Assuming you’re not aiming to be a prize-winning novelist or poet, you probably just need to be reasonably proficient at writing–and comfortable with that attitude. One of the attitudes that discourages people from writing easily is the concern that they are not as good as they should be.

Interestingly, not being great at cooking doesn’t keep most of us out of the kitchen. Many of us know little about gardening, yet we don’t hesitate to plant bulbs or raise houseplants. We accept that we’re good enough for the tasks we want to accomplish.

Yet we are hesitant to adopt the “good enough” attitude when it comes to writing, usually because there’s a teacher or parent in our past whose voice we can still hear. That’s the voice that told us we didn’t measure up to their standard for writing, usually one of the great English or American writers.

But does that matter if you need to write a report at work or a letter to the school board? All you need to do is to write clearly, succinctly, and directly. Having a great style or being original isn’t necessary.

If you don’t know how to write clearly, succinctly, and directly, you can learn, just as you can learn to be good enough at fixing bicycles or playing tennis. It takes some time and effort to learn to be “good enough” at writing, but it is possible.

This question has been  on my mind as I prepare to teach Public Speaking at a local college this summer. The excellent textbook selected by the college takes students through every aspect of preparing and delivering a speech. As I work my way through the book and prepare lesson plans, I’ve been struck by how often the advice also works for writing.

The book, for example, emphasizes the importance of having clearly defined goals for every speech and of tailoring talks for different audiences. Hmmm, sounds like good advice for the written word, as well.

Some of the instruction, of course, only applies to public speaking. When you’re sitting alone at your computer, dressing appropriately for the occasion is a non-issue, and you can gesture all you want without distracting your audience.

But much of the advice works as well for writing a report or website text as for developing a persuasive or instructional speech. Good communication is good communication whatever the mode of delivery. So however you’re communicating, make sure you know your audience, have clear goals, stick to your message, and say as much as you need to and no more. You’ll be a better public speaker–and a better writer.

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While reading about the topic of website usability, I’ve been struck by something. Website usability refers to the user’s experience. It’s about creating a website that the typical user wants to look at and come back to, rather than a website that only serves the needs of its owner.

Many of the people working in this field are designers, but writers should also pay attention. If a website is difficult to navigate or confusingly laid out, the words–no matter how brilliant–will not be read. Writers need to pay attention to usability, even when usability falls into the domain of  designers, because it’s in the writers’ self-interest.

Writers need to make sure they are producing text that’s easy to read on the web. And they need to do more than hand over their copy to designers and then walk away. The context in which the text will be read matters. Poor design can doom text to be unread.

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You’ll do a better job of writing if you have ready access to good reference materials. First, and foremost, is a dictionary. Find one you’re comfortable with, whether it’s online or in print, and keep it handy. You want nothing to discourage you from consulting it, whether you need to check the meaning of a word, confirm a spelling, or find a synonym. I like the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary, but there are other good choices out there.

Also buy yourself a good grammar reference book. English is difficult to master even if it’s your native tongue and you had a good grammar education, which few of us did. I have a shelf full of grammar books, but the one I turn to over and over is “Woe Is I” by Patricia T. O’Conner. It’s out in paperback and well worth the small cost. Her explanations of grammar rules are the clearest I’ve seen, and the book’s index is easier to use than those in many other grammar books.

After that, I’d recommend having a thesaurus or use one online (although I find a dictionary usually works just as well for synonyms). I  often consult an atlas to check spellings and find locations. Although most geographic information can be found online, it’s often easier to check maps in a book. An added bonus is the fun to be had looking at maps of exotic places.

Finally, I have a Bartlett’s book of quotations. Bartlett’s is available online, but it’s harder to use than the print version.

Occasionally, I want to use a quote that I don’t fully remember, so I pull the book off the shelf. More often, I use Bartlett’s for inspiration. When I can’t get started writing on a topic, I look for an appropriate quote to use. Even if I don’t find the right quote, reading the possible quotes gets my mind working again and then I start writing.

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I was talking with some college students yesterday about the value of outlining before you write. They were feeling overwhelmed by the formal outline their teacher (my friend) was insisting they write. I pointed out that even after many years working as a professional writer, I still create an outline before I write so much as a paragraph.

My outline isn’t as detailed or formal as the ones they need to create for their class, but it serves the same purposes. First, it helps me organize my thoughts and put them in a logical sequence. That means I’ll do a better job when I write, and I’ll avoid much rewriting.

But outlining, or even just creating a list of key words and phrases, does something else. That process triggers additional thoughts about the subject of the writing because seeing words on paper is different than thinking about words in the brain. Saying the words out loud is still another process.

The more parts of your brain you involve in writing–or preparing to write by creating an outline–the more complete your writing will be. So instead of resenting the outline stage of writing, linger over it. Your writing will be the better for the time you put into creating a great outline.

