Organize your writing for the reader and for yourself.

1. Organize the writing process for yourself. Organize the document for the reader. Organize your writing for the reader and for yourself.

2. Writing is not a single activity:It is a process. • Defining objectives • Planning • Drafting • Evaluating • Revising Same as process of project management.

3. You cannot collapse these stages together! You can’t get it right the first time around!

4. Managing the Process of Writing • Defining objectives • Objectives for job application letter? • Planning • Drafting • Evaluating – in labs • Revising • Learn to separate these stages!

5. Use writing to organize for yourself. • Start early • Learn to draft – avoid need for perfection at this stage • Learn to separate the creativeand critical parts of your personality.

6. Use writing to solve problems for others. Most important question for you to ask: Who will be reading this? Who will be listening?

7. Once you start your first draft, focus on organizing for your reader. • Who is your reader? • Do you have more than one reader? • Why does the reader need your information? • Are you trying to persuade the reader to take a certain action? • Use the Audience Analysis worksheet

8. What “voice” should you project in your documents? • Much engineering communication is interactive and interpersonal. • You may use “we” in documents this semester. In the letter only, you may use “I.”

9. What do you think of this letter from Steve Jobs to iPhone users?

10. Another type of “voice”: passive or active • Passive Voice • literary • longer • more vague • less active verb • emphasizes the thing acted upon • sometimes, the only accurate way to go • Active Voice • the way we speak • more concise • says who did it • more active verb • emphasizes the doer of the action • all things being equal, the way to go

11. Passive Voice Active Voice Voice is a choice. • Elapsed time is indicated by a pointer. • The project was completed by the installation crew. • It is suggested that readings be recorded hourly. • A pointer indicates elapsed time. • The installation crew completed the project. • I suggest you record readings hourly.

12. Passive Voice is longer. • “It was discovered during QD’s initial modeling efforts that the reservoir was actually a retrograde condensate reservoir.”

13. Active Voice is shorter. • It was discovered during QD’s initial modeling efforts that the reservoir was actually a retrograde condensate reservoir. • Better: QD’s initial modeling efforts showed that the reservoir was actually a retrograde condensate reservoir. (17 words) (13-14 words)

14. Passive voice can make writing ambiguous: Who is doing which testing? The scope of this strategy does not cover testing all the functionality of the different sub components. It is expected that each component be tested prior to the solution integration test.

15. When to use which? Active Voice Passive Voice • to emphasize the agent of the action: • Previous researchers • established the relationship between chemical qualities and model parameters. • to emphasize the object: • Therelationshipbetween chemical qualities and model parameters was established by previousresearchers . • The water samplewas heated to a temperature of 1000C. • to emphasize the action: • JMC Consulting recommendsthat BPAmoco adopt a risk-communication plan.

16. 1stwritten assignment • Write a letter to the appropriate person named in the job description you have chosen. • See the CE 333T Web site for more specs. • See Professional Writing (pp. 49-52 and 69-71) for letter format. On p. 70 is a sample cover letter. • Review your resume or develop one. • Bring draft of letter and resume to lab this Thursday (Sept. 3).

17. Printable business correspondence: • Letters are for external audiences. • Contain salutations and sign-offs • Include addresses of sender and receiver • Memos are for internal audiences (or those working on same big project). • To: • From: • Date: • Subject: Both can be sent electronically as an attachment; letters must be signed.

18. Job-application letters are marketing. • You want to “sell” yourself as highly qualified for the job. • Read the job description carefully.

19. Job-application letters • Mention personal contact if you have one. • Use exact title of job and indicate source of the information. • Connectyour qualifications with those listed. • Do NOT repeat your resume: highlighttwo or three important qualifications/experiences. • Conclude with an action step.

20. In lab this week . . . • You will give and get a written and a verbal review of both your letter and your resume. • Resumes will not be graded, but letters will be. • Both are due in final form on Wed., Sept. 9.