Medical Technical Writing

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Writing Traps to Avoid - Unless You Want to Amuse Your Readers

The pace at which we speak often doesn't allow our minds to register that something 'odd' has just been said. But when these are written, readers have time to see the oddity... and perhaps find it amusing. Now, that's not usually the outcome you're wanting in business, academic or technical writing where you want your credibility and professionalism displayed.

So, for the first writing trap: Yesterday a lively discussion took place about the problem of wild dogs in the council meeting room. I have discussed the problems of stocking the proposed poultry plant with my colleagues. Lipolysis can occur in the milk of cows when chilled too quickly.

So what's the problem with those sentences? Each contains a misplaced phrase. The discussion took place in the meeting room; the discussion was about the wild dog problem. Can you see what's happened when the phrases 'in the council meeting room', and 'with my colleagues' are not placed with the word being referred to?Consider changing them thus: Yesterday in the council meeting room, there was a lively discussion about the problem of wild dogs. I have discussed with my colleagues the problems of stocking the proposed poultry plant. Lipolysis can occur in cows' milk when it's chilled too quickly.

Onto the second writing trap: As a writer, the program gave me much enjoyment. Under a 60-year lease arrangement, the manager said that the project... By carrying trained medical personnel on board, sickness could be treated while the patient was being transported to hospital.

What would I, as an editor, change... and why? These sentences each contains what I call a 'dangler' - a word or phrase not attached to another word in the sentence. In the first example, the position of the phrase 'as a writer' implies that it refers to the closest noun - in this case 'program'. In the second it would seem that the manager is under the lease arrangement. Here's one way to rewrite each sentence: As a writer, I really enjoyed the program. The manager said that under a 60-year lease arrangement, the project... Because trained medical personnel were on board, the patient could be treated while being transported to hospital.

When we're writing, we know exactly what we mean, thus making it easy not to spot the misplaced phrases and danglers. How do you avoid these traps?

 

1. Leave time between writing and reviewing. You'll come back to your writing with fresh eyes. During this time, your brain has had time to mull over what you've written and you'll be more likely to pick up the problems.


2. If you're working electronically, print out a hard copy: you'll often see things differently in the different format.


3. Read your work out loud. You'll be surprised at how often you'll hear that what you've actually written is not what you intended to write, or what you thought you wrote. Using both auditory and visual senses always gives a better outcome. Your software spellcheck frequently misses the 'small' mistakes.


4. Have a trusted 'other person' read your work.

 

Enjoy your writing, but be aware of these writing traps and avoid them... unless you really want to amuse your readers.

Visit www.perfectpages.net.au to find other hints about how you can sharpen your writing.

Desolie Page is an accredited editor and owner of Perfect Pages, a boutique practice that helps business and technical writers sharpen their writing. When you need help with editing, proofreading, copywriting or web content writing, contact me to find out how I can help. I work with you to understand your audience and use clear, precise language to get your message across. Needing to set up a style guide for your organisation? I can help you with that, and train your writers in how to use the guide. I've developed and present workshops for business and technical writers, an excellent way to sharpen your writing. All aspects of my work focus on the use of plain English and on ways to increase the readability of your document (including formatting) so that your readers will enjoy reading what you've written while clearly understanding your message. I'm always delighted when my clients tell me how much they've learnt from my input into their writing. Find out more about Perfect Pages by visiting http://perfectpages.net.au

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medical technical writing
medical technical writing