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Reading and writing are inextricably tied together, and not just because you had to learn to read before you could learn to write. You want people to read what you write, and your writing can improve by reading what other people write. So read every chance you get.

You’re likely to retort that you have little opportunity to read beyond news headlines, a couple of blogs, reports at work, and the occasional beach book. But the fact is we’re all reading all the time without realizing it.

The trick is to be aware of all this reading and consciously assess what you like and don’t like about it as a way to improve your own work. Here are a few examples of what you’re “reading” now probably without realizing it:

Billboards–Ever notice that some are masterpieces of terse communication? What can that teach you?

Scripts–You’re watching TV shows and movies, aren’t you? Put aside burning questions about which actress you prefer, and ask yourself which script holds your attention and why. What can you learn about writing dialog?

Greeting cards–Why do some sum up your sentiments in a sentence, while others seem sappy? Is it the choice of words? The interplay of the words and the graphics?

Every time you see–or hear–words you are in the broadest sense “reading.” You are receiving words someone put, we hope, some thought into stringing together. Put a little thought into whether the writer or speaker was successful and why, and you’ll receive a lesson for your own work.

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If you want your website to be optimized for search engines and have compelling copy, then you’re facing a chicken-and-egg situation. Which comes first? The compelling copy or the key search terms?

Do you start by writing compelling copy and then insert key search terms you may have missed? Or do you first define the key search terms and then develop the text around them? Sometimes the final product will be the same no matter which approach you choose. But sometimes it won’t, so it pays to determine your methodology before you start your work.

If SEO is the pipeline that brings you customers, you’ll need to start with the key search terms. You’ll still want to develop well-written text to wrap around them.

If SEO is only one of your goals, then you may want to start by writing your copy. Not everyone needs to or can accomplish a complete job of optimizing.

Whichever direction you start from, keep these things in mind:

1. How people search and how you discuss your website could be very different. Do some research to learn how those who have never heard of your website might find it through a search.

2. Search engines can tell the difference between sites that are just lists of search terms and those that have genuine copy that includes key search terms.

3. You can do a perfect job of SEO and lose users as soon as they arrive at your website. Once they’ve found your site, you need compelling, easy-to-read text to keep them there.

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Often people say too much. Ironically, paring back what you say can push more of your message through to the reader, not less. Few readers want to work their way through complicated text or many examples that illustrate the writer’s point. Readers tend to wander off. Think of how often you’ve clicked to another website rather than put effort into figuring out what the writer is saying.

Many websites give eight reasons why you should buy now (or I should say, Buy NOW!!), rather than two. They list the 16 services the business provides, although few readers will look through a list that long. These sites look like the writer couldn’t decide what was most important to say, so she said everything.

The result is that readers turn away. Instead of reading and potentially remembering the author’s one or two points, readers give up on the document or website and take nothing in. Your best strategy is to decide what one point you want the reader to remember no matter how little time he spends reading your work. Then make that point clearly and succinctly. Don’t bury it in a sea of words.

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A call to action is the instruction you give your audience about what you want them to do next. In an advertisement the call to action is obvious: “Buy Now” or “Call for More Information”.

But most of us aren’t writing ads. We’re sending emails to our friends or drafting reports at work. Yet we still need a clear call to action, because we almost always want our readers to do something. Too often writers leave their audiences in the dark about what to do next. Always make your call to action obvious—and easy to follow through on.

In a report at work, put your recommended action at the top of page 1: “The company should buy the new widget machine from Jones Incorporated for three reasons.” In an email to your friends be just as clear: “Let’s meet at Mike’s Bistro for dinner because appetizers are 50% off today and besides I have a craving for their wings.” Of course, your friends may insist on going to Susie’s Bistro instead. But if you don’t include a clear call to action in your email, the odds they’ll decide to eat at Mike’s are much slimmer.

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Are you communicating your messages effectively to the right audience? Think about all the messages you receive every day—in person, via emails, on the Internet, in print and radio ads, on TV, and so on. How many of them do you pay attention to or act on? My guess is very few.

You can increase the chances your messages will be effective by asking three crucial questions before you start writing:

1. Who is your target audience? Be specific. If you have more than one target audience, determine who is the primary audience and who is the secondary. Picture your audience in your mind.
2. What message do you want your target audience to take away from your communication? Again, be very specific. Can you put your message in one simple sentence?
3. What action do you want your target audience to take once it has received your message? This is often referred to as the “call to action.” It can be anything from Click Here to Learn More to Vote for Me in the Election.

As you write, keep your answers to these three questions in mind. When you review your draft, ask yourself if you have written to your target audience. Then ask if your message for this audience is clear, and if you have included a call to action.

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