Want to be a writer? Think again! Better yet, do a great deal of thinking! "Dick Weiss", deputy metro editor/Sunday for the Post-Dispatch, shared his comments and reflections during his Aug. 19, 2003 presentation “Doing the Write Thing.” Dick described his life-long love for writing and expressed his deep passion for the profession.

Weiss suggested that all writers doing the following:

Be reflective first. Why do you want to be a writer? The answer to this question will orient you to the world when you are writing. Give yourself perspective.
Write a mission statement. Capture the essence of your writing.
Start where the readers start. What do the readers know and want to know?
Find your voice. Is your style formal or informal? Demanding or plaintive?
Write, write, write. Start driving and don’t look in the rearview mirror. You are your best editor.

He extended his advice to include his “Six Writing Tricks”

• Write no sentence longer than 21 words. This rule will help you impose discipline, clarity and rigor in your work.
• Avoid clauses, particulary introductory clauses. Readers want to get to the point fast. Stick to subject-verb-object construction as often as possible.
• Convey just one idea per sentence. Poor writers take their readers’ attention spans for granted. Readers get bored easily because they have other, more attractive options.
• Use powerful verbs. Underline all verbs in your copy. Did you find a bunch of “is’” and “are’” constructions? Can you replace those words with those that convey momentum and action?
• Use bulleted points. Bulleted points set off key items. Make each bullet parallel in construction with the others. For instance, notice that I start each item here with a verb.
• View adjectives and adverbs with suspicion. Are they working for a living? Would the sentence read just as well without them?

Weiss referenced examples from his own writing and of that from some of his colleagues. He closed with these four bonus tips:

* Use jargon like the plague.
* Eliminate clichés.
* Never use a big word when a simple one will do.
* Accentuate the positive.

Separate from his work with the Post-Dispatch, Weiss provides writing counseling. His Web site.