Neglecting This Pre-Flight Check Might Prevent Your Writing from Landing Properly
Your Pre-flight Check is Always Important
In flying, the pre-flight check is mandatory. I suppose this piloting concept naturally crept into my writing as well.
Before I hit the send or publish button, I always put my writing and correspondence through what I call my Writing Pre-flight Check.
Whether you’re composing emails to clients, blog posts, articles, or you’re mailing cards and letters to family or friends, there are a few quick things you should always do to optimize how your communications sound. Ideally, you want to come across as intelligent, credible, and thoughtful — maybe even humorous.
It’s too easy to inadvertently trip up. So here are three quick Writing Pre-flight Check tips to help you come across the way you intended.
1.) ALWAYS, always proof-read your content before sending or publishing. Check your spelling and tone — how you are coming across. Proof-read everything. You don’t get another chance to make the right impression.
2.) Reading it out loud to yourself before sending or publishing can be a great help. As I read, sometimes I find something I’m unsure of. I find using editing software apps, such as “Grammarly,” can be particularly helpful in smoothing out such issues. There is a free version available, and it can make you look good and maybe even save your reputation.
3.) And if it’s something super important, step away from it for a little while after you’ve finished writing it–but before sending. Take a break, do something else. Then come back to it a little later (an hour, a few hours, or a day) and do the proof-reading and reading aloud (perhaps a second pass). Sometimes things feel and sound different to us after we give it a little space and time to “steep.”
These are my absolute musts no matter what I’m writing. Okay, maybe I do dash-off text messages a bit too quickly for this. And that damned autocorrect will get me so many times. At least those sometimes give us something to chuckle about.
Give these a try and tell me what you think.
Thanks for visiting. Hope to see you here again soon.
Be Well,
~Paula
Paula High-Young is a freelance holistic health and personal development copywriter in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. She’s also fluent in holistic wellness coaching, herbal medicinals, Reiki, and essential oils. You can find her website at HolisticWellnessWriters.com and connect with her on LinkedIn, at Holistic Wellness Writers on Facebook, and sometimes on Twitter. You can also find her on Flickr.
