On Writing

Good coffee stimulates good writing. El Vendaval,  another gem from Verve Coffee Roasters (Santa Cruz, CA), with notes of golden raisin, stroopwafel, and cocoa, fits the bill. If I cannot travel freely, I might as well enjoy the next best thing: coffee from exotic locales, like Costa Rica. 

Why write? For work, it is an imperative. You cannot be effective at what you do without being a good writer. You do not need to be a great writer (few are), but you do need to effectively and efficiently communicate your ideas, rationale(s), and, most importantly, calls to action. What do you want (need) your co-workers (and/or other stakeholders) to do? When? Why? How? 

Writing elucidates and crystallizes the thought process. It can turn abstract ideas into concrete requirements. If you have, e.g., an investment thesis, write it down, study it, revise it, share it with others, discuss it, asking the hard questions, and revise it again. Writing is a process, although, at some point, you will need to submit the assignment, manuscript, etc. 

Amazon requires memos, not to exceed to exceed six pages (to my mind, still too long), to be made available before meetings. Powerpoint presentations are still useful (but, to my mind, usually bloated with slides that are either plainly unnecessary or orthogonal to the discussion at hand). I like white papers, so long as they are not more than a few pages. Emails run the gamut in terms of quality. Most people, understandably, lose interest after the first few lines. Do not bury the punchline. Organize before you write. Again, what do you hope to accomplish with your intended audience? Do not overlook minor details. Typos can destroy credibility. 

I had some writing assignments in business school and even fewer as an undergrad. I probably wrote a bit more in law school, but, in retrospect, not nearly enough. I was mostly impressed by the quality of writing of my law students, but, to be sure, there was room for improvement. It is impossible to practice writing too much. 

To be a good writer, you need to be a voracious reader. Anything will do, although I prefer a mix of current events (books and magazine articles) and the classics (I am currently reading Moby Dick (finally) and The Magic Mountain (not the one in Santa Clarita)). I prefer non-fiction to fiction, but, recently, have been going back-and-forth on this. 

Why might you want to write? Documenting the past or engaging in a creative endeavor are a few options. One friend has done both, writing a 102 chapter (each is a page or two) family history and a short story featuring a clever detective. Bulgakov (The Master and Marguerita) wrote to exorcise demons. Literally! Some (me) write to share and teach. A few can make a living from writing, and a much smaller few can make a very good, if not incredible, living from this endeavor. Perhaps a great idea might pop into my head on a delayed train ride.

Last, but not least, what are the tools of the trade? Most importantly, find a good editor, someone who will be hard on your writing (but not on you). The Borzoi Handbook for Writers, from high school, sits on my shelf, as do a desk thesaurus, dictionary, and the Blue Book (for technical articles on legal topics). Get started and good luck!