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Right Better Write Now
by William Black
March 12, 2010
After taking the bulk of my upper-division economics and finance courses, I noticed that writing skills are increasingly important. Whether it is essay exams in government policy, memos in tax accounting, term papers in public choice, or a breakdown of a corporation in financial statement analysis, more and more writing is required as students progress through their undergraduate course work.
All students at UTEP are required to take Expository English Composition and Research and Critical Writing (ENGL 1311 and 1312 respectively). ENGL 1311 focuses on the strategic use of language, rhetorical form, and authorial voice so that students will be able to inform and persuade effectively. ENGL 1312 teaches students to focus questions, use academic resources, critically evaluate materials, and shape writing to match the purpose and audience of the piece. Business majors are required to take Workplace Writing (ENGL 3355), which teaches the principles of professional rhetoric both written and oral. The goals of these courses are broad enough in nature to aid students in a variety of courses, but when it comes to writing papers tailored toward financial analysis, a critique of theory, or article writing, after taking these courses students remain unprepared.
So now that we have identified the problem, what is the solution?
Well, like so many skills that must be acquired to be successful in the workplace, improving one’s writing skills can be done outside of the classroom. The remainder of this article will highlight ways to do so, starting with the almost archaic way of learning…reading. Two books that all students should consider reading are Strunk & White’s The Elements of Style and Deidre N. McCloskey’s Economical Writing.
The Elements of Style is a proper-use rule book that the New York Times described as a “lifeboat to both professional and amateur writers.” The book contains easy to understand rules, detailed explanations, and examples of both proper and improper usages. It is available in a multitude of editions and sizes, including a pocket-size version at Barnes and Noble.
Economical Writing (the second edition) by Deidre N. McCloskey is a 98 page (would you expect a book with such a title to be any longer?) book containing 31 rules, which can be applied to all writing. The rules range from Rule 27: Be Concrete, Rule 28: Be Plain, to Rule 23: Around Order Switch Until It Sounds Good. Below are some rules that can readers (and hopefully writers) can put to use now.
Rule 20: Avoid Elegant Variation
Simply put, elegant variation is using many words to mean one thing. For example: “history is concerned not only with what happened but also with why events turned out the way they did.” The reader will interpret that “what happened” and “events [that] turned out the way they did” as two different things, when in fact they are the same thing.
Rule 25: Use Verbs, Active Ones
In revision the adjectives and adverbs should be the first to go. Sydney Smith wrote, “In composing, as a general rule, run your pen through every other word you have written; you have no idea what vigour it will give to your style.”
An interesting and humorous take on revision, but as McCloskey shows Smith should have followed his own advice: In composing [of course it’s composing: that is what we’re talking about, you dunce!], as a general rule [what would be the point of any other?], run your pen through every other word you have written [of course writing: again, that’s what we’re talking about; and in any case, what else would you run a pen through? Your finger?]; you have no idea what vigour it will give to your style [for goodness sake, how often do you have to repeat that you are talking about style?].
This leaves the much more concise: “Run a pen through every other word; you have no idea what viguor it will give.”
Economical Writing places a large emphasis on editing, which in my opinion is the most undervalued step in the writing process. Professors from schools such as the University of Chicago, UCLA, and Harvard praise Economical Writing for its broad applicability, simplicity, and wit. The book is available on Amazon.com and at most other online book retailers.
After reading about good writing, how about putting some writing together? A lot of the time, the best way to improve a skill is by using it. Starting a blog is easier than ever now. Don’t feel like you can come up with new content on a continual basis? Try joining a blog, here is a good place to start your search.
Many students feel it is their university’s responsibility to teach the skills necessary to be successful. Warren Buffet, one of the most respected figures in the business world, strongly advocates communication skills. The Oracle of Omaha, who took courses in verbal and written communication following his MBA, has taken proactive steps to place pressure on universities to teach students better communication skills.
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