Writing Style According to Gregg (& Me)!

… Tips to make your writing more professional, polished and presentable

Writing is not only an art, it’s a science.  By science, I mean you have to sometimes hold it under a microscope to see if the words are used properly, if punctuation is correct (or missing) if words are spelled properly and when to write numbers out or use them in their numerical form. 

When I worked with the women on the Career Compass for Women and Life Compass for Women books, the publisher suggested that we get a copy of the Gregg Reference Manual and use it to review our work.  Not only did it come in handy, it answered many of the questions I often wondered about.  So here are a few of the nuggets I took from the book as well as some additional writing tips to help you master the craft of writing (or at least minimize your mistakes).

Did you know that according to Gregg Reference Manual, the prepositions “on” and “upon” are interchangeable? For instance “Effective writing style depends upon a combination of things” or “Effective writing style depends on a combination of things” would both be considered correct.

There’s been a long running debate about ending a sentence with a preposition. According to ‘Gregg’ deciding on whether or not to end a sentence with a preposition depends on the emphasis and desired effect. If your statement is informal, ending it in a preposition is acceptable. Here’s an example: “Who did you give the flowers to?” or ”To whom did you give flowers?” – the first is informal and the second way to formal for me.

Using the word And to start a sentence

According to Gregg, periods and commas always go inside the closing quotation mark. This is correct: “I am writing my memoirs.” NOT “I am writing my memoirs”. Note: The British style of writing says the punctuation is to go inside or out, depending on whether or not it is part of the quote.

And I have often been confused by the word “Internet.” Because it is a proper noun, I always thought it should be capitalized. However, that is not always the case. Here’s the rule:  Capitalize Internet when using it used as part of a proper name such as The Amazing Internet Company. Do not capitalize it if you say, “It’s an amazing Internet company.”

Book titles should be in italics. Gregg Reference Manual is an example.

If you have extended passages from another source (i.e., more than four lines) the passage should be indented.  Sometimes you might want to do that with a story just for effect.

In order to show emphasis in your writing, be careful not to use too many different devices.  If you have an individual word to emphasize, use italics.  Don’t use bold in one paragraph, underline in the next, italics in another, etc.  If you have section titles within your chapter, use similar formats for each title.

The average reader prefers shorter rather than longer sentences.  When you have long sentences with phrase after phrase strung together, the reader has to stop and go back and try to figure out the point.  That breaks the flow of their reading.

Using numbers

When a sentence begins with a number, it should be spelled out. Thirteen is my favorite number.

According to Gregg, the numbers 1 to 10 should be spelled out and use figures for the numbers 11 and above.  Except the following:

When writing in percentages, citing page numbers, monetary amounts, time, measurements, etc use figures.  “I have bee writing since 1997. My second book Rose Marketing on a Daisy Budget has produced 8 percent of the income for my publishing.

Other tips:

Use the grammar and spell check function, then print it out and read the document word for word. Spell checker doesn’t know that you meant “write” when you actually typed “right.”

Check for proper use of commas and semi-colons.

Too many adjectives can spoil the effect. “The beautiful, tall, rugged, handsome, gorgeous, sexy, intriguing, intelligent man looked my way. He was absolutely the best looking, brightest, most charismatic man in the room!” Break up the adjectives and sprinkle them throughout the paragraph instead of trying to clump them all in one or two sentences. It makes them more believable.

Overusing words deflates their impact. Don’t start every sentence the same way.  Don’t expect people to read your writing if we do. Don’t keep using the same words over and over at the beginning. Don’t do this because it makes the writing difficult to comprehend. The reader will start paying more attention to the repetition of the sounds than they do to the meaning of the words.

If your writing is informal or you are trying to convey an informal message then it is considered acceptable to start a sentence with and or but. Sometimes the words and or but at the beginning of a sentence are used to stress a point. And sometimes they aren’t.

Less is more. Why use five words when three will do just fine?  Instead of, “concerning the matter of” use “about.”

Read your work out loud and slowly. When read out loud, your written words should make sense to both you and other listeners.

For more resources such as grammar exercises, worksheets and writing tips, check out the UCR Learning Center Writing Exercises and Grammar Review: http://www.roch.edu/org/writingcenter/rctcexercises.htm

Need a Book Coach?  Heidi has been coaching authors for years on getting their books written, edited, published and promoted.  Contact her for more information!

©Heidi Richards Mooney - is a Professional Speaker, Business Coach and the Author of 7 books including: “Rose Marketing on a Daisy Budget ~ How to Grow Your Business Without Spending a Fortune.”  She is also the Publisher of WE Magazine for Women. Stop by http://www.speakingwithspirit.com to get a FREE copy of YOUR Marketing Calendar today!

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