program, Good with Words: Writing and Editing Professional Certificate. I’m starting with Course 1, Writing and Editing: Word Choice and Word Order.

This post covers parts of Week 1: Map to a Decision.

Professor Barry covers how our writing is often a map to a decision. A decision to buy, or invest, or even to hire someone. This lesson also highlights the roles of framing and word choice, particularly when it comes to persuasion.

When it comes to writing as mapping, Bryan suggests leaving markers. He notes legal arguments are really just a set of directions. These markers give orientation and guidance to the reader.

For example, he asks you to consider two paragraphs:

“Because a court looks to the surrounding circumstances to determine “reasonable assurance,” it is important to examine the progress and state of NLR’s negotiations with Vasaly Central, Vasaly Central’s satisfaction with NLR and the previous contract, and whether Vasaly Central was seeking alternatives to NLR.”

But adding the ‘ three things’ and the three numerals make a dramatic difference:

“Because a court looks to the surrounding circumstances to determine “reasonable assurance,” the court should examine three things: (1) the progress and state of NLR’s negotiations with Vasaly Central; (2) Vasaly Central’s satisfaction with NLR and the previous contract; and (3) whether Vasaly Central was seeking alternatives to NLR.”

I’ll be back with more on becoming a better writer next week. I hope you’ll audit the course for free and complete it at your own pace before spending money on online writing courses.

Originally published at https://peteweishaupt.beehiiv.com.