Focus on the one message

Then focus again

“If you can’t write your message in a sentence, you can’t say it in an hour.” — Dianna Booher, author of What More Can I Say? Why Communication Fails and What to Do About It

This seems kinda flip, but in your writing, especially when the stakes are high and you’re putting your knowledge out into the public conversation, is so very true that precision counts big. If you take the time to get clarity about what you’re most trying to say, it will make it easier to write your draft and make sure that the whole argument is cohesive, conceive, clear, and powerful. For each piece you write, know your one, main key message. And, if you feel like you’re straying off of your message, trust that you have the beginnings of the next piece you’ll write, too.