Other Facets of Communication

APRIL 12, 2011, SAN ANTONIO, TX--- When writing, just as in life, there are non-verbal cues that render the most brilliant commentary ridiculous.  One example is posting something like: "Yore an igorant ijit" as an insult.  The insult itself is rendered moot by the poor grammar and spelling of the writer.  When writing, make sure that you don't exhibit those same flaws.  

Many people fear grammar.  They appear to be haunted by ghosts of teachers past.  Rather than running from grammar,  embrace it with tools that help to improve yours.  There are some marvelous resources on the web to get started with.  One of the best is the book below.

Common Errors in English Usage: The Book (2nd Edition, November, 2008

This book is the paper version of a remarkable website: wsu.edu/~brians/errors/errors.html

Every possible common error is on this site.

Because much of what we write about these days is accompanied by data, it is important to learn how to organize data.  Don't let your graphs confuse your prose.  The book below is an excellent reference on the use of data in ways that make its import immediately obvious.

The Visual Display of Quantitative Information, 2nd edition by Edward R. Tufte

Data has become a larger part of communication these days. Presenting numbers or other

information in an easy-to-grasp format is a skill that many writers lack.

Keeping Your Tools On Your Belt Isn't Just for Carpenters

In evaluating whether to buy a book or software version of a book, remember that writers may have to leave their cozy offices to get stories written.  Web access is not always a given for writers. If a story has to be covered in Timbuktu, a writer can waste time trying to find a web cafe or just write the story. Since history waits for no one, capturing the events and the reactions is more important than researching on the Internet. The same holds true of tools. If you rely on tools accessed online, they may not be available. If you have to choose, buy the books. Buy the desktop software later.  Then you're ready when the story is.