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In summer, longer days, being outside, reading novels, relaxing with people we know and those we meet, and even glasses of lemonade can prompt new ideas and the motivation to write about them. Inspiration might come from a book, a conversation, travel to new surroundings (or the backyard), or listening to music in the park, at a fair, on the street, or in a concert hall. 

There’s so much to write about – vacations, fireworks, swimming, ice cream, travel, rare finds in antique shops, sultry afternoons – in postcards, journals, love letters, stories, or in the lists of all those summer activities you don’t want to miss out on before Labor Day. 

Writing is adaptable. You can experiment with styles and genres – short or long, fiction, memoir, essays, letters, or haiku. You can write to help you plan your life or decide what to bring to a potluck. You can write anytime, and (almost) anywhere. If you get creative while you’re in the water, memorize your brilliant idea and write it down as soon as you’re on dry land. 

Writing is for everyone. Children as young as two imitate writing with drawings and symbols that represent their thoughts and ideas. Writing promotes learning in high school students, and can help them sort out tough times, something I wrote about in a prior article. 

Summer is a perfect time to read, and reading improves writing. It exposes us to words, grammar, writing styles, structures, patterns, punctuation, rhythm, and new ways to tell good stories.  

Anna Quindlan, author of Write for Your Life, a book well worth reading, summarizes gripping stories told in Pioneer Women by Joanna Stratton. Settlers described “saloons, cattle rustling, a plague of grasshoppers…picnics, parades, piano playing, weddings, and funerals.” I can almost see the dust, hear the banging saloon doors, and smell the fried chicken cooked up at the barbecue. 

In summer, we can shed preconceived notions and try something new. So, on a lazy summer afternoon, grab your notebook – or the back of your grocery list – and see what happens. 

Almost exactly seven years ago I wrote my first Short Takes article, Good Writing Matters: Making the Case for Quality. In it I considered approaches for stand-out fundraising documents that:

• Clear away the clutter to get and keep the attention of busy readers. 
• Use straightforward, energetic writing to increase enthusiasm for your proposal. 
• Demonstrate that your program is a top priority for your organization. 

It takes cooperation, patience, and most of all time to get the job done, and done well. Writing proposals is about a lot more than just writing. 

Engage. Strong proposals benefit from multiple perspectives to inform ideas, set priorities, and build investment.

Plan. Use a simple planning document like this one to clarify tasks, deadlines and responsibilities, and facilitate the production of quality proposals well within the deadline. 

Think. Allow time to read, absorb, and select the best data to inform your proposal. This is where the brain gets to work on conceptualizing a compelling case for support.  

Draft and edit. Plan on multiple drafts. Adding reviewers and integrating new thinking can extend the editing process. Go with it. Your document will likely be better and more competitive. 

Embrace the process.  Good writing can be rigorous. It takes time to integrate what can be voluminous amounts of material, synthesize multiple points of view, and demonstrate expertise in a carefully synchronized document that tells a compelling story. 

Don’t scrimp. Quality writing helps the reader quickly understand your goals and how you will achieve them. It can help get you to “yes” in a crowded field, and provide you with a template for future documents. It’s well worth the time it takes. 

I’m delighted to write about the exclamation point!  

This grammatical wonder is a handy tool that can enhance fundraising and other documents, when used strategically. Many serious writers have been proponents of the exclamation point, including James Joyce, Jane Austen, and Toni Morrison. Virginia Woolf “adored them”.  

Nevertheless, and surprisingly for such an innocuous sign of enthusiasm, too many exclamation points can just plain wear me down.

F. Scott Fitzgerald was ruthless on the matter: “An exclamation point is like laughing at your own joke.” Lydia Horne of Wired magazine says that tossing out [the exclamation point] helped her find more precise language to express her emotions. The University of Sussex website states: “…the exclamation mark is usually out of place in formal writing. ‘Using [it] frequently will give your work a breathless, almost childish, quality.’” 

What I do
I believe that, used judiciously, the exclamation point can draw attention to your statement and add pizzaz to your document. To guard against overuse, I:

• Continuously monitor my use of exclamation points while I’m writing.  
• Hunt through my completed draft in case I’ve missed any in earlier scrutiny. 
• Gauge my reaction. If an exclamation point aggravates me, it’s time for a sensible period. 

