We all write every single day, including business people. However, there are several levels of writing proficiency based on your skills, what you write about, and the final deliverables. Each level delivers a different quality of works, which can and should be polished optimally to achieve “professional writing” presence.
In this article, we’ll discuss the 3 levels of writer and the 5 tools for a business writer to deliver professional writing.
The Levels of Writing
1. Functional writer
This is the lowest level of writer, as it’s someone who uses writing and reading skills to function in everyday activities, like as a student or an employee of an organization. Thus, naturally, the level of fluency and sophistication is limited. Many business writers belong to this category, as they merely write long or not-so-long passages as their jobs require.
2. Technical Writer
Someone of this technical level reads and writes well and uses those skills in their job and a part of the job description, as any position that is required to write reports of their activities. The term “technical writer” here is different from the “technical writer” position at technology companies, as the latter is someone who writes about technology or technical knowledge as a profession for a company. Most business writers are included in this category.
3. Cultural Writer
It’s someone who uses writing and reading skills in everyday activities, in their jobs, and enjoys the mental stimulation and spiritual ecstasy through writing. Professional authors who write multiple non-fiction, fiction, and literary books belong to this rare category. A small number of business writers can be categorized into this group.
Whichever category you belong to, you’d need brainstorming, writing, and editing tools that would polish your works and take them to the professional level.
The Tools for Delivering Professional Writing
1. Mindjet
It’s a mind-mapping app for iOS and Android that provides you with a tool to turn free-floating information into clear and actionable plans. It comes with various templates so you can start creating maps of ideas to include in the writing project.
2. Dragon Dictation
When it comes to writing down the ideas, some people have difficulties starting. With Dragon Dictation, you can directly speak and have the dictation app record and type it for you. By dictating the first draft, you can usually talk without worrying about editing.
3. ProWritingAid
After the first draft has been completed, which was resulted from free writing by dictation, you can start editing it. ProWritingAid is an excellent tool that checks your grammar, error, style, punctuation, repetition, vocabularies, cliches, length, transition, and others. As with other editing tools, you’ll learn as you go along.
4. Hemingway
Hemingway is an app that highlights long and complex sentences and common errors, so you can fix split and shorten them to be able to read by eighth graders. Why? Because most people learn at this level. Thus, when your works at it, more people would be able to understand and act upon them.
5. Jargon Grader
This online tool identifies and eliminates jargons that fill your writing. You can copy and paste the text into the form and hit “Find Jargon.” The jargons in question will be flagged, so you can take a look and decide what to do with them.
In conclusion, whether you’re a functional writer, a technical writer, or a cultural writer, you can and should use writing and editing apps to ensure the final deliverables’ quality is up to professional level. The top 5 tool categories to use are for mind-mapping, dictation, grammar check, readability check, and jargon identifier.
Image Source: Pixabay