Mom’s Red Pen: 5 Tips for Clear Written Communication

Mom’s Red Pen

5 Tips for Clear Written Communication

Mom’s red pen: the story

“Please and thank you”
“You are welcome and May I help you?”
“Respect your elders and love your neighbor”

These and more are lessons we may have learned from someone we called Mom. I am fortunate to have had a mother who brought so many great qualities to her task of parenting. As one of her five children, I was a beneficiary of her love, strength and wisdom. We witnessed her live her life with integrity, honor and grace.

Part of our childhood memories would have to include doing our homework at the kitchen table until we were done. We could always count on Mom checking our progress, bringing her keen eye to bear on the details, especially the writing assignments. Good penmanship was required (Oh, what she would think of my handwriting today… Oh my!) and a job half-way done was unacceptable.

Now, to an elementary school boy the importance of the finer points of English composition remained lost on me. Much like the study of Geometry, I just couldn’t see how this would be useful much less valuable for my future. However, my Mom would continue to teach in spite of my indifference. Fast forward to that unimaginable future, I found myself needing Geometry to do carpentry-based home repairs and I now find myself blogging. Really?

During these homework sessions was Mom’s constant companion, the red pen. A tool I was none too fond of then and yet, now I cherish. Yes, the red pen. You see, all composition drafts were done on lined, margined note paper and were brought under the scrutiny of formal expectations. Red ink would be found within the text and in the margins pointing to the necessary corrections. Arrows and lines littered the otherwise black and white page. The “red ink” of verbal critique was heard, also.

“What is this sentence saying?”
“You misspelled receive, again.”
“What punctuation should go here?”

I do believe I learned more from her than any professional teacher in this regard. Even as I type, I am seeing Mom’s red pen directing my communication. Pushing, prodding, now embellishing, now shortening and always striving for excellence. I give into it now. No more refusal of the influence. Only gratitude marks my attitude. Only thankfulness for the standard she set. The Bible is correct: “Train a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6)

Although I am not an English major by any stretch of the imagination, allow me to share five tips I use when I write. If you're interested in the content for each heading in the outline, click on the link above to access the original blog post. No spamming... I promise!

Tip # 1: Start with an Outline
Concept development
Create Broad strokes
Tip # 2: Get to the point
Edit like a surgeon
Less is more
Tip # 3: Be your own Grammar Nazi
Watch your spelling and punctuation.
Watch for excessive wordiness. Too many embellishments can be unnecessary.
Watch for repetitive use of words. Using the same word over and over again shows a lack of imagination.
Watch for running sentences. These are sentences that can be shortened or divided into two or three shorter sentences. Shorter sentences are easier to read and comprehend.

Tip # 4: Take a break; Okay, come back now!
Walk away. Take a break for goodness sake!
Fresh look. Find the things you need to change with fresh eyes.

Tip # 5: Revise, revise, revise...
Revision is not a dirty word
Does revision result in clarity? It should. Being clear and concise is of utmost importance.
How much is enough? How much is too much? Find your balance. Remember, the goal is to present good, clear and concise content with your reader in mind. They can be pretty forgiving if they’re receiving valuable information.

Conclusion

Unleash the “Mom” in your head. What example did you have when first learning to write? Was it a parent? Was it a teacher?

If you’re wondering how you’re doing with your writing, let other “Moms and Dads” help! Allow someone you know is capable and you trust to proofread some of your work. It could shed some valuable insight on the things you might need to improve but you weren’t aware of.

I hope you have your own “red pen” experience to draw upon when you write!

Greetings to all of you in “Blogland” and remember to keep your margins open for Mom’s Red Pen!

~Bob

Check this resource out:
10 resources all in one provided by Grammarly
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