One of the hallmarks of professional writing is that it is
clear, organized, and concise. I recently reviewed a final dissertation that
was 450 pages long… it is painful to wade through that much information. The
reality is that if you are writing that much, you are probably repeating
yourself and not being concise.
How do you make your writing concise? First, make an outline
of each chapter and stick to it! There is a tendency for people to be attracted
to distantly related articles, and start to go in strange directions. An
outline will keep you focused on the essentials. When you think you are done
with the chapter, go back to the original outline and make sure you haven't
taken any wandering paths.
Second, never copy a section from a previous chapter into a
later one. I know it is more work to actually rewrite a similar section, but
trust me; your reader will appreciate not reading the same paragraphs over and
over. Besides, you may make new interesting connections or have flashes of
inspiration when you rethink that section. You will also have a tendency to
write more concisely the second (and third) time.
Third, make sure you have grammar and spell check turned on
in Word. Pay attention to the grammar and writing marks that are shown in Word
(those green and red lines that appear under words and sentences). Right click
your mouse on them and they will offer suggestions- follow them.
Fourth, and this is the tough one, reread each sentence and
think about how you could write it clearer. Eliminate adverbs (e.g.,
"mostly," "almost"), eliminate extra "thats" (my
own problem area). Put the paper aside for a day or so, then go through it
again carefully and make sure each sentence works with the previous one and is
clear.
Finally, pay attention to the total number of pages. Think
about would you want to read that much? Please don’t send your committee a
paper with 450 pages!
Next time, we will take a look at moving forward. Do you
have an issue or a question that you would like me to discuss in a future post?
Send me an email with your ideas. leann.stadtlander@waldenu.edu
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