Thoughts on Becoming a Good Broadcast and Internet Writer

1. Know your subject. When you don't know what you're talking about, it is impossible to write about the subject well. Research hard. Don't be lazy about it.

2. Rewrite. Don't do the assignment the night before. Do the final version the night before. The best writers are constantly checking their material, and rewriting 2, 3, 4 or more versions before they're finished. They assume they've made mistakes all through the process. Even with words they think they know how to spell, they check them.

3. Read your version out loud to anyone who will listen. Ask them if they understand what you are saying. If they have to ask you questions about your meaning, then rewrite it. After all, we're writing all of these assignments with the final goal that somebody is going to read them out loud on the radio or on television. So, it makes sense to read them out loud to ourselves, and to have others read them out loud, too.

4. Get a British/Canadian dictionary and a thesaurus and keep them handy. A book, or on-line. And use it. Words have different shades of meaning. You have to be precise. Take pride in the precision of your word choices.