I found the following article in the Orange County (CA) Register not
too long ago - in the business section.  The article was presumably
geared towards business writers, but it can probably be used by just
about anybody who writes just about anything.  ^_^

Six not so easy ways to make writing sing

by Stephen Wilbers

A few years ago (well, maybe more like 10), I published an
article in "The College Board Review" offering advice on
effective writing.  It was an article that got me thinking about
making my living as a free-lance - meaning no salary and benefits
- writing consultant.  It was a decision I have never regretted.
As I look back now, I find that I still believe in the advice I
offered in that article.  Here are six highlights (somewhat
revised):

*Read.  Spend time in the company of good writers.  If all you
ever read is mediocre writing, your chances of writing anything
better are slim.  If all you ever read is bad writing - well, you
get the idea.

Reading develops your ear.  It gives you a feeling for the
rhythim and cadence and flow of language.  It suggests the range
of possible sentence structures and patterns.  Perhaps most
important, reading expands your vocabulary.

*Learn the rules of language so that you can write with
confidence.  If something prevents you from writing easily and
with confidence - whether it be a gap in your knowledge of the
rules of grammar or the conventions of punctuation - do something
about it.

Don't fall into the trap (or the downward spiral) of avoiding
writing because you lack confidence in your ability to do it
well.  Get the knowledge you need to be successful and to make
positive assumptions about yourself as a writer.

*Learn the principles of effective writing. Write with certain
principles and guidelines in mind.

Here are four I consider particularly important:  State your
purpose clearly, decide on a persuasive strategy or point of view
that is appropriate for your message and your audience, organize
your material into a coherent seuence, and support your points
with specific, relevant detail.

*Study good writers and imitate their style.  Keep a file of good
writing samples.  Go back to them from time to time and remind
yourself of what you liked about them.  Then try to create the
same effects in your own writing.

Years ago the editor and critic Malcolm Cowley recommended an
exercise to my creative writing class at Vanderbilt.  He
suggested that we take a favorite passage whether fiction,
poetry, nonfiction or everyday writing and simply type it over.

The idea is to get close to the language, to approximate as
nearly as possible the author's experience in choosing those
particular words, to see how the feel in sequence and in
relationhsip with one another, and to experience how the sentence
structures unfold.

*Practice.  If you want to be a good pianist, you have to
practice playing the piano.  If you want to be a good writer, you
have to practice writing.

Whether you are a musician, a writer or a surgeon, you'll perform
with more precision if you stay in practice.

!
Wilbers is a writing consultant based in Minnesota
(www.wilbers.com).  Send your questions or comments to him at PO
Box 19114, Minneapolis, MN, 55419, or email at
wilbers@startribune.com.