In my blog of 7 July 2013, I wrote about the importance of the written aspect of your personal and professional brands. In that blog, I spoke of the role of good writing but also the role of effective copy-editing in representing yourself and your business in the best way possible. But how do you acquire these skills without investing in courses in, or specialized books on writing and applied linguistics, specifically text linguistics, or employing a specialist in these fields?

Then, in my blog of 8 January 2014, I dealt with consistency as one of the mechanisms for enhancing your personal and professional brands, as conveyed in your written communications. I dealt with style manuals, style guides and style sheets as means to achieving consistency. But where do you learn about these, without attending a copy-editing course or buying a copy-editing reference work?

Language variety, as one aspect of style, was dealt with in my next blog of 25 February 2014. Selecting a language variety for your written communications implies being able to identify your target readers (or audience); this is only one element of the writing context that you will need to consider. But where do you find a straightforward guide to these elements?

Finally, in my blog of 31 March 2014, I wrote about how to get your writing – and other projects – started and finished. This involves understanding how the writing process works. But where do you go to learn this in a straightforward way?

There is one handbook that succinctly answers all of these questions. Its title is The Natural Creative Process in Writing: A Core Writing and Editing Handbook for Everyone (paperback – ISBN 978-0-620-60121-4; ebook – ISBN 978-0-620-60121-4). I wrote this book because since my early twenties, I have looked for a clear, accessible guide to the writing process (a form of the natural creative process), good writing, and effective editing. It is the book I have always wanted to own, to carry with me on all my writing journeys.

The Natural Creative Process in Writing: A Core Writing and Editing Handbook for Everyone is available through most bookstores. For further information, email info@writeart.com.

By Russell de la Porte
web: www.writeart.com
email: russell@writeart.com