Carpenter Document Consulting

With the New Year upon us, many folks are hitting the gym and resolving to stay active in 2010. Just as you aim to stay active physically, you should also focus on active writing. Active writing engages your reader, making your document more effective. Here are a few ways to get active this year.

1) Use subject-verb-object construction.

This basic sentence structure, which you first learned in elementary school, is the most direct and active way to write. Awkwardly constructed sentences can hinder clarity, so rely on the traditional construction to enhance reader understanding.

2) Eliminate unnecessary use of passive voice.

Most style guides caution against the use of passive voice, and rightfully so. Passive voice distances your reader from the content. Revising passive sentences to active ones is an obvious and effective way to actively engage your readers.

3) Use the imperative.

The most direct way to engage your readers and charge them to perform an action is by using the imperative. I use it in every blog post. Eliminate “you” as the subject since the “you” is implied, and begin your sentence with a strong verb.

With another year—and decade—upon us, many people are focusing on sticking to those New Year’s resolutions. Here at Carpenter Doc, we resolve to improve our writing and editing skills this year, and we challenge our clients to do the same. Whether you’re a student, professor, or business professional, strong writing is essential to your success. Students are graded on their writing; professors further their research by publishing in scholarly journals; business professionals write e-mails, memos, and other documents on a daily basis.

Here are some strategies you can use to boost your writing this year:

Know your audience.

Your audience’s knowledge level of your subject has a direct impact on what you write. With a clear understanding of your audience’s needs and knowledge level, you can focus your paper and guide your research.

Research first.

Make sure you have a strong knowledge of your subject before you start writing. If you write before you really know what you want to say, you will spend far too much time revising draft after draft. Brainstorm, outline, and research first.

Avoid common mistakes.

Overuse of passive voice, confusion between “that” and “which,” and misplaced modifiers can confuse readers and muddle your writing.

Learn from your mistakes.

Writers often commit the same mistakes repeatedly (myself included). Take time to understand your editor’s, proofreader’s, or professor’s changes or comments. Have a coworker read over an important memo before you send it out, and embrace her comments. Having another set of eyes look over your document is an invaluable way to improve both the document and your writing.

Unfortunately, my regular blog posts have fallen by the wayside thanks to end-of-the-semester projects, the busy holiday season and, most importantly, a new ongoing editing project. In addition to my freelance work with my regular clients, I am copy editing articles for a number of websites. These articles follow a thorough style guide, part of which requires the writers to adhere to a specific word count. As some writers will tell you, word counts can be a blessing or a curse.

Word counts are a great way to focus your article. A 2,000-word article will be much more detailed and have many more references than a 400-word overview. While word counts can guide your research and outlining, they can also leave writers counting words rather than focusing on the quality of their content.

As an editor, it’s easy to spot when writers are trying to meet a word count. Excessive use of vague, fluffy words like “very” or “really” and too many passive sentences are my first clues. I also look for repetition or sentences that state the same thing in a different way.

It’s important to follow your document’s style guidelines and meet the word count. However, quality always takes precedence over quality. If a writer is 50 words under the suggested word count, but her content is strong, I always let it slide. If you find yourself well under your word count, then go back to the drawing board, and identify any gaps in your research.

It’s the time of the year when students are filling out graduate school applications, which often require a one- or two-page personal statement. Writing about yourself—and tactfully boasting about yourself, no less—can be a daunting task.

Carpenter Doc has been busy working with students on their personal statements, and we’ve identified some common miscues in these documents. Here are three ways to improve your personal statements so that your application falls in that highly sought after “yes” pile.

1) Qualify your success.

Your personal statement will inevitably include your accomplishments as an undergraduate student. In order to make these accomplishments stand out, provide as much detail as you can. For example, rather than saying “I got good grades,” you could say “I have a record of academic success, graduating with a 3.85 grade point average and dean’s list honors.” Remember, the more details, the better.

2) Show what you can do for the school.

You’re applying to the school—and the program—for a reason. Do your research interests align with the program’s current research? Can your undergraduate background offer a unique perspective for the graduate program? Your personal statement can illustrate your knowledge of the graduate program while explaining why you are a good fit.

3) Look beyond the books.

Academics are key, and you will certainly touch on your academic success in your personal statement. However, you should consider other experiences that show who you are and why you’re right for the program. Did you hold any leadership positions during your undergraduate years? Did a summer job generate your interest in the program? Do you have any relevant volunteer experience?

If you’re struggling with your personal statement or simply want another set of eyes to read it over, we can help. We’re running a special rate right now: A comprehensive edit of your personal statement for just $20. Contact us today!

It’s hard to believe that the fall semester is winding down! The holidays are just around the corner, and students are furiously writing their final papers and preparing for finals.

Carpenter Doc is ready to help! Until the end of the year, we are offering discounted rates for students. Let us help you with your final papers for the semester — make the last paper your best! Here are a few of the specials we’re running right now:

• Comprehensive edit of any paper under 25 pages for just $20
• Comprehensive edit of resume and cover letter for $25
• 20% off hourly rates for thesis and dissertation edits

Contact us today for these special rates! Remember, if you write it, we can edit it!

