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HOME & COUNTRY HOME & COUNTRY is published quanerly by the Federated Womm's institutes of Ontario (FWIO). lthas two objectives: 1. To provide educational material which cultivates more lmowledgeable and re- sponsible citizens and promotes good family life skills, leadership develome and community action. . To provide a "communications link" among all members of the Federated Woman's Institutes of Ontario and other related organizations. EDITOR Janine Rodeos-Grant GRAPHIC DESIGN Debbie Thompson Wilson © Willmtmlion I993 EDITORIAL COMMITTEE Barb Pinkney, Peggy McLeod (Co-Chair), Margaret Atkins. Margaret Eberle, Pat Ouvari, Cindy Ashton, Janine Roelens~Granl (Secretary) Deadlines: Fall Issue: June 15 Winter Issue: September 15 Please address all correspondence to: Janine Roelmstrant Editor. Home dz Country FWIO Guelph Agriculture Cartre PO. Box 1030 Guelfli. Ontario N 1H 6N! FAX . (519)824â€"6941 PHONE N0. - (519)757-3507 Copyright © 1993 FWIO Copyrighted material (including graphics) may be reproduced as long as itreamim in eonten. its source il recognized and it is not used for monetary gain. To reprint copy- righted material under any cirwmsunces please mum the Editor. ISSN 0701-578X Pdnwdmrocydedplpébymwflmdpdnfing. Rimming Ind . Willbwdlle. Ontario. Home a Country, Summer '93 Editor’s Notebook: Mite to [Ev/fem: 4/05 to [tr/rear: . By Janine Rodericâ€"Grant Clear writing presents information in a way that is easy to read and understand. Clear writing is the responsibility of every writer; it is about having respect for your intended audience. Here are a number of clear writing tips: Get Your Story in Order - Put your thoughts in a logical order before you be- gin. Prepare an outline first, and improve the reader‘s understanding of the infonna- tion presented. Get to the Point - Tell your reader what you are writing about in the first sentence or two. Answer the questions “who, what, when, where and why." The details of “how” can follow. Keep it Short - Limit paragraphs to about 100 words or 150 syllables. Limit sen- tences to about 20 words. Use words that have 5 letters or fewer sixty to seventy per cent of the time. And, keep it to one thought per sentence. Keep it Moving » Grip your reader’s attention in the first sentence and make them want to read on. By using the writing tips out- lined here you can keep up the momentum. Be Active - Use the active form of a verb, instead of the passive. For example, use “Lead the group..." in- stead of “The group must be led..." Remember, the following words signal the passive voice: is, was. are, and being. Be Positive - Use a friendly, pesitive tone in your writing. If the tone is negative, you will not ‘catch‘ and ‘keep‘ the reader's attention. "I'm sorry this letter is so long; Ididn‘t have time to write a short one. " Keep it Simple - Chopse concise, lean words and familiar phrases. They are the trademarks of the inshape writer. Fat, weighty words and phrases cause ugly bulges in sentences. When asked why he used the word ‘city‘ and not ‘metropolis' in his writings, Mark Twain said he got paid just as much to use the shorter, simpler word. Here’s a few examples of fat phrases and words and their lean substitutes: Instead of: Try: consequently so explain Show, tell facilitate help in regard to about due to the fact that since Be Specific - Name names, accurately. Use complete versions of acronyms the first time. And, if possible, use exact numbers instead of indefinite terms. . t â€" Remember, It takes more time to write a short report. In a letter to a lrlend, George Bernard Shaw remarked: Be Direct ~ Avoid abstrac language and idioms. “Honesty is one of her vir- tues" is a weak and abstract way of saying “I’ve never heard her lie." Be Careful - Avoid re- marks about a person’s sex, race, religion, age or physical appearance. Emphasize the Action - Avoid changing verbs into nouns. Write “The group decided"? instead of “A decision was made by the group... Practice - Finally. to be a clear writer, you must practice. Practice may not make you a great writer. but it will help you become a clear writer. Remember, write to 6’. press. not to impress!