Write to the Point

4The Right Package: Organizing and Evaluating Information

“If any man wish to write in a clear style,let him be first clear in his thoughts.”

—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

ALL WRITING IS AN ATTEMPT to impose a sense of order on the chaotic random flow of impressions and ideas swirling about in our minds. From the simplest e-mail message to the most detailed report, the task all writers face is how to best organize and present the information to their readers. Yet how do you accomplish this feat? To begin you need to ask questions about the data and details you collect. If the writing has a beginning, middle, and ending, would using traditional sentence and paragraph format prove best? Perhaps lists or a series of illustrations supported by minimal ...