These are some of the main points we covered in the half-day 'Writing Refresher' workshop.

1. Proposal writing refresher
with
David Thomas
TMG David Thomas Media Ltd Brief writing refresher

2. What stops people understanding
you?
➡ language used
➡ structure of arguments
➡ inappropriate medium
➡ time available
➡ attitude or frame of mind of reader
TMG David Thomas Media Ltd Brief writing refresher

3. Before you write...
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4. Before you write...
➡ what do you want the reader
to do?
➡ what do you want the reader
to understand?
➡ what do you want the reader
to remember?
TMG David Thomas Media Ltd Brief writing refresher

5. TMG David Thomas Media Ltd Brief writing refresher

6. Message
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7. Message
Reader
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8. Message
Reader
Medium
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9. Message
Tone Reader
Medium
TMG David Thomas Media Ltd Brief writing refresher

10. Message
Tone Reader
Medium
TMG David Thomas Media Ltd Brief writing refresher

12. Key aim

13. Key aim
Section 1
Section 2
Section 3
Section 4

14. Framework order
Key aim
Section 1
Section 2
Section 3
Section 4
Conclusion
Next steps

15. Key aim
Section 1
Section 2
Section 3
Section 4
Conclusion
Next steps

16. Writing order
Key aim
Conclusion
Next steps
Section 1
Section 2
Section 3
Section 4

17. Clear and concise - layout
TMG David Thomas Media Ltd Brief writing refresher

18. Clear and concise - layout
● Make it easy on the eye
TMG David Thomas Media Ltd Brief writing refresher

19. Clear and concise - layout
● Make it easy on the eye
● Keep capital letters to a minimum
TMG David Thomas Media Ltd Brief writing refresher

20. Clear and concise - layout
● Make it easy on the eye
● Keep capital letters to a minimum
● Short paragraphs (one or two sentences each)
TMG David Thomas Media Ltd Brief writing refresher

21. Clear and concise - layout
● Make it easy on the eye
● Keep capital letters to a minimum
● Short paragraphs (one or two sentences each)
● Show processes as a flow diagram or vertical list
TMG David Thomas Media Ltd Brief writing refresher

22. Clear and concise - layout
● Make it easy on the eye
● Keep capital letters to a minimum
● Short paragraphs (one or two sentences each)
● Show processes as a flow diagram or vertical list
● Use white space to avoid daunting readers
TMG David Thomas Media Ltd Brief writing refresher

23. Clear and concise - layout
● Make it easy on the eye
● Keep capital letters to a minimum
● Short paragraphs (one or two sentences each)
● Show processes as a flow diagram or vertical list
● Use white space to avoid daunting readers
● Mark sections clearly with title slides or headings
TMG David Thomas Media Ltd Brief writing refresher

24. Clear and concise - layout
● Make it easy on the eye
● Keep capital letters to a minimum
● Short paragraphs (one or two sentences each)
● Show processes as a flow diagram or vertical list
● Use white space to avoid daunting readers
● Mark sections clearly with title slides or headings
● Careful with underlinings
TMG David Thomas Media Ltd Brief writing refresher

25. Clear and concise - layout
● Make it easy on the eye
● Keep capital letters to a minimum
● Short paragraphs (one or two sentences each)
● Show processes as a flow diagram or vertical list
● Use white space to avoid daunting readers
● Mark sections clearly with title slides or headings
● Careful with underlinings
● Be consistent
TMG David Thomas Media Ltd Brief writing refresher

26. Fonts
Sans serif
Minimum 16pt for screen reading
32pt for projection
High contrast with background
TMG David Thomas Media Ltd Brief writing refresher

27. Fonts (44pt)
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28. Fonts (44pt)
This is 14pt Gill Sans
This is 16pt Gill Sans
This is 24pt Gill Sans
This is 32pt Gill Sans
This is 44pt Gill Sans
This is 72pt Gill Sans
TMG David Thomas Media Ltd Brief writing refresher

29. Fonts (44pt)
This is 14pt Gill Sans
This is 16pt Gill Sans
This is 24pt Gill Sans
This is 32pt Gill Sans
This is 44pt Gill Sans
This is 72pt Gill Sans
TMG David Thomas Media Ltd Brief writing refresher

30. Fonts (44pt)
This is 14pt Gill Sans
This is 16pt Gill Sans
This is 24pt Gill Sans
This is 32pt Gill Sans
This is 44pt Gill Sans
This is 72pt Gill Sans
TMG David Thomas Media Ltd Brief writing refresher

31. Fonts (44pt)
This is 14pt Gill Sans
This is 16pt Gill Sans
This is 24pt Gill Sans
This is 32pt Gill Sans
This is 44pt Gill Sans
This is 72pt Gill Sans

32. Clear and concise - the 5 As
TMG David Thomas Media Ltd Brief writing refresher

33. Clear and concise - the 5 As
1. A
2. A
3. A
4. A
5. A
TMG David Thomas Media Ltd Brief writing refresher

34. Clear and concise - the 5 As
A
1. Acknowledge
2. A
3. A
4. A
5. A
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35. Clear and concise - the 5 As
A
1. Acknowledge
A
2. Adapt - to the medium and reader
3. A
4. A
5. A
TMG David Thomas Media Ltd Brief writing refresher

36. Clear and concise - the 5 As
A
1. Acknowledge
A
2. Adapt - to the medium and reader
A
3. Active verbs and phrases
4. A
5. A
TMG David Thomas Media Ltd Brief writing refresher

37. Clear and concise - the 5 As
A
1. Acknowledge
A
2. Adapt - to the medium and reader
A
3. Active verbs and phrases
A
4. Action
5. A
TMG David Thomas Media Ltd Brief writing refresher

38. Clear and concise - the 5 As
A
1. Acknowledge
A
2. Adapt - to the medium and reader
A
3. Active verbs and phrases
A
4. Action
A
5. Avoid complicated jargon, complicated structures
with, for example, lots of commas and subclauses,
and lengthy sentences a bit like this one.
TMG David Thomas Media Ltd Brief writing refresher

39. Clear and concise - the 5 As
A
1. Acknowledge
A
2. Adapt - to the medium and reader
A
3. Active verbs and phrases
A
4. Action
A
5. Avoid complicated jargon, complicated structures
with, for example, lots of commas and subclauses,
and lengthy sentences a bit like this one.
One idea per sentence!
TMG David Thomas Media Ltd Brief writing refresher

40. Jargon, clichés & circumlocutions
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41. Jargon, clichés & circumlocutions
● ongoing, on an ongoing basis
● add value to
● deliverables
● going forward
● with respect to
● outside of
● prior to
● commence
TMG David Thomas Media Ltd Brief writing refresher

42. Common problems
● its or it’s
● your or you’re
● their (means belonging to them)
● -ised vs -ized (e.g. recognised)
● spelling of commercial terms (e.g. iPhone)
TMG David Thomas Media Ltd Brief writing refresher

43. Saving time
● Templates
● Dictionary
● Style guide
● Checking
● Double checking
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44. Commonly confused words
• compliment (praise); complement (go
together) (NB ‘complimentary’ can also mean
free, e.g. ‘a complimentary copy of the book’)
• dependant (noun); dependent (adjective)
• disk (computer); disc (record)
• enquiry (general); inquiry (official)
• practice (noun); practise (verb)
• principle (noun – moral rule); principal
(adjective – first in importance; noun – holder
of most important position in an organisation)
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45. Thank you!
david.thomas@davidthomasmedia.com
TMG David Thomas Media Ltd Brief writing refresher