Chapter II, Writing: Composing Efficiently

review summary by : Putri Nur Rochmah

Faculty of Business and Economics Universitas Gadjah Mada

I.

General Composing Techniques

There are five stages of the writing composition, adopted from writing expert Donald Murray.
This figure emphashizes both of the five stages of composition (shown in blacks arrows) and the
possible looping back that may be necessary among the stages (shown in white narrows).
THE WRITING COMPOSITION PROCESS

1. Research
First, you have to collect information from a wide variety of possible sources. Keep in
mind your audiences needs and communication objective to decide how much
information you need to collect.
2. Organize
After collect the information, you can :
1. Group similar ideas together
bucket similar ideas
Label each bucket

 Check each buncket

Put the buckets in order
2. Compose an organizational blueprint
Linear outline
Idea chart
Circular mind map
3. Focus
After organize the information and try yo see the essence of the message, focused on
youre your audience analysis and your communication objective. You can use some
techniques by imagine the reader skimming, nutshell your ideas, teach your ideas,
simulate the elevator pitch, and use the busy boss.
4. Draft
The key to effective drafting is to let your creativity flow. You can use some techniques
by compose in any order, avoid editing, print a hard copy, and schedule a time gap.
5. Edit
After you complete the fourth stage, you may decide to cut or chage substantially.
1. Step 1:edit for strategy
2. Step 2: edit for macro issues
3. Step 3: edit for micro issues
4. Step 4 : edit for correctness
II.

Special Composing Techniques

This section offers some ideas on how to deal with three special challenges in writing :
1. Overcoming writers block
Writers block is a temporary inability to write, you are facing the blank screen or page
and you cant get any words out. If you are stuck, try one or more of these techniques by
change your writing task, change your activity, change your perceptions.
2. Writing collaboratively in groups
Collaborating means compromising, it also means benefiting from a wealth of talents and
differing degrees of credibility. You can use some suggestion for writing effectively and
efficiently in groups. First, agree on group guidelines, and second, agree on the tasks and
timeline.
3. Using email
Email can be tremendously efficient and useful. If not used effectively, it can be unclear,
inappropriate, and burdensome. Dont use email when you are angry or in radical
disagreement, you need to convey sensitive, you need to interact your audience, you need
confidentiality or privacy, and run the risk of annoying your audience. You also have to
choose your words carefully, use high skin value, and make up for the lack of
nonverbal cases.