[Ansteorra] Rant on writing (crossposted)

[Hillary Greenslade]

--- ansteorra-request at ansteorra.org wrote:
> Date: Thu, 18 Aug 2005 12:46:03 -0500
> From: "Marc Carlson" <marccarlson20 at hotmail.com>
> Subject: [Ansteorra] Rant on writing (crossposted)
> To: northkeep at ansteorra.org, Ansteorra at ansteorra.org,
> 	mooneschadowe at yahoogroups.com
> <snip>
> Therefore, please let me make a few suggestions, just to get them off my chest.
> 
> 1.  If you aren’t comfortable writing, then write more.  <snip> 
> 2.  When you do write, find an editor who can help improve your writing. <snip> 
> 3.  If you are unwilling to use an editor, for whatever reason, at the very 
> least read what you’ve written aloud to someone else.  Better still, have 
> someone who is unfamiliar with the topic read it aloud to you.  <snip>
> 4. You might even want to consider a basic writing course.  Barring that, 
> there are a number of books out there on how to write.   <snip>
> 
> Thank you for your time, I’m done now.
> Marc/Diarmaid

Thanks Diarmaid for your suggestions, very good ideas.   
One step I often include is to write my memo or article, then let it sit for 24hours, go back and
reread it out loud to myself.  I find that I can often trim out a quarter of it, as I tend to
repeat thoughts sometimes, when only needed once.   

Your ideas are also valid for speaking in court, or as a teacher in a class; which a lot of folks
are uncomfortable with.  For teaching classes, I would suggest: 
1. Practice the class presentation out loud and time it to make sure it fits within your time
constraints. 
2. Practice the class presentation in front of a friend to make sure the material makes sense. 
3. Teach the class at smaller local level events, to get the kinks worked out of the material,
before taking the class to a King's College.  

For speaking in court, 
1. Use note cards if necessary, to make sure you don't forget any information
2. Speak up clearly and loudly, and slowly, so everyone can hear. 
3. Practice your announcement in private, or before a friend, to make sure it makes sense, and to
get comfortable delivering the information. 
4. If you get nervous looking at all those people, pin-point a friend, and look at them throughout
the announcement, as if you are having a conversation with just the two of you. No one will know
the difference. 

Good ideas and food for thought.  
Thanks, Hillary