A common problem we come across in the documents we edit is unnecessarily wordy sentences. Often, writers use verbose phrases to convey a point, not realizing that such wordiness often muddies the clarity of the sentence. The key in writing concisely is to make each word count. If a word in a sentence has no meaningful impact, then it doesn’t need to be there.

Here are a few tips that will help you write concisely:

1) Eliminate unnecessary adjectives.

Adjectives are effective when they offer a vivid description and, as a result, improve reader understanding. However, adjectives can confuse readers when they are used indiscriminately. Here are some examples:

• It was a dark night.
• The small infant would not stop crying.
• The tornado was a serious disaster.

2) Be succinct.

Some wordy phrases can be stated more succinctly. Here are some examples:

• in regard to = about
• prior to = before
• in the event that = if

3) Avoid redundancy.

Redundant words can also impact reader comprehension. Here are some examples:

• the final outcome = outcome
• first and foremost = first
• yellow in color = yellow

In the last several months, Carpenter Doc has experienced a dramatic increase in the number of clients requesting help with their cover letters. Perhaps the challenging economic climate has encouraged job seekers to develop applications that will stand out among record numbers of applicants.

Here are a few cover letter suggestions inspired by recent projects:

• Show your knowledge. Learn about the company to which you are applying. Incorporate what you’ve learned into the cover letter, either by offering praise about the company’s accomplishments or connecting your skills to the company’s needs. The more informed you appear, the better.
• Identify mutual goals. As you are researching the company, consider the company’s goals and how they align with your professional goals. If your potential employer aims to develop effective marketing strategies for its clients and you have experience in just that, then use that information in your cover letter.
• Build on your resume. Your resume is an excellent way to illustrate your experience, but resumes don’t always show how this experience will benefit the potential employer. Use your cover letter to connect those dots. Identify at least one way that your education or experience will directly benefit the organization if you are hired.

Whether you are a student, professor, or business professional, chances are you use PowerPoint or similar software to build presentations for classes, conferences, or meetings. A well-designed PowerPoint presentation can supplement your discussion and engage the audience. Here are four factors to consider when working in PowerPoint:

1) Create contrast.

Choose an aesthetically pleasing color scheme that provides adequate contrast. If you choose a dark background color like navy blue, use a light-colored text like white or light gray. Contrasting colors will improve your audience’s ability to follow your presentation.

2) Maximize white space.

Keep the amount of text on each slide to a minimum. Use bulleted lists rather than lengthy paragraphs. List only the key points on each slide. You don’t want your audience reading along with you.

3) Use images.

Images are often more engaging than text alone. If you are describing the organizational structure of a department, use a chart to depict that structure rather than a basic list. PowerPoint gives you the opportunity to illustrate your discussion, so take advantage of it.

4) Be selective.

Your presentation should supplement your discussion, not repeat it. Use your presentation in two ways. First, it should provide an outline or overview of your discussion. Next, it should offer supplemental information (like images or additional facts) that are not provided in the discussion.

In today’s competitive job market, having a strong resume is more important than ever. Here are three easy ways to make your resume more marketable to potential employers:

3) Choose your verbs wisely.

The use of strong action verbs offers potential employers an instant understanding of your skills. Verbs like managed, designed, wrote, and created vividly illustrate your job tasks and allow potential employers to envision your past tasks and how those tasks fit within their organization.

2) Add numbers.

Figures help quantify your accomplishments. Read through your resume, and circle any job task that can be quantified. If you managed multiple accounts to boost sales, specify how many accounts you managed and how sales improved.

3) Maximize white space.

Ensure that your resume offers a good balance between text and white space. Use bulleted lists, headings, or bold text to draw the reader’s eye to important items, and avoid paragraph-style blocks of text.

As the word processor of choice, Microsoft Word is used across academic disciplines and industries to develop a range of documentation. If you work in Word regularly, you probably use its Spelling and Grammar tool to correct any errors. Although this tool can catch obvious typos and misspellings, it has its limitations. For instance, Word cannot distinguish between commonly confused words, like “it’s” versus “its” or “their” versus “there.” Moreover, the Spelling and Grammar tool does not catch omissions of letters that create unintended words and, ultimately, alter meaning. So, if you miss a keystroke, your “friend” can become a “fiend,” and Word won’t catch it.

Despite these limitations, Word’s Grammar tool offers some unique features that can be customized based on your style guidelines. Here are some quick tips for taking advantage of these features:

• On the toolbar, select Tools > Options.
• Select the Spelling & Grammar tab.
• Under Grammar, select Grammar & Style as the writing style, and select Settings.

Here, you can adjust the settings based on your needs. You can ask Word to check for the serial comma, you can choose whether you want punctuation inside or outside quotation marks, and you can indicate how many spaces there should be between sentences. Plus, you can select specific grammar rules that you want Word to check. Once you’ve identified your standards, Word’s Grammar tool with indicate deviations from these standards with that all-too-familiar green underline.

Use Word’s features to your advantage, and you can produce a cleaner copy of your document. Even though you can’t rely on Word as your only resource, you can maximize its capabilities with these tips.