Chapter 4Secret #4:Write the WayYou Think
If you’ve ever been given advice on how to prepare a document for the business community, you’ve probably been admonished to “write the way you speak.” That is, you’ve been asked to make your document sound conversational—and, therefore, easier to understand—by using contractions, plain words, personal pronouns, and a dozen minirules to give the impression that you’re hovering behind your readers, whispering directly into their ears (although if they tried to shoo you away, there’d be nothing there to swat).
This plain English style of writing is invaluable when you’re trying to communicate with others but less valuable for the freewriting page. It’s not that the “write the way you speak” tenets are wrong ...
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