Redeeming features
Writing can reflect our personalities. The exclamation point suggests a writer with a sunny disposition. This can certainly be good for business. Here’s another take in which Emma Goldberg put the exclamation point in perspective: 

“[The exclamation point] just wants to Marie Kondo your sentences — to clear out a small space and spark some joy.” 

So, I’ll end on a joyful note by saying: Cheers to the sensibly used exclamation point!

On May 2, 2016, I circulated my first Short Takes article: Good writing matters: Making the case for
quality. I began with quarterly, then bi-monthly, and, since February 2021, monthly articles. One of
my favorites is A bad start is the best start, because it helped me think about how this common
experience can be used to our advantage.

While I eat my cake and drink champagne, here’s what I’ve learned and what’s ahead.

What I’ve learned

• Take chances. I thought it was a little brash of me to think I could write about writing. Workingwith many of you has taught me that we all have helpful ideas to share.
• Writing takes time. I’ve learned to value the progression from messy to finished, in documents from proposals to reports to birthday cards with meaning.
• Write inclusively. I try to be more thoughtful by avoiding assumptions and reviewing carefully.
• Practice makes better. Perfection may not exist, but more writing improves writing.

Goals for the next 50

Will there be another 50 articles? That’s hard to say, but it’s possible. I have a list of 30 new topics. However far I get, it seems useful to set some goals.

• Edit, and edit some more. Writing can always be better. I edit a lot and am learning when it’stime to stop.
• Keep it short. If Hemingway can write a story in six words, I can write an article in less than a page. I’m going to try. If I have more to say that I think is useful, I’ll use the whole page.
• Go deeper. Most of my articles are straightforward writing tips. Some are more thought-provoking and challenge me to articulate more complex ideas, for example Strategic documents. Look for more, such as Art and Writing, in the future.
• Include others. I’ve been fortunate to have help from talented writers and reviewers. This was especially important in Equity in Writing. Expect more contributors in future articles.

Surprise!
To mark my 50th, I’ve invited my editor (all 50 articles), who also happens to be my son Tommy
Good, to have the last word.

As inspired, throughout my entire life, by the author, here are my three rules of writing:

1. Have confidence in your abilities. Don’t be afraid to put pen to paper and see what happens.
2. Be open to feedback. It almost always improves your writing.
3. Always listen to your mother!

I’ve been procrastinating. Instead of starting my work day, I’ve been watching the snow fall.

So, it seems like a good day to write about writing process. Perhaps if I was more deliberate, I would be writing by now. Or, maybe looking out the window is part of my process.

I did some reading and learned there are different ways to think about the process of writing. For example, some writers define it as the steps of writing: make an outline, write a draft, edit, re-draft, and so on.

I think of writing process as my preparation to write. It starts when I wake up. I listen to the news, walk my dog, read email, perhaps work on an article or write a birthday card, and plan my day. Then I relocate to my office and get to work. My morning routine prepares me for the day’s projects.

What the experts say
I thought there must be research about this topic, but I found very little. I turned to the experts.

Author and commentator Roxanne Gay advises us to consider our best time of day for writing, where we write, whether we listen to music. “You may not think you have a process but you do.”

Billy Collins keeps a small notebook handy, and begins by handwriting his poems. He makes a mess, crosses out words, changes them, doodles, and makes sketches. “There’s no such thing as a distraction. Maybe it belongs in your writing.”

Salman Rushdie says “There are things which you hear…and if you don’t write them down at that moment you will never remember them again, so you have to form the habit of making a record of your observations.”

What I’ve Learned

• Make lists. This removes the details of my day from my mind and allows me to focus.
• Turn off email. It’s amazing how much this improves my concentration.
• Re-boot. A walk, new activity, or relocation gets me back on track when I start to fade.
• Adapt. My morning process doesn’t always work in the afternoon. Small adaptations help.
• Have fun. My collection of colored pens promotes fun, doodling, and new directions.
• Look out the window. A change of scene provides a brief respite, shifts my perspective, and inspires ideas.

Process and quality
Does our writing process improve writing quality? I didn’t find any evidence. However it’s logical that a routine that works may sharpen your attention, improve your writing, and promote quality.